Here is the church and here is the steeple...

[Tapoopoo]

If you know the next lines, where did you grow up?

We did it all the time as children. It didnt make sense then. It doesnt make sense now.

It popped into my head and no one here knew what I was talking about with with the finger action. I grew up West Mids.

South Wales
I was teaching my dds the other day!

London .
Mother from Gateshead.

Yes, I do this to my dds too. Where's this from?

Open the doors (use thumbs) and see all the people (turn upside down and wiggle fingers).
Northern England

Open the doors snd here are the people

london devon
whats not to under stand?

church= rectangle box
steeple = two fingers point up to make a steeple
open the doors= two thumbs form a door / open
people. =. Turn fingers upward snd wiggle

Open the door and see all the people.

We also used to do it backwards, with fingers interlaced on top. Then we’d say, “Open the door but where are the people? They’re up on the roof!”

Open the gates, and there’s the people
There’s the parson going upstairs
And there he is, saying his prayers

Dorset

My Mum had another part to this which she used to say when I was a kid. The parson says 'Dearly beloved brethren, is it not a sin, to peel new potatoes and throw away the skin. The skin feeds the pigs and the pigs feed you. Dearly beloved brethren, is this not true?'

Anyone else?! It always felt very made up.

You need a stalk of flowering fescue grass. Hold out the stalk for tree in summer. Put your thumb and finger and run it up the stalk to pull off the flower heads - bare stalk is tree in winter. The gathered flower heads are the bunch of flowers, and you throw them over someone for the showers.

The original verse, I knew, "open the doors and here are the people." Dorset.

We did it a bit differently: by putting hands back to back and then intertwining fingers starting with the little fingers, so walking upstairs. Then you twist your hands inside out if that makes sense and end up with a pulpit make from both hands with the parson in it (your thumb).

Midlands and East Anglia

One potato, two potatoes, three potatoes, four..

Down at the bottom of the deep blue sea...

A sailor went to sea sea sea...

The rhyme is a classic finger‑play rhyme that’s been used in Britain and the US since at least the 19th century. It’s performed with a little hand “theatre” interlock . -Your make the church. Raise your index fingers for the steeple, open your thumbs like doors, then turn your hands over and wiggle the hidden fingers - the “people.” It’s survived because the “reveal” - suddenly showing all the people - is irresistible to small children.

‘Here’s the people’ in our family! (Scotland)

This was on an old tape of children's rhymes i had when I was little, so think that's how I knew of it.

I was walking down a lane
When i felt a sudden pain
Diahhorea (sniff sniff) diahhorea (sniff sniff)
I went behind a bush
And it came out with a rush
Diahhorea (sniff sniff) diahhorea (sniff sniff)
Some people think it's funny
But it's really hot and runny
Diahhorea (sniff sniff) diahhorea (sniff sniff)

Open the doors and see all the people.

Canada. 🍁

This is the way the lady rides
This is the way the gentleman rides
This is the way the farmer rides
And this is the way tbe huntsman rides.
(bouncing child on lap harder each time)

Open the doors and see all the people!

Scarborough, North Yorkshire

Open the doors and here’s the people; Newcastle upon Tyne

Open the doors and see all the people. London.

Here’s a rhyme which someone taught me, but I’ve never seen it in a book, and I’ve read loads of nursery rhyme books:
God made man, and man made money.
God made the bees, and and bees made honey.
God made the devil, and the devil made sin.
God made hell, and pushed the devil in.

Stop, says the red light.
Go, says the green.
Wait, says the amber light,
Coming in between.
That’s what they say,
That’s what they mean.
We all must obey them,
Even the Queen.

We also did the Muffin Man song at school. The Muffin Man was blindfolded, and everyone would sing “do you know the muffin man, who lives on Drury Lane?” while everyone moved around him or her in a circle. The muffin man then pointed at someone, who would sing “yes I know the muffin man”, and the muffin man would guess who it was.

Little Bunny Fufu anyone?

I don't know that as a rhyme only the book Little Rabbit Foo Foo I read with my Reception class. They all knew it off by heart, it has a great rhythm.

Essex

That's how I learned it as well.

The lady rode nimmy, nimmy, nimmy
The gentleman rode, trotty, trotty, trotty
The farmer rode, gallopy, gallopy, gallopy
The rodeo rider rode, yeehaw!!

The rodeo rider was quite wild.