# If You're Wearing Red Today

"If You're Wearing Red Today" is a group colour game, sung to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb", in which children wearing a named colour stand up and cheer "Hooray!" — then it repeats for each colour.

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Sung in | English |
| Words by | Traditional |
| First known | traditional colour song; author unknown |
| Best for ages | 2–7 |
| Mood | playful, traditional |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/if-you-re-wearing-red-today/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (en)

If you're wearing red today,
Red today, red today,
If you're wearing red today,
Stand up and say "Hooray!"

### Verse 2 (en)

(Repeat for other colors.)

## How to sing it

1. Sing it to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb".
2. Name a colour; every child wearing it stands up and shouts "Hooray!"
3. Repeat with a new colour each time until everyone has had a turn.

## Common questions

**How do you play "If You're Wearing Red Today"?**

As a colour game. The group sings about a colour — say, red — and every child who is wearing that colour stands up and shouts "Hooray!" Then it starts again with a different colour, so that over several rounds every child gets to jump up.

**What does "If You're Wearing Red Today" teach?**

Recognising colours and listening for a cue. Children have to check their own clothes against the colour named and respond at the right moment, which makes it a fun, active way to practise colours.

**What tune is "If You're Wearing Red Today" sung to, and who wrote it?**

It is usually sung to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb". No author is recorded for the words — it is a traditional classroom colour song, freely adapted with whatever colours (and actions) the group likes.

## Sources

- [BusSongs — If You're Wearing Red Today](https://www.bussongs.com/songs/if-youre-wearing-red-today)