Cock a Doodle Moo LyricsActivities

© 2011 Kindermusik International, Inc.

Cock-a-Doodle-MOO!Cock-a-Doodle-MOO!


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Welcome to Cock-a-Doodle-MOO! Here are activities to enjoy at home with your little one — and lyrics to all the Cock-a-Doodle-MOO songs. We’re delighted you’ve chosen to share in the delicious fun and learning that happens in a Kindermusik class!

Cock-a-Doodle-Doo! Traditional English Song Cock-a-doodle-doo! My horse has lost his shoe; My kitty’s lost his fiddling stick and doesn’t know what to do. Cock-a-doodle-doo! What is my horse to do? Till kitty finds his fiddling stick, he’ll dance without his shoe. Till kitty finds his fiddling stick, he’ll dance without his shoe.

Meeting animals is a fascinating experi-ence for young children. Animals look

neat, they do funny things, and many of them are soft and furry to the touch. Find a friendly pet and show your baby how to gently make friends with it.

Hello, Hello! Susan James Hello, hello! Let’s sing together. Hello, hello! Let’s sing hello. Hello, hello! Let’s sing together. Sing together, let’s sing hello. Wave to Ben, let’s wave together, etc. Bounce to Annie, bounce together, etc.

Learn the ASL signs for some of the words in this song (try “hello,” “sing,” and

“together”), and then sign the song to your child as you sing. A great site to use is www.signingsav-vy.com. Hearing children who can sign often learn to talk earlier than those who don’t sign. Signing is also an excellent way to ease frustration, as babies can communicate by using signs before they are physically able to speak.

Hey Diddle, Diddle Traditional Nursery Rhyme Hey diddle, diddle, The cat and the fiddle, The cow jumped over the moon; The little dog laughed to see such sport, And the dish ran away with the spoon. Repeat twice

Consider using some props when reciting this poem. Hold up a picture of a cow when the cow jumps over the moon – and don’t

forget to mooooo. Or give your baby a real spoon when the dish runs away with the spoon, and let him hold and explore it. What other ideas can you come up with?

Skip to My Lou Traditional Skip, skip, skip to my Lou, Skip, skip, skip to my Lou, Skip, skip, skip to my Lou, Skip to my Lou, my darlin’. (repeat) Lou, Lou, how do you do? etc. Creep, creep, creep to my Lou, etc. Run, run, run to my Lou, etc.

Babies are all about learning and growing, all the time. As parents, it’s easy to fall into

the trap of comparing our children to other chil-dren, but remember – they all develop at their own speed. It’s very common for young children to put all their efforts into perfecting one skill before mov-ing on to another, so don’t think twice if your child seems to “fall behind” in one area while shooting ahead in another. Help your baby on her journey by supporting her, not rushing!




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The Farmer in the Dell (Instrumental) Traditional Nursery Rhyme

Sing your own words to this favorite nurs-ery rhyme, making them suit the pattern of

your day. How about: “The baby in the bath, the baby in the bath, hi, ho, the dairy-o, the baby in the bath!” Or pop in your child’s name – babies love hearing their own names, and they also love the predictability of repetitive songs and activities.

Hold On Traditional Spiritual When you plow, don’t lose your track, Can’t plow straight and keep a-lookin’ back. Keep your hand on that plow, Hold on, hold on, hold on. Hold on, hold on; better keep your hand right on that plow. Hold on, hold on, hold on. Repeat all Keep on plowin’ and don’t you tire, Ev’ry row goes higher and higher. Keep your hand on that plow, Hold on, hold on, hold on. Hold on, hold on; better keep your hand right on that plow. Hold on, hold on, hold on.

When you aloud to your child, encourage him to help you hold the books. This is

great practice for his fine-motor skills – and of course reading early and often is a great boost for language acquisition.

Simple Gifts (Instrumental) Shaker Folk Song

Put together a Discovery Box for your child. Gather a variety of household items – a

clean scrub brush, colorful advertising flyer, soft hairbrush, small ball, empty eyeglass case, small plastic containers – and put them into a shoebox. Show your child how to take off the lid and pull out all her “treasures.” When she’s done exploring, show her the rest of the game – putting everything back in the box again! This is a simple and enter-taining way of practicing fine-motor control and hand-eye coordination.

American Dance (Instrumental)

Feel the beat! Give your child a wooden spoon, a toy drum, an empty box, a plastic

food container—anything she can use to tap out a beat. Demonstrate the steady beat of this song by tapping it gently on her back, and encourage her to do the same on her homemade drum. Besides being lots of fun, this activity helps her hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and musicality.

The Merry Farmer (Instrumental) Schumann

Use your wall banner cards to make a mobile for your little one. Cut the cards

apart, place them back to back, string them at various levels from a coat hanger, and hang your new mobile above your baby’s crib, playpen, or floor play area. Talk to your child about the picture on each card – the colors, the name of the object, and the sound it makes!




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American Lullaby Traditional Folk Song Sleep my little one, my loved one, Ba-bush-ka Bai-O. As the bright moon watches o’er us, Ba-bush-ka Bai-O. Repeat

Babies are programmed to hear high sounds. Your child perks up and listens

even more intently when you speak and sing to him in a higher-than-normal voice. This encour-ages him to answer back, using whatever sounds he’s capable of at this stage.

I Roll the Ball to You Traditional I roll the ball to you, you roll the ball to me. I roll the ball to you, you roll the ball to me. I roll the ball to you, you roll the ball to me. I roll the ball to you, and you roll the ball to me. Repeat

After having some fun singing and rolling a real ball, play a game of gently rolling your

child! Spread out a soft blanket, change the words of the song to “I roll Jamie to Mommy,”’ and roll your baby toward you and away from you. Hearing the word while feeling the movement really brings the concept of “rolling” home for your child.

This Little Cow Eats Grass

This little cow eats grass. This little cow eats hay. This little cow drinks water. This little cow runs away. And this little cow does nothing but just lies down all day. We’ll chase her, we’ll chase her, we’ll chase her away.

There’s no way around it – mealtime with a baby is a messy proposition. But it’s also

a great time to help foster independence, so take a deep breath, ignore the mess, and let your little one feed herself whenever possible.

Shady Grove Traditional Shady grove, my little love; shady grove I know. Shady grove, my little love; bound for the shady grove. Peaches in the summertime, apples in the fall, If I can’t have the one I want, I won’t have none at all. Fly away my blue-eyed friend, fly away my daisy, Fly away my blue-eyed friend, you nearly drive me crazy. Wish I had a banjo strong, strung with golden twine, And every time I’d pluck on it, I’d wish that girl were mine. Shady grove, my little love; shady grove I know. Shady grove, my little love; bound for the shady grove. Shady grove, my little love; bound for the shady grove.

Playing with opposites is a great way to learn abstract concepts. The next time you

take your baby for a walk, wheel the stroller into the shade and say “shady,” then roll it back into the sunshine and say “sunny.” Make your child giggle by going fast and slowly as well!




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Come Arise Come arise, come arise, the rooster crows, The sun on his golden path now goes. Repeat five times

When your baby has good control of his head and exhibits some leg and arm

strength, help him see the world from a different angle. Hold him under his arms and “walk” him around the room with you.

Cock-a-Doodle-MOO! Susan James Cock-a-doodle-doo! The rooster’s green and blue. He crows his morning song, “Cock-a-doodle-doodle-doo!” Cock-a-doodle-moo. The cow looks up at you, As she sings her cow song, “Moo, moo, moo, mooooo.” Cock-a-doodle-peep! The chick hops and cheeps, And he chirps a little song with a “Pee, peep, peep.” Cock-a-doodle-oink. The pig splats, “Sploink!” And he hums a piggy tune that goes, “Squeal, squeal, sq-OINK.” Cock-a-doodle-baaa. The sheep smiles and nods, And she bleats out the beats, “Ba-ba BAA, BAA, BAAAaa.”

Cock-a-doodle-neigh. The horse is far away, But listen and you’ll hear him whinny, “NEI-EIGH-eigh!” Cock-a-doodle-look! Baby’s in the book. On the farm, in the tractor, In a picture that I took. Cock-a-doodle-bbhrm, And away you go! Cock-a-doodle-bye-bye, Baby O.

Practice your best animal voices in a game of “Where’s that sound?” Prop your baby

in a comfy spot, and then move around the room making different animal sounds. Watch your baby look all around, trying to see where the noise is coming from – this is great practice for sound discrimination!

Round and Round the Haystack Round and round the haystack Goes the little mouse. One step, two steps, In his little house.

Play a game to help your child practice object permanence (knowing an object

exists even when you can’t see it). Make a “hay-stack” out of a pillow or scrunched-up blanket. Find a small toy to use as the mouse, then recite the poem and hide the toy under the pillow at the end. Can your child find the toy? Don’t hide the toy completely at first; leave a little bit showing, to avoid frustration and help your baby learn.

Yankee Doodle Traditional Folk Song Yankee Doodle went to town, A-riding on a pony, Stuck a feather in his cap, And called it macaroni. Yankee Doodle, keep it up, Yankee Doodle dandy; Mind the music and the steps, And with the girls be handy. Repeat

Turn your five fingers into a “horse” and have fun galloping all over your baby’s

body as you sing this song, tickling whenever you can!

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Wind in the Corn

I hear the wind blowing in the corn. Ooo, ooo. Ooo, ooo. Ooo, ooo, ooo, ooo. Ooo, ooo. Ooo, ooo. Ooo, ooo, ooo, ooo. I hear the wind. Repeat

Find a see-through container (a clear water bottle is ideal) and fill it with some popcorn

kernels. You’ve just created a homemade rattle for your baby to enjoy! Encourage him to shake it to the music and watch the kernels move up and down.

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Cantonese Lullaby

By the time she’s around 7 months old, your baby is learning how to show her love

for you and other family members and friends. Encourage any demonstrations of affection she showers on people, pets, or stuffed animals – and of course continue to shower her with affection yourself, every chance you get!

The Boy with a Drum David L. Harrison There once was a boy with a little toy drum. Rat-a-tat, tat-a-tat, rum-a-tum-tum. One day he went marching and played on his drum. Rat-a-tat, tat-a-tat, rum-a-tum-tum. Soon he was joined by a friendly old cat. Rum-a-tum, tum-a-tum, rat-a–tat-tat. Next he was joined by a green spotted frog, Who sat by the road on an old brown log. And then they were joined by a big yellow dog, Who marched down the road with the green spotted frog. They marched by a field, They marched by a house, And were joined by a cow and a furry brown mouse. They marched by a horse who was pulling a plow, And he trotted behind them and followed the cow.

Next they were joined by a big white duck, And an old mother chicken with a cluck, cluck, cluck; A pig and a goose and a billy goat, too, And a big red rooster with a cook-a-doodle- doo. And they all went marching with a rat-a- tat tat, The boy with his drum and a big friendly cat, The horse and the cow and the mouse and the dog, The duck and the chicken and the pig and the frog, The goose and the rooster and the billy goat, too, With a bah, oink, quack, and a cock-a- doodle-doo, Oink, bow-wow, and a moo, moo, moo, neigh, cluck, squeak, and a mew, mew, mew. They all marched away to the top of the hill, If they haven’t stopped marching, they’ll be marching still.

“Cross-lateral activity” is a fancy name for any activity where you move a part of

your body – a hand or foot, say – from one side of your body to the other. If you scratch your left elbow with your right hand, that’s a cross-lateral activity. If you wave a scarf back and forth from left to right, that’s a cross-lateral activity. Research shows that cross-lateral activities stimulate the two hemispheres of the brain and have a dramatic impact on all kinds of learning. So go cross-lateral with your child! Do some baby exercises by touch-ing his left hand to his right knee, help him wave a soft scarf from side to side, or just move from side to side yourself, and watch him turn his head back and forth to follow you!

Little Boy Blue Traditional English Song Little boy blue, come blow your horn, The sheep’s in the meadow, the cow’s in the corn. Where is the boy who looks after the sheep? He’s under the haystack, fast asleep. Repeat

Talk about emotions as you go about your daily routine with your child. Using sen-

tences such as, “Sarah is crying; she feels sad,” or “Daddy just laughed; he is happy!” helps your baby recognize the words associated with emo-tions and begin to develop empathy.

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Old McDonald Traditional Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O. And on that farm he had some cows, E-I-E-I-O. With a moo, moo here, and a moo, moo there, Here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo, moo. 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 some chicks, E-I-E-I-O. With a peep, peep here, and a peep, peep there, etc. Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O. And on that farm he had some sheep, E-I-E-I-O. With a baa, baa here, and a baa, baa there, etc. Repeat first verse

Find a book or some pictures of a variety of animals and their babies. Name the ani-

mals and point out the differences between them. Cats, elephants, and cows all have four legs, but ducks have two legs; some animals have fur and others have feathers, etc. Children love animals – and it’s never too early to begin developing observation skills.

Jolly Is the Miller Traditional American Folk Song Jolly is the miller who lives by the mill, The wheel goes round with a right good will; One hand on the hopper and the other in the sack, We all step forward and we all step back. Repeat twice

Make a homemade tunnel for your baby to crawl through – it’s fun, and it can help her

understand the concepts of forward and backward as well as under and through. Drape a sheet over two chairs or a table, or pile up some pillows. Your child may be hesitant to go through the tunnel at first, so be sure to encourage her at the other end (or crawl through first yourself to show her how). This is a great way to develop your child’s mobility and courage to try new things.

Ritsch, Ratsch Swedish Folk Song Ritsch, ratsch, fili-boom, boom, boom, Fili-boom, boom, boom, fili-boom, boom, boom. Ritsch, ratsch, fili-boom, boom, boom, Fili-boom, boom, boom, fili-boom. Repeat

Talk, talk, talk to your little one as much as you can! Tell her the names of everything

you see when you’re in the store, in the car, and on walks in the neighborhood. The more language your child is exposed to, the better. Nonsense words, such as those in this song, are just as im-portant as real words, since they are often easier for your baby to imitate.

The Little Dappled Cow Texas Gladden Once there was a little man where the little river ran, And he had a little farm and little dairy-o, And he had a little plow, and a little dappled cow, Which he often called his pretty little Mary-o. Repeat

Conversation is a two-way street and is an important skill to help your little one learn.

When talking to your baby, be sure to give him time to respond in his own way. This imitation will lead him to form real words and phrases in the future. Try reciting the lyrics to this song – and give your child a chance to respond. Baby babble is good!

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Hop Up, My Baby Traditional Did you ever go to meetin’, Uncle Joe, Uncle Joe? Did you ever go to meetin’, Uncle Joe? Did you ever go to meetin’, Uncle Joe, Uncle Joe? Don’t mind the weather when the wind don’t blow. Refrain: Hop up, my baby, three in a row, Hop up, my baby, three in a row, Hop up, my baby, three in a row, Don’t mind the weather when the wind don’t blow.

Is your horse a single-footer, Uncle Joe, Uncle Joe? etc. Refrain Does your horse like to trot, Uncle Joe, Uncle Joe? etc. Refrain Does your horse like to gallop, Uncle Joe, Uncle Joe? etc. Refrain

The next time your child receives a helium balloon, help him learn about cause and

effect! Loosely tie the balloon to his wrist and let him discover that by moving his arm, he is moving the balloon as well.

Moo Alice Schertle No matter the time, the place, or the season, With no excuse for no known reason, In the middle of a meadow, a cow says, “moo,” Then all the other cows say it, too. What does “moo” mean, anyway? What, exactly, are they trying to say? No matter what else they’re thinking of doing, If they’re cows, they’re probably thinking of mooing.

Learning to shape your mouth for vowel sounds is an important part of learning how

to speak. Try silently mouthing the word moo, re-ally exaggerating your pursed-up lips on the long ooooo, and see if your child tries it, too. Explore other words as well, such as ball, me, and baby.

On the Farm (Active Listening)

Go online to find and print some pictures of the animals in this song (duck, horse, pig,

and chicken), then laminate them. As each animal sound is heard in the song, show your child the appropriate picture and tell her what animal she is hearing. Let her look at and explore each picture as long as her interest holds.

Clever Cows Susan James Frye The clever cows in single file walk up the hill and stop awhile. Then black and brindle, red and brown, they make a line and Walk back down. Repeat

Your child is so clever – and so many other wonderful things! It’s important for you to

show and tell your baby all the things you love about him, from his nose to his toes!

Hayride Adapted Folk Song Going on a hayride, Going on a hayride, The cows are in the clover, The pigs have gone to Dover. Repeat, with variations

Take your child on a hayride at home by pulling her around the room on a blanket!

Or, if you have another adult to help, try ham-mocking: Lay your baby on a blanket spread on the floor, then have each adult lift one end of the blanket and begin gently swinging back and forth. Go slowly at first and be sure to maintain eye contact to help your baby feel safe and secure. This will soon become a favorite activity – and the movement is excellent for the vestibular system, which controls balance and coordination.

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Oh, How I Love My Baby-O Susan James Rocking, rocking to and fro, to and fro, to and fro, Rocking, rocking to and fro. Oh, how I love my baby-O. Sing good-bye to Jamie, Jamie, Jamie, Sing good-bye to Jamie. Oh, how I love my baby-O. Go to sleep my little love, little love, little love, Go to sleep my little love. Oh, how I love my baby-O. Oh, how I love my baby-O.

Print pictures of the people in your extended family and put them in a small

photo album that your child can flip through. Talk about all the family members as you look at their pictures – who they are, where they live, and how much they love your child. This helps teach your baby about family – and how he fits into that lov-ing circle.

You Are My Sunshine Traditional You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away. Repeat

Babies start to respond to their names when they’re about 6 months old. Use your

child’s name in as many ways as you can think of, to make him feel important and help him develop his sense of self. Try this: when you sing You Are My Sunshine, replace the word “sunshine” with your child’s name.

Schlaf, Kindlein, Schlaf Traditional Schlaf, kindlein, schlaf! Der Va-ter hutt’t die schaf, Die mutter schuttelt’s Bau-me-lein, Da fallt herab ein Trau-me-lein. Schlaf, kindlein, schlaf! Little bough, a dream falls gently on you now. Sleep, baby, sleep!

Translated, the title of this song means “Sleep, Little Child, Sleep.” Your baby’s

sleep is just as important as all the stimulation you provide during her waking hours. Lullabies like this one are a wonderful way to wind down at the end of a busy day.

Higgelty, Piggelty Traditional Nursery Rhyme Higgelty, piggelty, my black hen, She lays eggs for gentlemen. Sometimes nine, sometimes ten. Higgelty, piggelty, my black hen. Repeat

Keep the piggy fun going by visiting www.play.kindermusick.com! Check out the

album This Little Piggy for lots of great songs to enjoy, including dances and fingerplays that your child is sure to find entertaining.

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Cock a Doodle Moo LyricsActivities