there was an old lady who swallowed a clover read aloud
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover – Read Aloud & Quick Scoop
Quick Scoop: “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover!” is a fun St. Patrick’s Day picture book read aloud that follows the classic “old lady” cumulative rhyme, with a silly, springtime twist: clover, daisy, butterfly, bird, pot, and more all get swallowed to create a magical St. Patrick’s Day surprise at the end.
[1][3][4][5][9]What Is “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover”?
- It’s a children’s picture book in the popular “There Was an Old Lady…” series, written by Lucille Colandro. [2][8]
- The story is built as a cumulative rhyme (each new line repeats and adds on), inspired by the classic “There was an old lady who swallowed a fly.” [10][2]
- This version is themed around spring and St. Patrick’s Day, with bright, humorous illustrations and bouncy rhythm. [3][4][8]
Story Beat Snapshot (Spoiler‑Light)
The exact text is copyrighted, but here’s an original, brief rundown of the **read‑aloud** flow without quoting it directly:
[4][5][9][2][3]- It starts with a clover: The old lady swallows a clover for a silly, unexplained reason, setting up the running joke that “we don’t quite know why.” [9][3][4]
- Then a daisy: She swallows a daisy, which “brightens” or connects back to the clover in the pattern. [3]
- Next a butterfly: The butterfly is swallowed and linked to the daisy, keeping the rhythm and anticipation going. [3]
- Then a bird: She swallows a bird to glide with the butterfly, continuing the chain. [5][3]
- Then a pot (and gold): A pot is swallowed “to carry the bird,” and versions highlight a shiny pot of gold as a St. Patrick’s Day element. [4][5][3]
- A fiddle and a big “pop” ending: Some read‑alouds include a fiddle and lead to a final “pop” where everything combines into a fun, festive surprise (like a St. Patrick’s Day or spring celebration scene). [1][3]
The cumulative pattern reinforces memory, prediction, and language play for young listeners.
[2]Best Read‑Aloud Versions Online (Kid‑Friendly)
Here are several popular, public read‑aloud videos you can use for storytime (always check ads/settings yourself before sharing with kids):
| Channel / Video | What It Offers | Length / Date |
|---|---|---|
| “There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover” – Read Aloud Corner | [1]Energetic read‑aloud with focus on the St. Patrick’s Day setting and the “pop” surprise at the end. | [1]About 4 minutes, uploaded March 2026. | [1]
| Kids Book Read Aloud – “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover! 🍀” | [3]Clear reading with on‑screen pages; you can hear lines like swallowing the daisy, butterfly, bird, and pot all chained together. | [3]Uploaded February 2025. | [3]
| Read Aloud Quiz – “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover!” | [4]Interactive quiz format, asking kids questions about the story while revisiting key lines; good for comprehension practice. | [4]Uploaded March 2026. | [4]
| “There Was an OLD LADY Who Swallowed a CLOVER” – St Patrick’s Day read aloud | [5]Lively St. Patrick’s Day twist, emphasizing the sequence from clover to pot and bird, with expressive narration. | [5]Uploaded March 2025. | [5]
| “Read Aloud: There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover” (2020 upload) | [6]Earlier but still popular read‑aloud that many teachers and parents use in class or at home. | [6]Uploaded April 2020. | [6]
| Grandma‑style reading – “THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A CLOVER!” | [9]Cozy, “grandma reading” tone, often used as a bedtime or calm‑time story. | [9]Uploaded March 2017. | [9]
Why It’s Trending Around St. Patrick’s Day
- Seasonal timing: Channels keep re‑uploading or creating new read‑alouds each March to match St. Patrick’s Day classroom and home activities. [7][5][1][4]
- Teacher & parent favorite: It’s short, rhythmic, and easy to pair with crafts like clover collages, rainbow‑and‑gold art, or sequencing cards. [2][4]
- Series recognition: The “There Was an Old Lady…” series has many holiday tie‑ins (fly, bat, pumpkin, etc.), and this clover version fits right into that pattern, so it resurfaces yearly. [8][2]
Forum‑Style Talking Points & Activity Ideas
Teachers on forums often mention using the book to practice sequencing (“What did she swallow first, second, third?”) and prediction (“What do you think she’ll swallow next?”) without needing a long lesson plan.[2][4]You can build a quick, kid‑friendly session around a read‑aloud video like this:
- Before reading: Show a picture of a clover, butterfly, bird, and pot of gold, and ask kids what they think the story might be about. [4][3]
- During reading: Pause after each new item is swallowed and have kids repeat the chain back (clover → daisy → butterfly → bird → pot…). [5][3]
- After reading: Let children draw the final “surprise” scene as they imagine it from the “pop” ending, turning the cumulative list into one big picture. [1][3]
SEO Notes (for your own post)
If you’re writing a blog or video description about this topic, you can naturally weave in the focus keywords like this (example meta description and angles):- Meta description idea: “Explore ‘There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover’ read alouds, see why this St. Patrick’s Day rhyme is a trending topic, and find kid‑friendly videos, activities, and forum‑style tips.” [1][3][4]
- Use phrases such as “there was an old lady who swallowed a clover read aloud,” “trending topic for St. Patrick’s Day storytime,” and “kids book read aloud latest news and forum discussion vibes” in headings and opening paragraphs.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.