How to Play The Farmer's in His Den

By Jaques of London · Est. 1795 · Updated 2026-08-17

The quick answer: The Farmer's in His Den is a singing circle game for young children. One child plays the Farmer and chooses a Wife, who chooses a Child, who chooses a Dog, and so on. The Dog is patted by the group at the end. There is no winner; the fun is in the choosing and the song.

The Farmer's in His Den is a traditional singing circle game in which children take turns being chosen for roles while the group walks in a ring and sings. It needs no equipment, no reading ability, and no preparation beyond a patch of floor or grass and a group willing to join in. That simplicity is exactly why it has stayed in school playgrounds and nurseries for generations.

It works brilliantly as an icebreaker with a new group, as a low-energy settler after boisterous play, or as a first group game for very young children. Because every child ends up inside the circle and nobody is eliminated, it is genuinely inclusive and rarely ends in tears.

Players6+

Ages3+

Time5-15 minutes

EquipmentNone required

A little history

The Farmer's in His Den is widely documented across Britain and Ireland from at least the mid-nineteenth century, and versions of it appear in Alice Bertha Gomme's landmark collection of British children's games published in the 1890s. Its origins before that are unclear. The tune and the role sequence vary by region, with some versions ending on the Bone rather than the Dog, but the core structure of nested choosing has remained consistent across the documented record.

Setting up

Gather all players in an open space with enough room to form a circle and walk around comfortably.
Choose one child to be the Farmer for the first round. This can be done by a volunteer, a dip rhyme, or an adult nominating someone.
The Farmer stands in the centre of the circle. All other players join hands and form the ring around them.
Confirm everyone knows the words to the song before starting, particularly with very young players.

How to play

The players in the ring walk clockwise and sing the first verse: 'The Farmer's in his den, the Farmer's in his den, E-I-E-I, the Farmer's in his den.'
They then sing: 'The Farmer wants a Wife, the Farmer wants a Wife, E-I-E-I, the Farmer wants a Wife.' During this verse, the Farmer points to or taps one child from the ring to become the Wife. That child steps into the centre.
The ring continues walking and sings: 'The Wife wants a Child...' The Wife now chooses one player from the ring to step into the centre as the Child.
The ring sings: 'The Child wants a Dog...' The Child chooses one player to be the Dog and that player joins the group in the centre.
The ring sings: 'The Dog wants a Bone...' The Dog chooses one player from the ring to be the Bone and that player steps into the centre.
All players still in the ring then gather around those in the centre and gently pat the Bone while singing: 'We all pat the Bone, we all pat the Bone, E-I-E-I, we all pat the Bone.'
The round ends. For the next round, the child who was the Bone traditionally becomes the new Farmer, and everyone returns to the ring to start again.
Continue for as many rounds as the group wishes, aiming to give each child at least one turn in the centre.

Winning and scoring

There is no winner in The Farmer's in His Den. The game has no scoring and no elimination. The goal is simply for every child to experience being chosen and standing in the centre. Many groups play until each child has had a turn as Farmer, which gives a natural and satisfying endpoint.

The fine points

The most common dispute is whether a child inside the circle can choose a friend they have already chosen in a previous verse. The standard ruling in most playground versions is that each child in the ring can only be chosen once per round, so the Farmer cannot call the same person to be both Wife and Child. If the ring is very small and players run out before the Bone is reached, it is perfectly acceptable to skip a role or let the final child play two parts.

The patting of the Bone should always be gentle. With very young children it is worth stating this clearly before the round begins. If a child does not want to be patted, they should be allowed to skip the Bone role or to wave rather than be touched; the game works fine either way. In some regional versions the final verse is 'We all pat the Dog' rather than the Bone, which avoids the contact question entirely since the Dog is a child rather than the innermost role.

How to win more often

If you are the Farmer, choose someone who looks like they want to be picked rather than someone who looks uncertain. The game runs more smoothly when everyone in the centre is happy to be there.
Adults running the game should watch for children who have not yet had a turn in the centre and gently steer the group to keep playing until everyone has been included.
Keep the singing pace steady and moderately slow so young children can follow the words and so each chooser has enough time to decide without feeling rushed.
If the group is large, appoint a confident singer or an adult to lead the vocals clearly. Children in the ring stay more engaged when the song has a clear, audible lead.
Rotate the starting Farmer each session rather than always using the same dip rhyme. This prevents the same children from always going first and keeps the game feeling fresh.

Variations

Dog Pats the Bone

In this common regional variant the final verse is 'The Dog wants a Bone' and the group pats the Bone rather than the Dog. In another equally common variant the last verse sung is 'We all pat the Dog,' meaning the Dog is the innermost role and the Bone is skipped entirely. Either version is legitimate; simply agree which you are playing before the first round starts.

Extended Role Chain

Older or larger groups sometimes extend the chain beyond the Bone by adding further roles such as 'The Bone wants a...' with children inventing their own additions. This keeps more players inside the circle and adds a creative element. The game becomes progressively sillier as the chain grows, which is generally the point.

Reverse Circle

The ring walks anticlockwise instead of clockwise for each alternate verse. This is a straightforward way to add a small physical challenge for slightly older children and stops the group from getting dizzy. No other rules change.

Silent Choosing

In this quieter classroom variation the group sings normally but the child doing the choosing must pick someone without speaking or pointing, using only eye contact and a nod. The chosen child must notice and step forward. It encourages attention and works well as a calm, focused version of the game for indoor settings.

The Farmer's in His Den: frequently asked questions

What happens if the Farmer refuses to choose anyone?

Give the Farmer a count of five to choose. If they still do not pick, an adult or the group leader quietly points to a willing volunteer and the game continues. Never force a child to stay as Farmer for another round against their wishes.

Can a child choose the same person more than once in a round?

No. Each child in the ring can be chosen only once per round. If the Farmer has already chosen someone as Wife, that child cannot also be chosen as Child or Dog. This keeps more children involved and prevents favouritism dominating the game.

What is the minimum number of players needed?

You need at least six players to make the game work: one Farmer, one ring of players to choose from, and enough bodies to fill the Wife, Child, Dog, and Bone roles. With fewer than six you will run out of ring players before the chain is complete.

Is there a maximum number of players?

There is no formal upper limit. Groups of twenty or more play it comfortably. Very large groups may find that most children spend most of the game in the ring waiting to be chosen, so consider running two simultaneous circles if numbers exceed around twenty-five.

What do you do if a child does not want to be patted at the end?

Let that child wave or bow instead of being patted, or allow them to avoid the Bone role altogether by stepping aside when the Dog is choosing. The physical contact at the end should always be optional and the patting must always be gentle.

Does the Bone always become the Farmer in the next round?

This is the most common traditional rule and gives every child a path to becoming Farmer eventually. However it is not universal. Some groups let the current Farmer choose the next Farmer, and others use a fresh dip rhyme each round. Agree your method before starting.

What are the words to the full song?

The verses follow the pattern: 'The [role] is in his/her den, the [role] is in his/her den, E-I-E-I, the [role] is in his/her den' followed by 'The [role] wants a [next role]' repeated three times with the E-I-E-I refrain. The final verse is 'We all pat the [Bone or Dog]' repeated in the same pattern. Regional words vary slightly but this structure covers every version.

Can the roles be made gender-neutral?

Yes, and many schools and nurseries now do this routinely. 'Farmer' needs no change. 'Wife' is sometimes replaced with 'Partner' or 'Friend,' and 'Child' already works for any child. Adapting the words does not affect how the game plays and avoids any awkwardness around role assignment.