# This Little Piggy

"This Little Piggy" is an English toe-counting fingerplay for babies, in print since about 1760, in which each little pig is one of the child's toes and the last one runs squealing home.

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Sung in | English |
| Words by | Traditional |
| First known | first line 1728; full version c. 1760 |
| Best for ages | 2–7 |
| Mood | playful, traditional, counting |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/this-little-piggy/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (en)

This little piggy went to market,
This little piggy stayed home,
This little piggy had roast beef,
This little piggy had none,
But this little piggy cried wee, wee, wee,
All the way home.

## How to sing it

1. Take one of the baby's toes for each line, starting with the big toe.
2. Wiggle each toe gently as you name its little pig.
3. On "wee, wee, wee, all the way home", run your fingers up from the foot to tickle the tummy.

## Common questions

**How do you play "This Little Piggy"?**

It is a toe-counting game for babies and toddlers. You take one of the child's toes for each line — this little piggy went to market, this one stayed home — and on the last line, "wee, wee, wee, all the way home", you run your fingers up to a tickle. It is really a rhyme for the hands and the giggles more than the ears.

**How old is "This Little Piggy"?**

The first line was already in print in 1728, in a medley called "The Nurses Song", and the full version appears in "The Famous Tommy Thumb's Little Story-Book" of about 1760. For a long time the lines said "little pigs" rather than "piggy".

**Why pigs and toes?**

There is no deeper reason — it simply pairs five little pigs, each with a different fate, to a baby's five toes, ending with the smallest one squealing all the way home. The counting and the tickle are the whole game.

## Sources

- [Wikipedia — This Little Piggy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Little_Piggy)
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7786113