Farmer in the Dell
Also known as Der Bauer im Graben (Germany, the farmer in the ditch)
A circle game where a farmer in the middle chooses helpers one by one through song.
How to play
All players hold hands in a large circle.
One player is the farmer and stands in the middle.
The group walks in a circle singing 'The farmer in the dell, the farmer in the dell, hi-ho the derry-o, the farmer in the dell.'
On the next verse, 'The farmer takes a wife', the farmer chooses someone to join them in the middle.
That player then picks a child for the next verse, and so on: wife, child, dog, cat, rat, cheese.
The game ends with 'The cheese stands alone' and that player becomes the new farmer.
Keep it fair
Remind the farmer to pick someone who hasn't been chosen yet, with young children, keep a quiet mental note of who is still on the outside so nobody is left out twice.
