I Had a Little Pony

Age
3-5 yr olds
Child Development
Rhythm, listening
Equipment
None
Physical Activity

Locomotor movements

How to Play

1. Gather the children in a space. Tell them that they are all little ponies and they need to listen to the song and follow the actions. 

2. Sing or say:

“I had a little pony, I fed them oats and hay

and when I opened the barn door (names of children playing) went to play

They went galloping here, galloping there, galloping galloping everywhere

never stop until you say whoa ponies whoa ponies 

come back to the barn.'

3. When the songs says to gallop, the children should gallop around until they here the phrase ‘come back to the barn’.

 

Change it up / Alternatives / Additional Options

Use more movement skills in the song by either changing galloping to another movement (jumping, running, hopping etc).

Another option is to adjust the animal and the movement:

  • I had a little frog that jumped away
  • I had a little cheetah that ran away
  • I had a little snake that slithered away etc. 

If there is a child who is deaf or hard of hearing, perform hand actions and sign language while you are saying the rhyme to show the elements of the song. 

If there is a child who has a visual impairment, they can perform the movements in a stationary spot.

If there is a child with a gross motor limitation, encourage them to move to the best of their ability.