Old MacDonald Had a Farm Lyrics and Animal Sounds for Toddlers

"Moo!" "Oink!" "Quack!" If your toddler already shouts animal sounds at every picture book, this sing-along of Old MacDonald Had a Farm gives them a place to use them. It runs about two minutes, with a cow, a pig, a duck and a sheep to meet along the way.

Only our version has a grandpa who sings on the farm and a "hey, hey, hi-dee-ho" in between the animals. At the end, all the animals gather for a barnyard band, and there is a clapping and stomping part for your child to join.

Press play to watch here. The video loads from YouTube only when you press play.

Lyrics

Animal sounds to copy

Each animal gets its own sound and a little action, so your child can act out the song as well as sing it.

• Cow: Hold two pointer fingers up by your head like horns, and say "moo" in your lowest voice.
• Pig: Gently press the tip of your nose up like a snout, then wiggle it for "oink, oink."
• Duck: Open and close your hand like a beak, clapping it together on each "quack."
• Sheep: Pat your arms or tummy softly, like a fluffy coat, and keep the "baa" gentle.
• Barnyard band: Clap your hands and stomp your feet along with the animals.

Babies can just watch and giggle. Toddlers usually join the animal sounds first.

Play it today

• Before: Ask, "What sound does a cow make?" and let your child answer before the video starts.
• During: Sing along and do the actions. Pause after each animal appears and let your child make the sound on their own.
• After: Take turns being a farm animal. You make a sound, your child guesses, then you swap.

Questions to ask your child

1. What would you do if you met a sheep on the hill?
2. What would you do if a duck splashed into your bath?
3. What would you do if the barnyard band started to play right now?

Swap in new animals

Once your child knows the song, let them change the farm.

• Ask, "Which animal should visit next?" and let your child choose.
• If they freeze, offer two: "A horse or a frog?"
• Make the sound together, then sing it: "And on his farm he had a horse."
• Take turns picking.

Where the song comes from

An early ancestor of the song appeared in Thomas d'Urfey's 1706 opera "The Kingdom of the Birds," and he printed a longer version in 1719. The song has many versions, with different farmers' names and different animals. So if you grew up singing it with another farmer or another animal, that is part of the song's story too. Our version simply picks a cow, a pig, a duck and a sheep.