Down on the Farm: Preschool and Kindergarten Activities
Explore farm animals, favorite children’s books, songs, early literacy, math, science, art, and cooking with these classroom-tested farm theme activities.
Farm Theme Books and Literature
- Animals and Their Babies
- Mrs. Wishy-Washy
- The Little Red Hen
- Make Mine Ice Cream
- Benjamin’s Barn by Reeve Lindbergh
- Midnight Farm
- Friends by Helme Heine
- Old MacDonald
- The Gingerbread Man
- The Three Billy Goats Gruff
- The Three Little Pigs
- I’m Going to Be a Farmer by Edith Kungardt
Farm Poems, Songs, and Rhymes
Farm Chant
A-B-CDE
Down on the farm’s where I want to be.
F-G-HIJ
Milkin’ the cows and bringing in the hay.
K-L-MNO
Where the plants from seedlings grow.
P-Q-RST
Ridin’ a horse ‘cross the fields so free.
U-V-WXY
But it’s time to say good-bye.
Z-Z-ZZZ
Down on the farm’s where I want to be.
Going to the Farm
Tune: “Going to Kentucky”
I’m going to the farm.
I’m going to the farm.
To see a farmer
With _______ in his arms.
So shake it baby, shake it.
Shake it all you can.
Shake it like a milkshake
And drink it if you can.
So rumble to the bottom,
Rumble to the top.
Turn around and turn around
Until I holler STOP!
Farm Counting Poem
One, two,
Cows moo.
Three, four,
Sheep snore.
Five, six,
Pig tricks.
Seven, eight,
Horse gate.
Nine, ten,
A big fat hen.
Baa, Baa, Black Sheep Farm Poem
By Jackie Reinach
Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full.
One for your sweater and one for your rug,
One for your blanket to keep you warm and snug.
Cluck, cluck, red hen, have you any eggs?
Yes sir, yes sir, as many as your legs.
One for your breakfast and one for your lunch,
Come back tomorrow, I’ll have another bunch.
Moo, moo, brown cow, have you milk for me?
Yes sir, yes sir, as tasty as can be.
Churn it into butter, make it into cheese,
Freeze it into ice cream, or drink it if you please.
Buzz, buzz, busy bee, is your honey sweet?
Yes sir, yes sir, sweet enough to eat.
Honey on your muffin, honey on your cake,
Honey by the spoonful, as much as I can make.
Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full.
Farm Alphabet
Source unknown
A is for the apples that grow on trees.
B is for the barn where animals live.
C is for the cow that gives milk.
D is for the dog that guards the sheep.
E is for the eggs we eat for breakfast.
F is for the farmer who works on the farm.
G is for the garden where food is grown.
H is for the horses and the hay they eat.
I is for the ice cream that is made from milk.
J is for the jelly that we eat on toast.
K is for the kids which are baby goats.
L is for the lambs that supply us with fleece.
M is for the milk that we like to drink.
N is for the nest in which eggs are laid.
O is for the overalls that some farmers wear.
P is for the pigs that cool off in the mud.
Q is for the quilts that keep us warm.
R is for the rooster who crows in the morning.
S is for the silo where silage is kept.
T is for the turkey we eat at Thanksgiving.
U is for the udder that you find on a cow.
V is for the vines where pumpkins grow.
W is for the wool that we get from sheep.
X is for X-mas-tree farms where we buy Christmas trees.
Y is for the yarn that is made from fleece.
Z is for the zinnia, a flower that’s nice.
More Songs and Movement Games
- Old MacDonald
- BINGO
- Mary Had a Little Lamb
- The Farmer in the Dell
- Square dancing
- Duck, Duck, Goose
Farm-Themed Student Books
- I Live on a Farm mini book: DLTK printable mini book
- Down on the Farm: Book by Jean Warren.
- My Baby Animal Book: April Monthly Book, The Education Center (TEC248).
- Animals on the Farm: September Monthly Book, The Education Center (TEC202). Booklet mounted on a barn background.
In this student-made booklet from The Education Center’s September kindergarten book, each page has a picture of an animal and the sentence, “I see the ______.” Students rotate the wheel to match the animal on each page.
- At Home on the Farm: Teacher’s Helper, February/March 1999.
- Barnyard Babble: I Can Make It, I Can Read It, Summer, The Education Center (TEC3511).
Make your own farm animal book: Create a patterned-text book inspired by Brown Bear. Example: “Brown cow, brown cow, what do you see? I see a yellow duck quacking at me.”
Farm Literacy Activities
Mrs. Wishy-Washy’s Muddy Animal Crackers
After reading Mrs. Wishy-Washy, let children “wash” animal crackers in a cup of pretend mud made from chocolate pudding or frosting.
Guess the Farm Animal
Use farm animal character masks for a listening and describing game. Have one student close their eyes while you put on a mask so they cannot see which animal they are. Classmates offer one clue at a time until the student guesses. For example: “You have four feet. You are pink. You like to roll in mud. You say oink!” The original activity used Carson-Dellosa masks.
Farm Product Show and Tell
Invite students to bring a farm product or related item to share. Discuss where it comes from and how it is used.
Additional Literacy Resource Ideas
- Barnyard Banter: Sequencing and rhyming activities, Teacher’s Helper, April/May/June 1997.
- Friends: Comprehension and activity pages, Teacher’s Helper, February/March 1999.
- Down on the Farm: Kindergarten unit, September Monthly Reproducibles, The Education Center (TEC955).
- Farm Animals: Unit from Once Upon a Theme, Fall Semester, The Education Center (TEC871).
- The Farm: Early Years Thematic Notes, Frank Schaeffer.
Farm Math Activities
Favorite Farm Animal Class Graph
Ask each student to choose a favorite farm animal. Record the responses on a class graph and compare the results.
Individual Animal Graphs
Give students individual baskets of farm animal manipulatives to sort and graph.
Farm Animal Sorting and Counting Mat
Use farm animal manipulatives or animal crackers with a farm math mat. Sort animals by size, color, or type. Practice counting sets of animals into the corral. The original farm workmat and manipulatives were from Math Mats and More by The Education Center.
Farm Animal Patterns
Glue farm animal pictures or Ellison die-cut shapes onto paper to make repeating patterns. Animal stamps work, too.
Make living patterns: Give students farm animal costume cards or headbands. Arrange students in AB or ABC patterns, then repeat the patterns using their animal sounds.
Additional math references: Using Counters—Kindergarten, Frank Schaeffer (FS-1069); Old MacDonald’s Farm, sets of 8, 9, and 10.
Farm Science Activities
- Plants and products: Name plants and foods grown on a farm. Discuss which foods or products come from different farm animals.
- Five senses: Taste farm foods; listen to animal sounds; touch fur or plants; look closely at animals’ legs, body coverings, and sizes; and talk about farm smells.
- Animal families: Compare the names of mother, father, and baby animals.
Farm Social Studies and Community Helpers
Discuss the jobs of farmers, horticulturists, and veterinarians. Talk about how their work helps people and animals.
Farm Story and Activity Links
These are links from the original collection. Some older external resources may have moved or may no longer be available.
Farm Snacks, Cooking, and Art
- Muddy animal crackers: Dip animal crackers in chocolate pudding “mud” after reading Mrs. Wishy-Washy.
- Pigs in a blanket: Make this snack after reading The Three Little Pigs. The original recipe reference is Book Cooks, pages 72–73.
- Chicken feed: Make a snack after reading Rosie’s Walk. The original recipe reference is Book Cooks.
- Make butter: Try a simple butter-making activity.
- Scramble eggs: Prepare scrambled eggs as a farm-to-table cooking activity.
Farm Scene Collage
Children glued a green grass foreground onto blue construction paper, added a barn cutout, and then cut, colored, and glued farm animals into their pictures.