There is no better or more effective way of developing the language skills of toddlers than nursery rhymes. It is full of rhythm and music and makes learning both fun and exciting. Modulate your voice, add a few funny expressions and you will have grabbed their attention and created a unique learning experience. The reason that nursery rhymes have survived for centuries is that they work like magic and the constant repetition helps with developing vocabulary and focus. It boosts their listening skills and strengthen relationships in early childhood as they connect with you as you sing nursery rhymes to them.
Listening to popular and timeless nursery rhymes like ‘Mary had a Little Lamb’ or ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ is guaranteed to bring a smile to your munchkin’s face. So here we have a curated list of nursery rhymes for toddlers that some of the most popular nursery rhymes through generations.
- Wee Willie Winkie
- Mary Had a Little Lamb
- Hey Diddle Diddle
- These are Baby’s Fingers
- Five Little Monkeys
- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
- Humpty Dumpty
- Little Bo Peep
- Brother John
- Little Miss Muffet
- The Hokey Pokey
- Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush
- Baa, Baa, Black Sheep
- Rock-a-Bye Baby
This is a Scottish nursery rhyme and a great lullaby.
Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town,
Upstairs, downstairs in his nightgown.
Tapping at the window, crying through the lock,
Are the children in their beds? For now it’s eight o’clock.
This nursery rhyme was the first audio recorded by Thomas Edison, soon after he invented the phonograph.
Mary had a little lamb,
Little lamb, little lamb,
Mary had a little lamb
Its fleece was white as snow.
And everywhere that Mary went,
Mary went, Mary went,
Everywhere that Mary went
The lamb was sure to go.
It followed her to school one day,
School one day, school one day,
It followed her to school one day
Which was against the rules.
It made the children laugh and play,
Laugh and play, laugh and play,
It made the children laugh and play,
To see a lamb at schoo.
This fun nursery rhyme which is believed to have been around since medieval times can be done with actions and children find it very amusing.
Hey Diddle diddle, the cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon,
The dog laughed to see such fun,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.
One of the educational and fun nursery rhymes for toddlers, it teaches them the names of their body parts.
These are baby’s fingers,
These are baby’s toes,
Here is baby’s belly button,
Round and round it goes.
One of the popular nursery rhymes for toddlers, it introduces simple counting till 5 and teaches them not to jump on the bed.
Five little monkeys jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said
No more monkeys jumping on the bed
Four little monkeys jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
No more monkeys jumping on the bed
Three little monkeys jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head
Mama called the doctor And the doctor said
No more monkeys jumping on the bed
Two little monkeys jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said
No more monkeys jumping on the bed
One little monkey jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said
Put those monkeys right to bed
This timeless classic is one of the favourite nursery rhymes of all children.
Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are,
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Another all-time favourite, this rhyme is humorous and children love singing it.
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the King’s horses and all the King’s men,
Couldn’t put Humpty together again.
This nursery rhyme talks about little Bo looking for her lost sheep.
Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep
And doesn’t know where to find them
Leave them alone and they’ll come home
Wagging their tails behind them.
This nursery rhyme was originally written in French and has now become a true classic in several languages.
Are you sleeping? Are you sleeping? Brother John, Brother John, Morning bells are ringing! Morning bells are ringing! Ding, dang, dong. Ding, dang, dong.
This nursery rhyme ranks among the most recognisable English nursery rhymes and introduces the word ‘’tuffet’ which means a small grassy hill.
Little Miss Muffet Sat on a tuffet, Eating her curds and whey; There came a big spider, Who sat down beside her And frightened Miss Muffet away.
This catchy nursery rhyme has its own dance and is great fun!
You put your right foot in, you put your right foot out, you put your right foot in and you shake it all about. You do the Hokey Pokey and you turn yourself around, that’s what it’s all about! You put your left foot in, you put your left foot out, you put your left foot in and you shake it all about. You do the Hokey Pokey and you turn yourself around, that’s what it’s all about! You put your right hand in, you put your right hand out, you put your right hand in, and you shake it all about. You do the Hokey Pokey and you turn yourself around, that’s what it’s all about! You put your left hand in, you put your left hand out, you put your left hand in and you shake it all about. You do the Hokey Pokey and you turn yourself around, that’s what it’s all about!
This traditional English nursery rhyme has kids moving in a circle with actions.
Here we go round the mulberry bush, The mulberry bush, The mulberry bush.
Here we go round the mulberry bush, so early in the morning.
This is the way we wash our face, wash our face, wash our face
This is the way we wash our face, so early in the morning.
This is the way we comb our hair, comb our hair, comb our hair
This is the way we comb our hair, so early in the morning.
This is the way we brush our teeth, brush our teeth, brush our teeth
This is the way we brush our teeth So early in the morning.
Almost 250 years old, this nursery rhyme is as popular as Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and ranks among one of the best preschool nursery rhymes.
Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool? Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full! One for the master, One for the dame, And one for the little boy who lives down the lane
This nursery rhyme serves as a lovely and soothing lullaby.
Rock-a-bye, baby In the treetop. When the wind blows, The cradle will rock. When the bough breaks, The cradle will fall, And down will come baby, cradle and all.
Nursery rhymes with their repetitive words and lines are easy to remember and build vocabulary and communication skills. They promote key developmental skills and gives them a better understanding of the world as they relate to them. They are able to express their creativity as they act out the rhymes and have a lot of fun at the same time.
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