Irish & Scottish Folk Song · Arch Game · Grades K–3
In and Out the Dusty Bluebells lyrics, the complete arch and circle game, and a teaching guide for grades K–3. Low ti, timri, tiri-tiri, slur — and a game that ends in a line, making it a perfect natural transition out of music class.
Full lyrics · both verses
Each verse has a different rhythm concept. The game mechanic reinforces both — the weaving motion of the first verse illustrates timri, and the "pitter patter" tapping of the second verse is tiri-tiri felt physically.
The game
The game has a specific structure that makes it self-managing — the circle shrinks and a line grows with every repetition until the game ends naturally in a formation you can use directly for the next transition. How the final-child moment works, and how to make sure the growing line stays organized rather than chaotic, is shown in the full demonstration.
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About this song
In and Out the Dusty Bluebells is an Irish and Scottish folk song with a game structure that does something unusual — it starts as a circle and ends as a line. That means the game has a built-in natural conclusion, and the line it produces is immediately useful for transitioning to another activity or lining up to leave. The game manages its own ending.
The two-verse structure maps perfectly onto two different rhythm concepts. Verse 1 — "in and out the dusty bluebells" — clearly illustrates timri. Verse 2 — "pitter patter pitter patter" — illustrates tiri-tiri, and is particularly effective because the game literally involves patting the rhythm on someone's shoulder. Students feel tiri-tiri in their hands before they ever see it on a page.
"Since the kids end up in a line, this song can be a good way to transition into another activity where they all need to be in a line — or they can walk to the door because class is over!"
— Deborah Skydell Pasternack, The Singing ClassroomLow ti: Used here both as a leading tone and to help outline a dominant chord — making this one of the few K–3 songs where low ti appears in a harmonically meaningful context, not just as an isolated pitch.
Slur: The word "I" in "I am your partner" is sung across two notes — a clear, singable example of a slur (one syllable, multiple pitches). Easy to point to once students know the song.
Common questions
Verse 1: "In and out the dusty bluebells / In and out the dusty bluebells / In and out the dusty bluebells / Who will be my partner?" Verse 2: "Pitter patter pitter patter on his shoulder / Pitter patter pitter patter on his shoulder / Pitter patter pitter patter on his shoulder / I am your partner." The two verses alternate throughout the game — Verse 1 while the leader weaves, Verse 2 while they tap the chosen child's shoulder.
All students stand in a circle with hands held and arms raised to make windows. One child weaves in and out of the windows during Verse 1, stopping behind someone on "Who will be my partner?" During Verse 2, they tap on that child's back with the "pitter patter pitter patter" rhythm. The tapped child becomes the new leader; the first child follows behind. The circle shrinks and a line grows with each repetition. When one child remains, the line circles around them. That final child leads the whole class — and since everyone is now in a line, the game transitions naturally to the next activity or to lining up to leave.
The "pitter patter" verse is the vehicle — the game literally involves patting the rhythm on someone's shoulder, so students feel tiri-tiri physically before they see it on a page. The specific way Deborah uses this moment as a teaching opportunity is demonstrated in the full video.
A slur is when one syllable is sung across multiple pitches — the voice glides from one note to the next on the same vowel. In In and Out the Dusty Bluebells, the word "I" in "I am your partner" is sung across two notes. This is a clear, brief, and singable example of a slur that students can hear and reproduce easily. In vocal music this is also called melisma — the same concept applied to longer passages.
More arch games & Irish/Scottish songs
Cumulative Irish folk song. Timri, low sol, do pentatonic. A natural Irish companion to Dusty Bluebells.
See teaching guide →Another winding arch game for K–3. Also ends with an interesting formation — great to pair with Dusty Bluebells.
See teaching guide →American arch game for older students. Low ti, ti-m-ri, ti-tiri. Good progression from Dusty Bluebells.
See teaching guide →The real problem
Every teacher knows this feeling. You find a song, try it on Monday, and something goes sideways — the kids don't engage, you're not sure how to introduce it, the lesson loses momentum. It's not that the song was wrong. You just didn't have a clear picture of how it actually goes.
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