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 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.

United States · sung in English

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.

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Lyrics

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

(Repeat for other colors.)

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
Last updated: 25 July 2026

How to sing it

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

Meaning and origin

This is a colour-recognition game with a built-in cheer. The group sings about one colour at a time — if you’re wearing red today … stand up and say “Hooray!” — and every child dressed in that colour leaps up and shouts, before the song moves on to the next colour. Over a few rounds, everyone in the room gets a turn to jump up, which is precisely the point.

It rides on a tune children already know — that of “Mary Had a Little Lamb” — so it is instantly singable, and it has no fixed author; it is a traditional classroom song, endlessly adaptable to whatever colours (or clothes, or actions) a teacher wants. Underneath the fun it does something genuinely useful: it asks each child to check their own clothes against the colour named and respond on cue, turning learning colours into a game of jumping up at the right moment.

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.