The Dead Squirrel song was composed by a loving four-year-old girl while she snuggled a glass jar wrapped in a baby doll blanket; the jar contained a dead baby squirrel preserved in vodka.

I willingly stipulate that it’s weird and gross, but I have a dead baby squirrel in a jar, and kids love it. They love it so much that they even compose songs about it. You can read about how I acquired a dead baby squirrel in the jar here and about a little girl who wanted a baby squirrel in a jar for her birthday here.

Let’s get to that story about the dead squirrel song, shall we?

Years ago, I was shooting photographs for a DIY book I’d written that included instructions on preserving dead stuff in jars, and a friend said it would be okay to stop by and take pictures at her family child care program. I arrived with a couple of plastic totes full of novel and exciting items, including the jar of baby squirrel.

A little girl was instantly interested in the squirrel. She asked questions about it. She pointed out its little fingers and fingernails. She asked its name. She wondered how it died and got into the jar.

After a bit, she wrapped it in a baby blanket and began taking care of it. She talked to it. She pretended to take it to the grocery store with her. She fed it lunch with a toy baby bottle.

Then it was nap time, so she sang the little critter a song since that’s what my caregiver friend did every day after lunch as nap time approached.

The song started like this:

Oh, baby squirrel, you fell out of a tree and died, and your mother and father cried.

When you hit the ground, you went bump. I’m sad you never got to run and jump.

Jeff put you into a jar. With him, you’ve traveled far.

And on and on it went, verses and verses of sad dead squirrel song lyrics, usually, but not always rhyming. I wish I had had a recorder with me so I could have captured the whole song.

Dead Squirrel Song Wrap-Up

It was adorable. The child was reluctant to give up the squirrel and let it return home with me. She was pretty sure it needed to live with her now. I loved how her nurturing instinct kicked in. I loved the competent structure and creativity of her lyrics. I loved that this novel item sparked an afternoon of play for this child.

Loose parts— novel materials in the environment— or props that help the play themes and creativity already swirling around inside a child to come out. Sometimes, that results in heartwarming dead squirrel songs.

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