England
The Farmer's in His Den
Also known as The Farmer in the Dell
A circle singing game where the Farmer builds a family, and the cheese gets patted at the end.
8+ playersAges 4-9In or outCalmSmall spaceNo kit
The rules
How to play
1
One child is the Farmer in the centre.
2
The circle moves around singing each verse.
3
The Farmer picks a Wife ('the farmer wants a wife'), the Wife picks a Child, the Child picks a Nurse, the Nurse picks a Dog, and the Dog picks a Bone.
4
With each choice the picked player joins the group in the middle.
5
On the final verse ('we all pat the bone'), everyone gently pats the Bone player on the back.
6
The Bone player becomes the Farmer next round.
Keep it fair
Make sure the patting of the Bone is gentle taps, not hard smacks, set this expectation before the game starts. Anyone who smacks too hard sits out a round.
Good for building
singingteamworkmemory
What you need
Nothing at all, just the kids.
More to play
