Old Macdonald

Based on a traditional nursery rhyme with actions, you need to practice this one if you’re going to complete it without running out of breath. Get everyone on their feet to start this off, first verse slowly, and speed it up as you go along. By the end they will be laughing.

When you are going through the ‘tall cow, short cow’ bit, you show the shape of the cow with your hands – so for ‘tall’ you have your arms out, one high and one low; ‘short’ you bring them close together above each other, for ‘fat’ you stretch them wide, ‘thin’ brings them back close together in front of you... it’s far easier to do than to describe, just try it and see. The whole of the ‘Tall cow, short cow’ bit needs to be done straight through in a single breath...


Old Macdonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O
And on that farm he had a cow, E-I-E-I-O.

With a tall cow, short cow, 
Short cow, tall cow,
Fat cow, thin cow,
Thin cow, fat cow,
Old Macdonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O

Old Macdonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O
And on that farm he had a sheep, E-I-E-I-O.

With a tall sheep, short sheep, 
Short sheep, tall sheep,
Fat sheep, thin sheep,
Thin sheep, fat sheep,
Tall cow, short cow, 
Short cow, tall cow,
Fat cow, thin cow,
Thin cow, fat cow,
Old Macdonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O

Old Macdonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O
And on that farm he had a pig, E-I-E-I-O.

With a tall pig, short pig, 
Short pig, tall pig,
Fat pig, thin pig,
Thin pig, fat pig,
Tall sheep, short sheep, 
Short sheep, tall sheep,
Fat sheep, thin sheep,
Thin sheep, fat sheep,
Tall cow, short cow, 
Short cow, tall cow,
Fat cow, thin cow,
Thin cow, fat cow,
Old Macdonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O