Barnyard Fingerplays

Present these poems as a chant. Remind children what a "rhyme" is and to listen for the rhyme. Rhyming enhances children’s awareness of the sound patterns of speech. It also teaches children to use meaning and meter to notice and predict rhyming words.

Variations: Recite chant in a whisper, saying rhyming words in a loud voice. Reverse. When chanting, stop after the rhyming word and ask the children what words they heard rhyme. Stop before saying the second word of a rhyming pair and ask the children to guess the word.

(I) Infant
(T) Toddler
(P) Preschooler

HERE IS THE BARN
Similar to the fingerplay, ”Here is the church, Here is the steeple”.

Here is the barn (Make a barn by interlacing fingers of two hands inside palm of hands)
Open it wide.
Let’s go inside where the animals hide.
Here are the horses, here are the cows.
They’re eating their dinner and drinking right now.
They’ll stay here till night turns into day.
When we open the doors, they’ll all mosey away.
Out in the pasture, they’ll eat grass and hay.
The cows will moo softly, the horses will neigh.


THE FARMYARD
Use pictures of the animals to highlight this poem.

In the farmyard at the end of the day,
All the animals politely say, ”Thank you for my food today”.
The cow says, ”moo”.
The pigeon, ”Coo”.
The sheep says, ”Baa”.
The lamb says, ”Maaa”.
The hen, ”Cluck, cluck, cluck”.
”Quack”, says the duck.
The dog says, ”Bow wow”.
The cat says, ”Meow”.
The horse goes, ”Neigh”.
The pig grunts, ”Oink”.
Then the barn is locked up tight.
And the farmer says to all, ”Good Night!”


ON THE FARM
Use this as a fingerplay, counting down the farm animals on each finger on a hand, or use pictures of the animals as you recite the poem.

Here is hungry Piggie Snout.
He’d better stop eating, or his tail will pop out!
Here is busy Mother Hen.
She likes to scratch for her chickens ten.
Here is patient, Friendly Cow.
She’s eating hay from a big hay mow.
Here is Baa-Baa, a wooly Sheep.
Her wool keeps me warm while I am asleep.
Here is Fuzzy, Fuzzy Cat.
She likes to chase a mouse or rat.


THE TURKEY

The turkey is a funny bird. (Make tail by hooking thumbs and speading fingers)
His head goes wobble, wobble. (Wobble your head)
All he says is just one word.
Gobble, Gobble, Gobble!


HERE IS THE BEEHIVE

Here is the beehive. (Hold up right hand with fingers curled under)
But where are the bees?
They’re hidden away where nobody sees.
Here they come buzzing out of the hive.
1,2,3,4,5 (Raise thumb and fingers one at a time)
Buzzzzzzz!


TRADITIONAL NURSERY RHYMES:
Mary Had a Little Lamb
Baa-Baa Black Sheep
Little Boy Blue
To Market, To Market



BARNYARD SONGS:
Old McDonald (Sing alone, with book or flannel board cut-outs)
B-I-N-G-O
Mary Had a Little Lamb
Baa-Baa Black Sheep
Six Little Ducks

This Little Cow

This little cow eats grass.
This little cow eats hay.
This little cow drinks water.
This little cow runs away.
This little cow does nothing at all
But lie around all day.
(point to fingers in sequence)

This Little Pig

This little pig went to market.
This little pig stayed home.
This little pig had roast beef.
This little pig had none.
This little pig cried, “Wee, wee, wee!”
All the way home.
(point to toes in sequence)

Five Little Pigs

This little pig makes and “oink, oink” sound,
This little pig is fat and round.
This little pigs roots all around,
With his piggy snout, he digs up the ground.
This little pig has a curly tail.
He eats his lunch from a shiny pail.
This little pig doesn’t seem t care
If any other pigs get their share.
(hold up fingers and bend each one down as verse progresses)

Ten Fluffy Chickens

Five eggs and five eggs,
That makes ten. (hold up two hands)
Sitting on top is the Mother Hen. (fold one hand over the other)
Cackle, cackle, cackle; (clap three times)
What do I see?
Ten fluffy chickens, (hold up ten fingers)
As yellow as can be.

Piggies

It’s time for my piggies to go to bed
The nice big mother piggy said.
Now I must count them up to see
If all my piggies came back to me.
One little piggy, two little piggies,
Three little piggies dear;
Four little piggies,
Five little piggies-
Yes, they are all here.
They’re the dearest little piggies alive-
One, two, three, four, five.

Five Little Farmers

Five little farmers (fingers of one hand closed tightly over thumb)
Woke up with the sun, (open hand, with fingers and thumb standing upright)
For it was early morning
And chores must be done.
The first little farmer
Went to milk the cow. (make milking motion)
The second little farmer
Thought he better plow. (hold plow; move hand to right and left)
The third little farmer
Fed the hungry hens. (hold feed in left hand and toss out with right)
The fourth little farmer
Took his vegetables to town, (riding motion)
Baskets filled with cabbages
And sweet potatoes, brown.
When the work was finished
And the western sky was red, (sweep arms across the sky)
Five little farmers tumbled into bed.

Five Little Farmers #2

Five little farmers get up early each day.
For there is work to be done and no time to play.
(Yawn and stretch.)
The first little farmer goes to milk the cow.
(Close both fists, make milking motions up and down.)
The second little farmer gets ready to plow.
(Grasp a steering wheel and pretend to drive.)
The third little farmer feeds the hens and chicks.
(Pretend to scatter corn.)
The fourth little farmer has gates to fix.
(Make hammering motions.)
The fifth little farmer sells vegetables in town.
(Cup hands around mouth as if calling out.)
Five busy little farmers work 'til the sun goes down.
(Yawn, stretch, sleep)

On the Farm

Here is hungry Piggie Snout (hold up thumb)
He’d better stop eating,
Or his tail will pop out!
Here is busy Mother Hen (hold up pointer finger)
She likes to scratch for her chickens ten.
Here is patient, friendly cow (hold up middle finger)
She’s eating hay from a big haymow.
Here is Baa-Baa, a woolly sheep. (hold up ring finger)
Her wool keeps me warm while I’m asleep.
Here is fuzzy, fuzzy cat. (hold up little finger)
She likes to chase a mouse or rat.

Little Chick

This little chick had corn today. (Point to fingers, one at a time)
This little chick had only hay.
This little chick had worms, they say.
This little chick cried, "Peep, peep, peep"
Feed me or I'll weep, weep, weep.
This little chick had feather shoes
He wore them out to get the news.

This Little Cow

This little cow eats grass (Hold up 1 hand, fingers erect, bend down 1 finger)
This little cow eats hay; (Bend down another finger)
This little cow drinks water. (Bend down another finger)
And this little cow runs away (Bend down another finger)
This little cow does nothing (Bend down last finger)

I WENT TO A FARM (P)

I went to a farm the other day
And I saw a horse across the way
Can you guess what I heard him say?
Neigh, neigh, neigh, neigh.
1,2,3,4 (Slap thighs to beat)
1,2,3,4 (Slap thighs to beat)
Repeat chant with pig, cow, duck, hen etc.


I HAD A LITTLE PIG (P)

Well, I had a little pig (wiggle thumb)
And I fed him in a trough (Cup opposite hand and wiggle thumb inside)
And he got so big and fat (make big circle in front of tummy with arms outstretched and fingers of each hand touching)
That his tail popped off! (LOUD clap)
So I got me a hammer (thumb)
Got me a nail (other thumb)
And I made that pig a wooden tail! (tap thumbs together)


THIS LITTLE CHICK (T)

This little chick got into the barn (hold up index finger)
This little chick ate all the corn (hold up middle finger)
This little chick said he wasn’t well (hold up ring finger)
And this little chick said he’d go tell (hold up little finger)
But this little chick said ”Peep! Peep! Peep! (hold up thumb)
Please be quiet! I'm trying to sleep!” (wiggle thumb)


HERE IS THE BARN (P)

Here is the barn (form a roof shape with hands)
Where I like to go (walk in place)
It’s as tall as a tree (point up overhead)
And cozy, you know (hug body with arms)

Here is the barn (form a roof shape with hands)
I’ll go there with you (walk in place)
To pet a sweet lamb (pretend to pet)
And cuddle it too! (pretend to hug)


HORSES IN THE PASTURE (T)

Horses in the pasture (point to one side)
Horses in the hay (point to other side)
Horses like to run and jump (run and jump in place)
Each and every day (clap along with words)