Ten in the Bed

Origin: Traditional

Lyrics

There were ten in the bedAnd the little one said,"Roll over! Roll over!"So they all rolled overAnd one fell out

There were nine in the bedAnd the little one said,"Roll over! Roll over!"So they all rolled overAnd one fell out

There were eight in the bedAnd the little one said,"Roll over! Roll over!"So they all rolled overAnd one fell out

There were seven in the bedAnd the little one said,"Roll over! Roll over!"So they all rolled overAnd one fell out

There were six in the bedAnd the little one said,"Roll over! Roll over!"So they all rolled overAnd one fell out

There were five in the bedAnd the little one said,"Roll over! Roll over!"So they all rolled overAnd one fell out

There were four in the bedAnd the little one said,"Roll over! Roll over!"So they all rolled overAnd one fell out

There were three in the bedAnd the little one said,"Roll over! Roll over!"So they all rolled overAnd one fell out

There were two in the bedAnd the little one said,"Roll over! Roll over!"So they all rolled overAnd one fell out

There was one in the bedAnd the little one said,"Good night!"

Ten share a bed until the "little one" keeps ordering everyone to roll over, tipping one out at a time until the little one finally has the bed to themselves and says good night. The countdown from ten to one is the lesson; the roll-over is the fun.

Origins

The song has been passed down primarily through oral tradition, and its exact origin and composer remain undocumented. While the rhyme became widely popular during the mid-twentieth century, references indicate it was sung in families and classrooms earlier in the 1900s.

In 1988, the British author Penny Dale adapted the rhyme into a popular children's picture book. In her illustration, a young child shares a bed with nine soft toy animals, rolling them out one by one until he has the bed to himself. The song also gained visibility in 2018 when comedian Rob Delaney signed a version using Makaton sign language on the BBC program CBeebies, which was the show's first signed story.

Meaning & Interpretation

The lyrics describe a playful scenario where a "little one" repeatedly commands a group of ten to roll over, causing one person to fall out of the bed in each verse. This continues until only the little one is left, concluding with a peaceful "Good night!"

The song serves as an educational tool for early childhood development. By counting down from ten to one, children practice backward counting and basic subtraction in a fun, rhythmic format. The theme of rolling over also lends itself to physical play, where children can roll on the floor or slide side-to-side, assisting in the development of motor skills and physical coordination.

What is the purpose of the Ten in the Bed nursery rhyme?

The primary purpose of the song is to teach toddlers and young children how to count backward from ten to one. It is also used as a calming bedtime routine or a playful action song.

How is Ten in the Bed used in child development?

The song is used to practice basic subtraction, pattern recognition, and language acquisition. It is also adapted into motor skill activities where children physically roll over to match the actions in the lyrics.