Old MacDonald Had a Taste: How a Classic Song Can Help with Food Exploration
If you have a picky eater, you’ve probably tried all sorts of creative tricks to encourage them to interact with food. But have you ever thought about using Old MacDonald Had a Farm to make food exploration fun and stress-free? This familiar tune can guide children through a step-by-step journey of moving food from their hands to their mouths—at their own pace. Here’s how!
Step 1: Chicken – Cluck Cluck on the Plate with a Utensil
Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O! And on that farm, he had a chicken, E-I-E-I-O! With a cluck-cluck here and a cluck-cluck there…
Use a fork, spoon, or tongs to tap, move, or scoop the food around the plate.
Step 2: Bunny – Jump the Food on the Plate Using Your Hands
And on that farm, he had a bunny, E-I-E-I-O! With a hop-hop here and a hop-hop there…
Encourage your child to pick up the food with their fingers and make it “jump” around the plate.
Step 3: Snake – Slither the Food on Your Arm
And on that farm, he had a snake, E-I-E-I-O! With a slither-slither here and a slither-slither there…
Let the food slide along the back of the hand, up the arm, or across the table like a slithering snake.
Step 4: Goat – Climb the Mountain (Head) and Jump into the Lake (Bowl)
And on that farm, he had a goat, E-I-E-I-O! With a climb-climb here and a climb-climb there…
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Move the food up the body toward the head, then let the goat “jump” into a bowl of water like a silly splash.
Step 5: Pig – Oink Oink, Use the Food to Become a Snout
And on that farm, he had a pig, E-I-E-I-O! With an oink-oink here and an oink-oink there…
Place the food over the nose like a pig’s snout and make silly oinking sounds.
Step 6: Cow – Moo Moo, Roll the Food on the Lips
And on that farm, he had a cow, E-I-E-I-O! With a moo-moo here and a moo-moo there…
Roll the food on the lips while making a big moo sound, but no pressure to eat it yet!
Step 7: Dog – Lick the Food with Your Tongue
And on that farm, he had a dog, E-I-E-I-O! With a lick-lick here and a lick-lick there…
Encourage a small tongue touch to the food, just like a dog licking up a treat.
Step 8: Walrus – Put the Food in Your Mouth to Make a Walrus
(It’s a silly farm!) And on that farm, he had a walrus, E-I-E-I-O! With a tusk-tusk here and a tusk-tusk there…
Place the food in the mouth in a fun way, like making walrus tusks with two pieces.
Step 9: Dragon – Crunch the Food and Spit It Out (or Swallow Like a Dragon!)
And on that farm, he had a dragon, E-I-E-I-O! With a crunch-crunch here and a crunch-crunch there…
Take a little bite and crunch it. If they’re not ready to swallow, they can spit it out like dragon fire! Or, if they’re feeling brave, they can swallow like a mighty dragon.
Why This Works
By using Old MacDonald, we transform food exploration into an interactive, silly game that follows the natural progression of comfort: from hands, to face, to the mouth. The repetitive structure of the song provides predictability, which helps ease anxiety, while the fun animal actions keep kids engaged.
Give It a Try!
Next time you introduce a new food, turn mealtime into a sing-along. Even if your child only plays with the food at first, that’s a step in the right direction! Remember, progress is progress, no matter how small.
Would you try this at home? Let us know how it goes in the comments!