Today I am sharing a family favorite for our folk song of the week! My daughter LOVES this folk song! We have a picture book of this folk song with gorgeous illustrations and we have enjoyed singing through it since she was a little baby. Last year she started by just singing along on the “town-o” parts, and now this year (3 years old) can sing most of it!

This is an example of a folk song that is “swung”–the rhythm can be quite forgiving in some bits as you sing through the story, and the written rhythm should not be taken too seriously. This is a very old folk song that was handed down orally through many many generations, and because of that, you’ll find many variants and different performances. It’s so fun to find little differences between the versions, and in fact I heard it differently than what is written in the back of our picture book about it. The repetitive endings make it fairly easy for kids to catch on to, and they can start singing along with those endings fairly quickly as they grasp the patterns they’re hearing.

In addition to being a fun song to sing through, it has a great story with lots of characters, which makes it a delightful song to act out, and it is the activity included on this week’s free song card. Gather up some friends, pick one to be the fox, the goose and ducks, the farmer John, the old grey woman, the fox’s wife, and the little kits, and act through the story as you sing. Children love this immersive experience and it deepens their understanding of the folk song. And there are wonderful opportunities for purposeful repetition, as you switch out who plays which roll. I’ll have a fun free printable this week that has something to do with this folk song, I’m deciding between two fun ideas and you’ll have to come back in a few days to see what I’ve decided on!

Click here to download the free 4x6 song card

Happy singing!

-Lauren

ps-Please make sure to get out and vote!!