Lyrics
(American folk song, adapted by B. Thompson)
Oh, we got a new wolf in the hen house,
We got a new wolf in the hen house,
We got a new wolf in the hen house,
And we don’t know what to do.
And we don’t know what to do, and we don’t know what to do.
Oh, we got a new wolf in the hen house,
And we don’t know what to do.
Oh, your right hand to your partner,
The left one to your neighbor,
The right one to the one you meet,
And all promenade.
And all promenade, and all promenade.
Oh, the right one to the one you meet,
And all promenade.
Dance / Play Party Game
One person is “It” / “the Wolf” and stands in the middle of a circle of students. Students are standing next to partners, holding hands with everyone in the circle.
Verse 1 – Circle left around the “Wolf.”
Verse 2
“Right hand to your partner” – partners shake right hands and travel through to the next person, shaking left hands this time.
“All promenade” – On the third person, promenade.
While the students are shaking hands (before they promenade), the “Wolf” tries to slip in ahead of another player and start to promenade with someone. If the “Wolf” is successful, the person who lost their place goes to the center to become the new “Wolf.” If the “Wolf” is not successful in “stealing” a partner, that same “Wolf” goes back to the center while the other students continue to promenade until the end of the verse.
If there is a new “Wolf,” the lyrics of verse one repeat. If the “Wolf” is the same as the previous time, the lyrics are: “It’s the same old Wolf in the hen house…”
See also
- Subjects: wolves / hens
- Subject: dances
- Activities: circle singing games
- Harmony: chords I, IV, V
- Meter: 6/8
- Source
- Scale: hexachord
- Tones: drmfsl
- Similar tune: The Bear Went Over the Mountain
- PDF of song with chords
- MIDI file
- Listen to the melody
4 thoughts on “Wolf in the Hen House”
Thank you for these wonderful games. I am a Waldorf teacher in China, and your website is invaluable. My children love this game.
That’s great to hear! Thank you for sharing!
Do you happen to have a video of this song/game being played?
No, unfortunately I don’t.