What does Baa Baa Black Sheep mean?
Someone asks a black sheep if it has any wool, and the sheep answers that it has three full bags to share, one each for the master, the lady and a little boy. It is a friendly rhyme about having enough to share around.
What Baa Baa Black Sheep teaches
Beyond being fun to sing, this rhyme quietly builds several early skills:
- Counting to three with the three bags of wool
- The animal sound "baa" and the word wool
- Rhyming words (wool sounds, dame / lane)
- The idea of sharing what you have
When your child knows it well, our counting game carry the same early skills into playful practice.
Where Baa Baa Black Sheep comes from
Baa Baa Black Sheep is an English rhyme first printed around 1744. It shares its tune with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and the ABC song.
Fun activities
- Hold up three fingers for the three bags of wool
- Feel something soft and woolly while you sing
- Talk about who your child would share three treats with
Frequently asked questions
What are the words to Baa Baa Black Sheep?
Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool? Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full. One for the master, and one for the dame, and one for the little boy who lives down the lane.
What does Baa Baa Black Sheep teach children?
It teaches early counting to three, the animal sound baa, and the friendly idea of sharing, all wrapped in an easy, repeating tune.
How old is Baa Baa Black Sheep?
It was first printed around 1744, so it is nearly three hundred years old and in the public domain.