The Hen and Chickens Lyrics
Mother Hen sits on her eggs until the chicks peck their way out. They run around the yard, eat corn from a dish, and say goodbye at the end. Each verse has its own hand shape.
The Hen and Chickens
Good Mother Hen sits here on her nest,
Keeps the eggs warm beneath her soft breast,
Waiting, waiting, day after day.
Hark! there's a sound she knows very well:
Some little chickens are breaking the shell,
Pecking, pecking, pecking away.
Now they're all out, Oh, see what a crowd!
Good Mother Hen is happy and proud,
Cluck-cluck, cluck-cluck, clucking away.
Into the coop the mother must go;
But all the chickens run to and fro,
Peep-peep, peep-peep, peeping away.
Here is some corn in my little dish;
Eat, Mother Hen, eat all that you wish,
Picking, picking, picking away.
Happy we'll be to see you again,
Dear little chicks and good Mother Hen!
Now good-by, good-by for to-day.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/the-hen-and-chickens/
- Type
- Animal Rhymes, Action Songs
- Tune
- Finger play, spoken or sung
- Best for ages
- 2 to 5 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Good Mother Hen sits here on her nest | Hold one hand flat and rest the other fist on top, like a hen on her nest. |
| Pecking, pecking, pecking away | Tap your fingertips together like little beaks breaking the shell. |
| Cluck-cluck, cluck-cluck | Raise one finger as the proud hen's head and bob it. |
| All the chickens run to and fro | Run two fingers back and forth across your lap. |
| Picking, picking, picking away | Cup one hand as the dish and peck into it with a finger. |
| Now good-by | Wave goodbye. |
What Does The Hen and Chickens Mean?
The rhyme follows a hen's eggs from start to finish. She sits and keeps them warm, waiting day after day. Then she hears tapping: the chicks are pecking through the shell from the inside. Once they are out, she clucks proudly, the chicks peep and run about, and the child feeds the hen some corn before saying goodbye.
History and Origin
The rhyme comes from Emilie Poulsson's Finger Plays for Nursery and Kindergarten (1889), with music by Cornelia C. Roeske. Poulsson was a kindergarten teacher, and her book gave a picture of the hand position for every verse. It was used in kindergartens for decades.
Learning Activities
- Egg count: hens usually sit on their eggs for about three weeks before the chicks hatch. Count the days on a calendar together.
- Chick voices: one child is the clucking hen and the others peep like chicks.
- Corn dish: put a few dry corn kernels in a bowl and peck them out with two fingers.