Christmas song lyrics
Jingle Bells Lyrics
The words to Jingle Bells — the verse and chorus little ones love best — with easy actions to do together and a little history for curious grown-ups.
Jingle Bells full lyrics
Dashing through the snow
In a one-horse open sleigh,
O’er the fields we go,
Laughing all the way.
Bells on bobtail ring,
Making spirits bright;
What fun it is to ride and sing
A sleighing song tonight! Oh!
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way!
Oh what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh, hey!
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way!
Oh what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh!
Most families sing the first verse and the chorus — that’s plenty for little voices. Written by James Lord Pierpont and published in 1857, so it’s long out of copyright and free to sing anywhere.
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Actions to do together
- Shake your wrists like little bells every time you sing “jingle bells”.
- Sway side to side together like a sleigh gliding through the snow.
- Gallop your hands on your knees like the horse’s hooves during the verse.
- Throw your arms up on the big “hey!” — toddlers wait the whole song for it.
- Slow right down for one round, then sing a super-fast round for giggles.
What your child learns
- A strong, steady beat — perfect for clapping, shaking and marching
- New winter words: sleigh, fields, spirits, bright
- Loud and soft voice control when you swap between big and tiny singing
- Waiting and turn-taking — pause before “hey!” and let your child shout it
Where does Jingle Bells come from?
Jingle Bells was written by the American songwriter James Lord Pierpont and published in 1857 under its first title, “The One Horse Open Sleigh”. It started life as a song about winter sleigh races — it never actually mentions Christmas — but its bright, bouncy chorus made it a Christmas favourite around the world, and today it’s one of the first songs most children ever learn.
Questions parents ask
Is Jingle Bells really a Christmas song?
The words never mention Christmas — it’s a song about dashing through the snow in a sleigh. It became attached to Christmas over the years because of its wintery, bell-ringing cheer, and now it’s the season’s best-known song.
What is a one-horse open sleigh?
A light carriage on runners instead of wheels, pulled over the snow by a single horse — with no roof, so riders felt the wind and heard the harness bells ring. “Bobtail” describes the horse’s short, trimmed tail.
Which part should my toddler learn first?
Start with the chorus. It repeats the same few words — jingle, bells, ride, sleigh — to a simple tune, so even very young children can join in on “jingle bells” and the big “hey!” long before they manage the verse.