Nursery rhyme lyrics
Mary Had a Little Lamb Lyrics
The words to Mary Had a Little Lamb, with simple actions to do together and a little history for curious grown-ups.
Mary Had a Little Lamb full lyrics
Mary had a little lamb,
Its fleece was white as snow;
And everywhere that Mary went,
The lamb was sure to go.
It followed her to school one day,
Which was against the rule;
It made the children laugh and play
To see a lamb at school.
Traditional, public domain. Many families sing slightly different versions.
Actions to do together
- Walk around the room with a toy lamb following behind.
- Act out the children laughing and playing.
- Use it as a follow-the-leader game.
What your child learns
- Story sequencing
- Describing words (white as snow)
- Talking about school and rules
Where does Mary Had a Little Lamb come from?
The poem was published in 1830 by the American writer Sarah Josepha Hale. In 1877 Thomas Edison recited its opening lines in one of the first recordings of the human voice.
Questions parents ask
Who wrote Mary Had a Little Lamb?
Sarah Josepha Hale published the poem in 1830.
Was Mary Had a Little Lamb the first recorded song?
Thomas Edison recited it in 1877 when testing his phonograph, one of the earliest recordings of a human voice.
