We’ve already been celebrating this wonderful Thanksgiving season by folk dancing to the American Folk Song ‘Turkey in the Straw’, playing instruments to sound like horses as we sing ‘Over the River and Through the Wood’ (yes…that’s a Thanksgiving-not Christmas song!), and doing funny motions to ‘A Turkey Named Bert’! Next week, we will conclude our Thanksgiving fun with an art project for all grades.
Here’s the original version: (ours is a little different at school) **How can you make horse hoof sounds as you sing this song at home?**
(cups, sticks, spoons, tongue, tapping your legs, tapping feet, snapping, clicking something)
Over the river, and through the wood,
To Grandfather’s house we go;
The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh
through the white and drifted snow.
Over the river, and through the wood—
Oh, how the wind does blow!
It stings the toes and bites the nose
As over the ground we go.
Over the river, and through the wood,
To have a first-rate play.
Hear the bells ring, “Ting-a-ling-ding”,
Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day!
Over the river, and through the wood
Trot fast, my dapple-gray!
Spring over the ground like a hunting-hound,
For this is Thanksgiving Day.
Over the river, and through the wood—
And straight through the barnyard gate,
We seem to go extremely slow,
It is so hard to wait!
Over the river, and through the wood—
Now Grandmother’s cap I spy!
Hurrah for the fun! Is the pudding done?
Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!
