Over the river and through the wood,
To grandfather’s house we’ll 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 barn-yard 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!
Flowers for Children (1844) | Lydia Maria Child (1802–1880)
Suggestions
Ask your students to do one or more of the following: (A few of these are adapted from Live Language Lessons.)
- Read the poem aloud.
- Choose a stanza of the poem to write and illustrate on Drawing and Writing paper.
- Determine the rhyme scheme of the poem. (abccb)
- Write a descriptive paragraph describing a visit you have made on Thanksgiving Day:
- Where did you go?
- How did you make the journey?
- What fun did you have?
- Have you ever crossed a river? Explain to someone what the river and crossing were like.
- Have you ever been through a wood? Narrate.
- Which line contains onomatopoeia?
- What does “dapple gray” refer to?
- Why do “we seem to go extremely slow”?
Additional Resources
14 Forms of Writing for the Older Student: Poetry
Ideas for doing more with the poem.
Thanksgiving Index
Something here for everyone; round out the study.
