Tuesday Tip! Fun With Old Macdonald

Want to have some fun with Old McDonald's Farm? Here's something I did with my kids when they were little, and continue to do in my concerts...

Put a bunch of your children's stuffed animals in an old pillow case and sing the song... When you get to "and on his farm he had a...," poke your head in the bag and make a sound for one of the animals. Have your child guess the animal, then bring it out and finish the song. It doesn't matter if the "animals" are animals at all. Could be trucks or other toys, or animals. The challenge is coming up with a sound! Children love this because of the element of surprise.

Now I have a pillow case-sized bag. decorated with a barn and animals. Very fancy! It's filled with farm animal puppets, so there is much drama and lots of giggles. This song always coaxes the most reluctant singers to participate, and therein lies its magic. But whether you use an old pillow case or make a fancy bag, your children will love to sing this favorite song over and over with its contents as they wonder at its contents!

This idea is great for teachers, librarians, and parents. Some songs never get old!