Old MacDonald Had a Farm

The farm-animal sing-along to read, hear, print and trace.

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Old MacDonald Had a Farm

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

And on his 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 his farm he had a pig, 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 his 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.

Free nursery rhymes to read, sing and print at gamesmom.com

Press Read aloud to hear the rhyme and follow the highlighted line. Print it, or open Writing practice to trace and copy the words.

What does Old MacDonald Had a Farm mean?

Old MacDonald keeps lots of animals on his farm, and the song names each one and the sound it makes, from the cow's moo to the pig's oink to the duck's quack. You can keep adding any animal you like.

What Old MacDonald Had a Farm teaches

Beyond being fun to sing, this rhyme quietly builds several early skills:

Farm animals and the sounds they make
Listening and copying sounds, which helps speech
Memory, through the repeating pattern each verse
A chance to invent new verses and animals

When your child knows it well, our matching games carry the same early skills into playful practice.

Where Old MacDonald Had a Farm comes from

Old MacDonald Had a Farm is a traditional song that grew from older farmyard songs and took its modern shape in the early 1900s. It has no single author and is in the public domain.

Fun activities

Take turns picking the next animal and its sound
Make the animal sounds and actions together
Match toy animals to each verse as you sing

Frequently asked questions

What are the words to Old MacDonald Had a Farm?

Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O. And on his 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. Each new verse adds another animal and its sound.

What animals are in Old MacDonald Had a Farm?

Any farm animal works. Popular verses include a cow (moo), a pig (oink), a duck (quack), a sheep (baa), a horse (neigh) and a cat (meow). Children love inventing their own.

Why is Old MacDonald good for young children?

It teaches animals and their sounds, invites children to join in and make noises, and its repeating pattern builds memory and confidence.

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