I can almost guarantee that for most people, the second they read the words “Old McDonald Had a Farm”, the classic nursery rhyme springs to life in their minds, bringing back memories of singing the familiar rhythm and wholesome lyrics. Particularly for kids, “Old McDonald” is fun and exciting because they get to sing a simple tune, make animal noises, and play fun games with their parents, teachers, babysitters, or friends.

Nursery rhymes such as “Old McDonald” engage children with their multifaceted interactive play (singing, dancing, role-playing animals, etc), help to develop their minds through working their motor skills and teaching them speech patterns as well as other parts of their cognitive development. 

We have put together a treasure trove for you around “Old McDonald” including the full song lyrics, different variations of the nursery classic, activities you can play with your children while singing this wonderful tune, and other resources.

Old MacDonald's Lyrics and Fun Variations

Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O,

And on that farm he had a cow, E-I-E-I-O,

With a moo moo here, and a moo moo there,

Here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo moo,

Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.

Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O,

And on that farm he had a horse, E-I-E-I-O,

With a neigh neigh here, and a neigh neigh there,

Here a neigh, there a neigh, everywhere a neigh neigh,

Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.

Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O,

And on that farm he had some chicks, E-I-E-I-O,

With a cheep cheep here, and a cheep cheep there,

Here a cheep, there a cheep, everywhere a cheep cheep,

Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.

Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O,

And on that farm he had some pigs, E-I-E-I-O,

With an oink oink here, and an oink oink there,

Here an oink, there an oink, everywhere an oink oink,

Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.

Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O,

And on that farm he had a dog, E-I-E-I-O,

With a woof woof here, and a woof woof there,

Here a woof, there a woof, everywhere a woof woof,

Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.

Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O,

And on that farm he had a duck, E-I-E-I-O,

With a quack quack here, and a quack quack there,

Here a quack, there a quack, everywhere a quack quack,

Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.

Part of what makes “Old McDonald” so fun is that you can introduce other animals into the song, extending how long you can sing it and also tailoring it to your kids' specific interests. If your toddler has an affinity for reptiles, you can trade out the classic farm animals with their favorite slithery friends. You can do this with any animal type or category, keeping the song engaging for years to come.

I’ve even known friends whose children were fond of machines and they traded the animal sounds out for different types of cars and vehicles. The song is what you make of it and can be made to suit each of your children’s uniqueness.

Educational Value of Old McDonald

“Old McDonald Had a Farm” is more than simply a fun way to pass the time with your kids, it is a great way to help them develop their auditory and language skills. Nursery rhymes in general are great for this type of skill development but “Old McDonald” has a few features that make it extra special for developing these skills.

Language Development: Repeating words and singing the same song over helps with the development and understanding of language.

Memory: Repetition also helps with memory, laying the framework for kids to remember the lyrics of their favorite songs.

Auditory Discrimination: This is the ability to understand the difference between sounds, which is the foundation on which kids grow their language skills.

Pattern Recognition: Part of learning is seeing where patterns emerge and particularly for speaking, this makes a big difference. Since the tune and structure repeat throughout the song, kids pick up on this and learn that patterns matter in songs and when speaking.

Sequencing: Kids also need to learn that ideas, events, and objects are easier to understand when they are in logical order. This rhyme helps them to understand that because they always speak of things in the same order.

Interactive Activities to Go with This Song

“Old McDonald” is great for learning and skills development because of how it is structured but it also is great for activities with your kids. One of the cutest things your kids can do is pretend to be their favorite animals and this song gives them the opportunity to do just that. 

When you are not pretending to be the animals on Old McDonald’s farm, you can build some of the famous animals using construction paper, glitter, and other craft essentials. After you have built some of these, you can sing the song again and have your kids act out the song with their newly built animal friends.

Coloring pages, crafts, imaginative play, and other activities create an enjoyable environment for your kids to play and increase their ability to learn critical skills that will serve them well in the future. On top of all of that, you get to have a great time playing with your kids, making memories that you will look back on fondly for years to come.

Singing Tips

Singing “Old McDonald” is fun all by itself but to make it even more exciting, you can include one or more of these tips to engage your toddlers on an entirely new level.

Stuffed Animals: Most kids have stuffed animals of the common animals that you find in “Old McDonald”. Use these stuffies as a way to connect the words and concepts of the animals with the physical characteristics of the animals themselves.

Props: Other props such as farm toys, like toy barns, fences, and even tractors are good additions to your singing time. Large block animals and even pictures of the animals are also fun for kids to play with while singing “Old McDonald”.

Read Along with the Lyrics: This may seem fruitless with little kids who don’t know how to read but it is not! By showing them the words and following along with your finger, you are teaching them that these symbols they don't understand are associated with the words they are singing. Their brains will eventually make this connection as they learn to read.

Singing with Movement: Getting up and dancing or acting out the movement of the animals they are singing about is another great way to keep your kids engaged and interested as you are singing this classic nursery rhyme. 

Cultural Versions of the Song

Because of how catchy and educational this song is, it is no surprise that versions of this song are popular around the world and in many different cultures. Old McDonald (or the local version of this farmer and his farm) has been entertaining kids for hundreds of years and in dozens of languages. Here are some popular versions of the classic, “Old McDonald” from other parts of the world.

• Nella Vecchia Fattoria: The Italian version of “Old McDonald” follows the same tune and includes the description of animals followed by animal noises, similar to the American version.
  

• Onkel Fritz hat einen Bauernhof: In German, the popular nursery rhyme is almost exactly the same, following the same tune and using animal noises, except that in this version they say it a little differently. Here is an example : 

• Wang Lao Xian Sheng You Kuai Di: The Chinese version of “Old McDonald” (Mr. Wang Has a Patch of Land) is another version that follows the classic tune but is worded slightly differently. This is how this version is sung:

As you can see, it is not only Americans who love Old McDonald or the story of his farm and Old McDonald’s farm animals. This story speaks to a common history that all cultures have, when farming and taking care of animals were critical to the survival of the family. Exposing kids to other cultural versions of the Old McDonald song shows that even with our differences, people around the globe are very similar.

What's the History of This Song?

“Old McDonald” (the original root version of the song) was a song that was likely written for the opera in the early 1700s, eventually becoming a folk song throughout Britain and other European countries. As with most European traditions, they traveled over the ocean and became standardized in America in the twentieth century.

“Old McDonald” gets its name from the old Gaelic word “Mac”, which means son, and Donald, a common surname in Scotland. That means that “Old McDonald” is likely an old farmer who is the son of a man in the Donald clan.

Where to Get the “Old MacDonald” Song

Knowing how much fun you and your kids can have with “Old McDonald”, you might be looking for new and exciting ways to experience this classic. At Cali’s Books, we have an “Old McDonald” sound book that will take your singing and dancing to a whole new level. 

These sound books are interactive, giving your kids elements to play with that bring this song to life, including sound buttons, vibrant illustrations, and other interactive elements to enjoy. Elements such as this extend how engaged your kids will be with the books and will enhance their singing experience, making it fun and memorable, every time.  

Conclusion

“Old McDonald Had a Farm” should be included as a staple in your daily routine for all of the reasons mentioned above. Similar to the other classic nursery rhyme, like Itsy Bitsy Spider or Patty Cake, it helps your kids learn and develop their critical skills, teaches them about language, and engages with them on multiple levels. As a parent, you get to change the way you enjoy this song by using the resources mentioned above, such as sound books, coloring pages, and other activities.

Remember to savor the memory of these activities with your kids as they grow and develop. “Old McDonald” will help your kids learn and have fun, just as it has for countless children over the centuries!