CIRCLE GAMES - The Farmer in the Dell

Do you know this song? 

And this is the game you can play with your class

Children (10 or more) join hands and dance in a circle around the FARMER who stands in the center of the circle. 

When the FARMER chooses his WIFE, following the first verse, she joins him inside the circle. 

At the end of the second verse, the WIFE takes a CHILD. 

This continues until the last verse when everyone is in the circle except the CHEESE. 

The CHEESE gets to be the FARMER

Have fun!

Lyrics

The farmer in the dell,
The farmer in the dell,
Hi-ho, the derry-o,
The farmer in the dell.

The farmer takes a wife,
The farmer takes a wife,
Hi-ho, the derry-o,
The farmer takes a wife.

The wife takes a child,
The wife takes a child,
Hi-ho, the derry-o,
The wife takes a child.

The child takes a cow,
The child takes a cow,
Hi-ho, the derry-o,
The nurse takes a cow.

The cow takes a dog,
The cow takes a dog,
Hi-ho, the derry-o,
The cow takes a dog.

The dog takes a cat,
The dog takes a cat,
Hi-ho, the derry-o,
The dog takes a cat.

The cat takes a rat,
The cat takes a rat,
Hi-ho, the derry-o,
The cat takes a rat.

The rat takes the cheese,
The rat takes the cheese,
Hi-ho, the derry-o,
The rat takes the cheese.

The cheese stands alone,
The cheese stands alone,
Hi-ho, the derry-o,
The cheese stands alone.