Popular nursery rhymes songs
Best Nursery Rhymes for Kids
The best and most popular children’s nursery rhymes are long-lasting for a reason—a few, in fact! They’re fun, educational and thanks to their ear worm melodies, usually impossible to forget… That’s the power of nursery rhymes, and why they’ve been passed along from generation to generation, some as far back as the 1600s!
Whether you’re looking for classic English nursery rhymes, Spanish nursery rhymes, French nursery rhymes, the most popular nursery rhymes or the most interactive nursery rhymes, you’ll find them all here. Scroll to see the 20 that made The Bump’s top list!
Popular Nursery Rhymes for Babies
What qualifies as popular nursery rhymes for babies? The ones that not only get stuck in your head, but are easy enough for a little one to wrap his tongue around with a little practice. These nursery rhymes may be inspirational (“Star Light, Star Bright”), funny (“Three Blind Mice”), even interactive (“This Little Piggy”). But all of these nursery rhyme songs have one thing in common: They’re adored by even the littlest singers.
“Star Light, Star Bright”
Bump Love: “Star Light, Star Bright” is one of the most popular nursery rhymes of all time—as it should be. It’s the original “When You Wish Upon a Star,” and perhaps the easiest way to encourage a kid to dream.
Star light, star bright, First star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, Have this wish I wish tonight.
“Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”
Bump Love: “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” adapted from a 19th century poem by Jane Taylor, is one of the prettiest nursery rhymes, which is why so many people have composed to it—including Mozart!
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!
(Fun fact: There are two more verses, should you want to include them!) When the blazing sun is gone, When he nothing shines upon, Then you show your little light, Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are!
Then the traveler in the dark Thanks you for your tiny spark; He could not see which way to go, If you did not twinkle so. Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are!
“Jack and Jill”
Bump Love: When it comes to famous nursery rhymes, who can resist the tale of the mischievous siblings who made it to the top of the hill, only to roll all the way back down? (Also, #RealLifeLessons.)
Jack and Jill went up the hill, To fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown, And Jill came tumbling after.
“I’m a Little Teapot”
Bump Love: If you have a little one who’s nervous about hitting the dance floor, teach him or her the pantomime-friendly “I’m a Little Teapot” (by George Harold Sanders and Clarence Z. Kelley). The nursery rhyme and accompanying choreography was created for the youngest students at Kelley’s dance school in 1939, and indeed, kids have been rocking “The Little Teapot” ever since.
I’m a little teapot Short and stout Here is my handle; [one hand on hip] Here is my spout. [other arm out straight]
When I get all steamed up Hear me shout: [lean over toward spout] “Tip me over and pour me out!”
“Baa, Baa, Black Sheep” Bump Love: It’s perfect for a baby, because nearly everything in it is easy to pronounce. And what little guy can resist the idea of snuggling up to a big, fluffy lamb?
Baa, baa, black sheep, Have you any wool? Yes, sir, yes, sir, Three bags full; One for the master, And one for the dame, And one for the little boy Who lives down the lane.
“The Muffin Man” Bump Love: Carbs! (Kidding.) No, “The Muffin Man” is one of the most popular nursery rhymes thanks to its guessing-game style. (A hilarious tribute in Shrek doesn’t hurt either.)
Oh, do you know the muffin man, The muffin man, the muffin man, Oh, do you know the muffin man, That lives on Drury Lane?
Oh, yes, I know the muffin man, The muffin man, the muffin man, Oh, yes, I know the muffin man, That lives on Drury Lane.
“This Little Piggy” Bump Love: One of the most interactive nursery rhymes, “This Little Piggy” is the one that’s all about the toes! Wiggle one toe for each “little piggy” and baby will be reduced to giggles. Every. Time.
This little piggy went to market, This little piggy stayed home, This little piggy had roast beef, This little piggy had none, And this little piggy went Wee, wee, wee, all the way home!
“Three Blind Mice” Bump Love: “Three Blind Mice” makes the list for being one of the most popular Mother Goose nursery rhymes of all time—despite the fact that it’s actually quite dark! (Three mice, out for adventure, who end up blind and tail-less? Very un-chill.)
Three blind mice, Three blind mice See how they run, See how they run!
They all ran after The farmer’s wife She cut off their tails With a carving knife Did you ever see Such a sight in your life As three blind mice?
“Itsy Bitsy Spider” Bump Love: The message here? Resilience! Which is always a good one in nursery rhymes.
And since it’s so popular, this is also a fun one to teach in Spanish.
The itsy bitsy spider went up the waterspout. Down came the rain and washed the spider out. Out came the sunshine and dried up all the rain, and the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again.
“Old MacDonald Had a Farm” Bump Love: What’s great about “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” as a nursery rhyme is that you can take it anywhere. Each verse gets a new animal and a new animal sound, which can be really fun for children—and sneakily educational.
Old MacDonald had a farm E-I-E-I-O And on his farm he had a cow E-I-E-I-O With a moo-moo here And a moo-moo there Here a moo, there a moo Everywhere a moo-moo Old MacDonald had a farm E-I-E-I-O
Popular Nursery Rhymes for Kids
For The Bump’s purposes, the only real difference between popular nursery rhymes for babies and popular nursery rhymes for kids is the difficulty level. The nursery rhymes in this category can be a little wordier (“Wynken, Blynken, and Nod”).
They can be a little more complicated (the coordinated clapping of “Bingo”). And sometimes, they just hit your heart in a different way (like “Lavender’s Blue”). This group of nursery rhymes is for preschoolers and up.
“Bingo” Bump Love: This English folk song, first published in 1780, is beloved around the world—there’s even an Italian translation: “C’era un contadino che aveva un cagnolino di nome Bingolino.” There’s endless clapping involved, and everyone knows that clapping nursery rhymes are the best nursery rhymes.
There was a farmer who had a dog, And Bingo was his name-O. B-I-N-G-O! B-I-N-G-O! B-I-N-G-O! And Bingo was his name-O!
There was a farmer who had a dog, And Bingo was his name-O. [Clap]-I-N-G-O! [Clap]-I-N-G-O! [Clap]-I-N-G-O! And Bingo was his name-O!
There was a farmer who had a dog, And Bingo was his name-O! [Clap - Clap]-N-G-O! [Clap - Clap]-N-G-O! [Clap - Clap]-N-G-O! And Bingo was his name-O!
There was a farmer who had a dog, And Bingo was his name-O.
[Clap - Clap - Clap]-G-O! [Clap - Clap - Clap]-G-O! [Clap - Clap - Clap]-G-O! And Bingo was his name-O!
There was a farmer who had a dog, And Bingo was his name-O. [Clap - Clap - Clap - Clap]-O! [Clap - Clap - Clap - Clap]-O! [Clap - Clap - Clap - Clap]-O! And Bingo was his name-O!
There was a farmer who had a dog, And Bingo was his name-O. [Clap - Clap - Clap - Clap - Clap] [Clap - Clap - Clap - Clap - Clap] [Clap - Clap - Clap - Clap - Clap] And Bingo was his name-O!
“The Grand Old Duke of York” Bump Love: While it doesn’t sound like the Duke of York was the most productive of Dukes, we love the melody of this classic nursery rhyme. Plus, it encourages movement: The kids can stand when the soldiers go up and sit when the soldiers go down. (And they can have a jolly good time figuring out what to do when the soldiers are “neither up nor down.”)
Oh, the grand old Duke of York, He had ten thousand men, He marched them up to the top of the hill, And he marched them down again.
And when they were up they were up. And when they were down they were down. And when they were only halfway up, They were neither up nor down.
“Little Jack Horner” Bump Love: File this one under great holiday nursery rhymes. (Also see: “Deck the Halls” and “I Have a Little Dreidel.”)
Little Jack Horner Sat in the corner, Eating a Christmas pie; He put in his thumb, And pulled out a plum, And said, “What a good boy am I!”
*“Lavender’s Blue” * Bump Love: While the earliest versions of the “Lavender’s Blue” nursery rhyme date back to the 1600s, we especially love this romantic take, which appeared in Disney’s live-action Cinderella (2015).
Lavender’s blue, dilly, dilly, Lavender’s green, When I am king, dilly, dilly, You shall be queen.
Ho told you so, dilly, dilly, Who told you so? ’Twas my own heart, dilly, dilly, That told me so.
Call up your men, dilly, dilly, Set them to work, Some to the plough, dilly, dilly, Some to the fork.
Some to make hay, dilly, dilly, Some to cut corn, While you and I, dilly, dilly, Keep ourselves warm.
Lavender’s green, dilly, dilly, Lavender’s blue, If you love me, dilly, dilly, I will love you.
Let the birds sing, dilly, dilly, And the lambs play, We shall be safe, dilly, dilly, Out of harm’s way.
I love to dance, dilly, dilly, I love to sing, When I am queen, dilly, dilly, You’ll be my king.
Who told me so, dilly, dilly, Who told me so? I told myself, dilly, dilly, I told me so.
“This Is the Way” Bump Love: Sung to the tune of “Here We Go ‘Round the Mulberry Bush,” “This Is the Way” is one of the few nursery rhymes devoted to something crucial: making getting ready to go to school fun! (Because, let’s face it, even kids can get a case of the Mondays.)
This is the way we wash our face, wash our face, wash our face. This is the way we wash our face. Early in the morning.
Wash wash wash Wash wash wash.
This is the way we comb our hair, comb our hair, comb our hair.
This is the way we comb our hair. Early in the morning.
Comb comb comb Comb comb comb.
This is the way we brush our teeth, brush our teeth, brush our teeth. This is the way we brush our teeth. Early in the morning.
Brush brush brush Brush brush brush.
This is the way we get dressed, get dressed, get dressed. This is the way we get dressed. Early in the morning.
This is the way we go to school, go to school, go to school. This is the way we go to school. Early in the morning.
“Wynken, Blyken and Nod” Bump Love: Eugene Field’s 1889 tale, originally titled “Dutch Lullaby,” has been many things: a poem, a nursery rhyme, a lullaby, even a film. (It was part of Walt Disney’s Silly Symphonies.) No matter how you remember it, it’s a whimsical story, made all the more so when accompanied by the beautiful illustrations of Coral Keehn.
Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one night Sailed off in a wooden shoe, Sailed on a river of crystal light Into a sea of dew.
“Where are you going, and what do you wish?” The old moon asked the three. “We have come to fish for the herring-fish That live in this beautiful sea; Nets of silver and gold have we," Said Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.
The old moon laughed and sang a song, As they rocked in the wooden shoe; And the wind that sped them all night long Ruffled the waves of dew; The little stars were the herring-fish That lived in the beautiful sea. “Now cast your nets wherever you wish,” “Never afraid are we!” So cried the stars to the fishermen three, Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.
All night long their nets they threw To the stars in the twinkling foam, Then down from the skies came the wooden shoe, Bringing the fishermen home: ‘Twas all so pretty a sail, it seemed As if it could not be; And some folk thought ‘twas a dream they’d dreamed Of sailing that beautiful sea; But I shall name you the fishermen three: Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.
Wynken and Blynken are two little eyes, And Nod is a little head, And the wooden shoe that sailed the skies Is a wee one’s trundle-bed; So shut your eyes while Mother sings Of wonderful sights that be, And you shall see the beautiful things As you rock in the misty sea Where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three: Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.
French Nursery Rhymes
Yep, you guessed it! This is where the international portion of our nursery rhymes begin. We’ll start with two of the most popular French nursery rhymes, perfect for the budding Francophile.
“Frère Jacques” Bump Love: There are a number of lovely French nursery rhymes, but since this one has an English translation built right into it, it’s perfect for French lessons!
Frère Jacques, Frère Jacques, Dormez-vous? Dormez-vous? Sonnez les matines, Sonnez les matines. Ding, Dang, Dong, Ding, Dang, Dong.
(English verse, which you can alternate between) Are you sleeping, Are you sleeping? Brother John, Brother John? Morning bells are ringing, Morning bells are ringing. Ding, Ding, Dong, Ding, Ding, Dong.
“Alouette” Bump Love: If you’re teaching your little one French (or are French!), “Alouette,” about plucking feathers from a bird who wakes you up at the crack of dawn, is another favorite among French nursery rhymes.
Yes, the story is a touch aggressive. But the tune is an undeniable earworm! And it’s the perfect song to sing first thing in the morning.
Alouette, gentille alouette, Alouette, je te plumerai.
Je te plumerai la tête, Je te plumerai la tête, Et la tête, et la tête, Alouette, alouette… Ooooh!
Spanish Nursery Rhymes
And last, but certainly not least, we have two popular Spanish nursery rhymes. While many of the English nursery rhymes on this list have been translated into French or Spanish, too—here’s “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” sung in Spanish—there are a few nursery rhymes that are unique to Spanish-speaking countries. Here are two of our favorites.
“Cucú Cantaba la Rana” Bump Love: A beauty among Spanish nursery rhymes, “Cucú Cantaba la Rana” is about a singing frog with a beautiful call and all the people she passes in a day. Just listen to it performed.
Cucú, cucú cantaba la rana Cucú, cucú debajo del agua Cucú, cucú paso un caballero Cucú, cucú de capa y sombrero Cucú, cucú paso una señora Cucú, cucú con traje de cola Cucú, cucú pasó un marinero Cucú, cucú vendiendo floreros Cucú, cucú pidiole un ramito Cucú, cucú y no se lo dieron Cucú, cucú se puso a llorar Cucú, cucú
“A Mi Burro” Bump Love: “A Mi Burro,” about a donkey having a sick day, is one of the most popular Spanish nursery rhymes.
Because nearly everything hurts the donkey at one point in the song, kids learn all about the body and the importance of resting up to feel better.
A mi burro, a mi burro le duele la cabeza; y el médico le ha dado una gorrita gruesa.
Una gorrita gruesa, mi burro enfermo está mi burro enfermo esta
30 Popular English Nursery Rhymes for Kids
Popular English Nursery Rhymes For Kids
English Nursery Rhymes for kids: Below you will find the lyrics of 30 of the most popular and fun baby nursery rhymes for kids in English.
Just like reading books to your kids is important, singing nursery rhymes are a fun way to interact with kids and beneficial to their language development.
Read your baby or child a story in rhyme, or sing along together. Either way they are lots of fun.
My kids love these nursery rhymes, and I am sure your kids will love them too! Make sure to check in as we edit this post often to add new info!
30 Nursery Rhymes for Kids with Lyrics
Find below 30 popular rhymes with lyrics that kids will love! At the end of the post you can find baby lullabies and kids poems to check out too!
1.
12345 Once I caught A fish Alive LyricsOne, two, three, four, five,
Once I caught a fish alive,
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten,
Then I let go again.
Why did you let it go?
Because it bit my finger so.
Which finger did it bite?
This little finger on the right
2. Alphabet Song (Abc’s) Lyrics
A B C D E F G
H I J K L M N O P
Q R S T U V
W X Y and Z
Now I know my ABCs
Next time won’t you sing with me
Recommended:
Alphabet games for kids
3. A Sailor Went To Sea Lyrics
A sailor went to sea, sea, sea
To see what he could see, see, see
But all that he could see, see, see
Was the bottom of the deep blue sea, sea, sea!
A sailor went to knee, knee, knee
To see what he could knee, knee, knee
But all that he could knee, knee, knee
Was the bottom of the deep blue knee, knee, knee!
Sea, sea, sea
A sailor went to chop, chop, chop
To see what he could chop, chop, chop
But all that he could chop, chop, chop
Was the bottom of the deep blue chop, chop, chop!
Knee, knee, knee
Sea, sea, sea
4.
Bingo Lyrics There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-O.
B-I-N-G-O!
B-I-N-G-O!
B-I-N-G-O!
And Bingo was his name-O!
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-O.
(Clap)-I-N-G-O!
(Clap)-I-N-G-O!
(Clap)-I-N-G-O!
And Bingo was his name-O!
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-O!
(Clap – Clap)-N-G-O!
(Clap – Clap)-N-G-O!
(Clap – Clap)-N-G-O!
And Bingo was his name-O!
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-O.
(Clap – Clap – Clap)-G-O!
(Clap – Clap – Clap)-G-O!
(Clap – Clap – Clap)-G-O!
And Bingo was his name-O!
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-O.
(Clap – Clap – Clap – Clap)-O!
(Clap – Clap – Clap – Clap)-O!
(Clap – Clap – Clap – Clap)-O!
And Bingo was his name-O!
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-O.
(Clap – Clap – Clap – Clap – Clap)
(Clap – Clap – Clap – Clap – Clap)
(Clap – Clap – Clap – Clap – Clap)
And Bingo was his name-O!
5.
Baa Baa Black Sheep Lyrics Baa, baa black sheep
Have you any wool
Yes sir, yes sir
Three bags full.
One for my master
And one for my dame
And one for the little boy
Who lives down the lane.
6. Head Shoulders Knees and Toes Lyrics
This fun nursery rhymes has gestures as well. Touch each body part as you sing the song for more interactive learning! Kids will love it.
Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
Knees and toes.
Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
Knees and toes.
And eyes, and ears, and mouth, and nose.
Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
Knees and toes.
(Repeat)
7. Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush Lyrics
Here we go round the mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush.
Here we go round the mulberry bush
On a cold and frosty morning.
This is the way we…
(insert actions and continue the song as above with each action such as “wash our hands” or “shake our head” etc)
8.
Hey Diddle Diddle Lyrics Hey diddle diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon.
The little dog laughed to see such sport,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.
9. Hickory Dickory Dock Lyrics
Hickory Dickory Dock
The mouse ran up the clock
The clock struck one
The mouse ran down
Hickory Dickory Dock
Hickory Dickory Dock
The mouse ran up the clock
The clock struck two
The mouse went “boo!”
Hickroy Dickory Dock
10. Humpty Dumpty Lyrics
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.
11. Hush, Little Baby Lyrics
(This is a beautiful nursery rhyme to sing at night time as your little one is falling asleep)
Hush, little baby, don’t say a word,
Papa’s gonna buy you a mockingbird.
And if that mockingbird don’t sing,
Papa’s gonna buy you a diamond ring.
And if that diamond ring turn brass,
Papa’s gonna buy you a looking glass.
And if that looking glass gets broke,
Papa’s gonna buy you a billy goat.
And if that billy goat don’t pull,
Papa’s gonna buy you a cart and bull.
And if that cart and bull turn over,
Papa’s gonna buy you a dog named Rover.
And if that dog named Rover won’t bark.
Papa’s gonna to buy you and horse and cart.
And if that horse and cart fall down,
Well you’ll still be the sweetest little baby in town.
12. I’m a Little Teapot Lyrics
I’m a little teapot
Short and stout
Here is my handle
Here is my spout.
When I get all steamed up
Hear me shout
“Tip me over
and pour me out!’.
13. If You’re Happy and You Know It Lyrics
(This song has gestures, so move along as you sing to make it more fun!)
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.
(clap clap)
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.
(clap clap)
If you’re happy and you know it, and you really want to show it.
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.
(clap clap)
If you’re happy and you know it stamp your feet.
(Stomp Stomp)
If you’re happy and you know it stamp your feet.
(Stomp Stomp)
If you’re happy and you know it, and you really want to show it.
If you’re happy and you know it, stomp your feet
(Stomp Stomp)
If you’re happy and you know it, shout hurray
Hurray
If you’re happy and you know it, shout hurray
Hurray
If you’re happy and you know it, and you really want to show it
If you’re happy and you know it, shout hurray
Hurray
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap clap)
Stomp your feet (stomp stomp)
Shout hurray “Hurray”
If you’re happy and you know it, and you really want to show it
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap clap)
Stomp your feet (stomp stomp)
Shout hurray “Hurray”
14.
Incy Wincy Spider Lyrics Incy wincy spider
climbed up the water spout,
Down came the rain
and washed poor Wincy out,
Out came the sun shine
and dried up all the rain,
And Incy Wincy spider
climbed up the spout again.
15. Jack and Jill Lyrics
Jack and Jill went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down and broke his crown,
And Jill came tumbling after.
Up Jack got and home did trot
As fast as he could caper;
And went to bed to mend his head
With vinegar and brown paper.
More Nursery Rhymes for Kids with Lyrics!
You are half way, but we still have more lyrics for your favourite baby nursery rhymes!!! Want a printable list? Subscribe to our email list and then email us [email protected] and we can send it to you!
16. 5 Little Ducks Lyrics
Five little ducks
Went out one day
Over the hill and far away
Mother duck said
“Quack, quack, quack, quack.
”
But only four little ducks came back.
Four little ducks
Went out one day
Over the hill and far away
Mother duck said
“Quack, quack, quack, quack.”
But only three little ducks came back.
Three little ducks
Went out one day
Over the hill and far away
Mother duck said
“Quack, quack, quack, quack.”
But only two little ducks came back.
Two little ducks
Went out one day
Over the hill and far away
Mother duck said
“Quack, quack, quack, quack.”
But only one little duck came back.
One little duck
Went out one day
Over the hill and far away
Mother duck said
“Quack, quack, quack, quack.”
But none of the five little ducks came back.
Sad mother duck
Went out one day
Over the hill and far away
The sad mother duck said
“Quack, quack, quack.”
And all of the five little ducks came back.
*You are reading a list of the best nursery rhymes for kids in English on Bilingual Kidspot.
Keep reading for more popular nursery rhymes!*
17. 5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed Lyrics
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 her head.
Papa 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 her head.
Papa called the Doctor and the Doctor said,
“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!’
One little monkey jumping on the bed,
He fell off and bumped his head.
Mama called the Doctor and the Doctor said,
“Put those monkeys straight to bed!’
18. Mary had a Little Lamb Lyrics
Mary had a little lamb,
Little lamb, little lamb.
Mary had a little lamb,
Its fleece was white as snow.
And every where 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 rule.
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 school.
So the teacher turned him out,
turned him out, turned him out.
So the teacher turned him out,
And sent him straight away.
19. Miss Polly Had A Dolly Lyrics
Miss Polly had a dolly who was sick, sick, sick.
So she phoned for the doctor to be quick, quick, quick.
The doctor came with his bag and hat,
And knocked at the door with a rat tat tat.
He looked at the dolly and shook his head,
And said “Miss Polly put her straight to bed.”
He wrote a pad for a pill, pill, pill.
I’ll be back in the morning with my bill, bill, bill.
20. Old MacDonald Had a Farm Lyrics
This fun nursery rhyme uses animal sounds. Did you know that not everyone hears the animal sounds the same around the world? In English we say “Whoof whoof” for a dog, but in other languages it’s different! Check out our post on how animals sound in different languages.
Old MacDonald had a farm, E I E I O,
And on his farm he had a cow, E I E I O.
With a moo moo here and a moo moo there,
Here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo moo.
Old MacDonald had a farm, E I E I O.
Old MacDonald had a farm, E I E I O,
And on his farm he had a pig, E I E I O.
With an oink oink here and an oink oink there,
Here an oink, there an oink, everywhere an oink oink.
Old MacDonald had a farm, E I E I O.
Old MacDonald had a farm, E I E I O,
And on his farm he had a duck, E I E I O.
With a quack quack here and a quack quack there,
Here a quack, there a quack, everywhere a quack quack.
Old MacDonald had a farm, E I E I O
Old MacDonald had a farm, E I E I O,
And on his farm he had a horse, E I E I O.
With a neh neh here and a neh neh there,
Here a neh, there a neh, everywhere a neh neh.
Old MacDonald had a farm, E I E I O.
Old MacDonald had a farm, E I E I O,
And on his farm he had some sheep, E I E I O.
With a bah bah here and a bah bah there,
Here a bah, there a bah everywhere a bah bah
Old MacDonald had a farm, E I E I O.
Ring Around the Rosie Lyrics
Before starting this song, all stand around in a circle holding hands. As you sing along, move around in a circle. Follow the words to “fall down” and “jump up”
Ring around the rosie,
A pocket full of posies,
Atishoo, Atishoo,
We all fall down!
The cows are in the meadow
Eating buttercup
Atishoo, Atishoo,
We all jump up!
21. Rock-a-Bye Baby Lyrics
Rock a bye baby, on the tree top,
When the wind blows the cradle will rock,
When the bough breaks the cradle will fall,
And down will come baby, cradle and all.
This is a sweet baby nursery rhyme, but also considered a lullaby. See more: Baby lullabies with lyrics
22. Row, Row, Row Your Boat Lyrics
Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream
Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream
If you see a crocodile
Don’t forget to scream!
23. Teddy bear, Teddy Bear Lyrics
This nursery rhyme has lots of actions to go with the lyrics so make sure you follow along to make it even more fun!
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Turn around!
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Touch the ground!
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Jump up high!
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Touch the sky!
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Bend down low!
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Touch you toes!
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Turn out the light!
Teddy bear, teddy bear, Say good night!
24. Ten In a Bed Lyrics
There were ten in a bed
And the little one said
“Roll over, roll over”
So they all rolled over
And one fell out
There were nine in a bed
And the little one said
“Roll over, roll over”
So they all rolled over
And one fell out
There were eight in a bed
And the little one said
“Roll over, roll over”
So they all rolled over
And one fell out
There were seven in a bed
And the little one said
“Roll over, roll over”
So they all rolled over
And one fell out
There were six in a bed
And the little one said
“Roll over, roll over”
So they all rolled over
And one fell out
There were five in a bed
And the little one said
“Roll over, roll over”
So they all rolled over
And one fell out
There were four in a bed
And the little one said
“Roll over, roll over”
So they all rolled over
And one fell out
There were three in a bed
And the little one said
“Roll over, roll over”
So they all rolled over
And one fell out
There were two in a bed
And the little one said
“Roll over, roll over”
So they all rolled over
And one fell out
There was one in a bed
And the little one said
“Good night!”
25.
The Grand Old Duke of York Lyrics (March on the spot with your hands and legs with this one to make it more fun!)
Oh, the grand old Duke of York,
He had ten thousand men,
He marched them up to the top of the hill
And he marched them down again.
And when they were up they were up.
And when they were down they were down.
And when they were only half way up,
They were neither up nor down.
26. The Hokey Pokey Lyrics
(Another English nursery rhyme for kids to follow along with the actions to go with the lyrics.)
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 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 around,
That’s what it’s all about.
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 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 around,
That’s what it’s all about.
You put your whole self in,
You put your whole self out,
You put your whole self in
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey Pokey,
And you turn around,
That’s what it’s all about.
27. The Wheels on the Bus Lyrics
The wheels on the bus go round and round,
Round and round, Round and round.
The wheels on the bus go round and round,
All through the town.
The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish,
Swish, swish, swish.
Swish, swish, swish.
The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish,
All through the town.
The doors on the bus go open and shut,
Open and shut, open and shut
The doors on the bus go open and shut,
All through the town
The horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep,
Beep, beep, beep.
Beep, beep, beep.
The horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep,
All through the town.
The people on the bus go up and down,
Up and down,
Up and down.
The people on the bus go up and down,
All through the town.
The baby on the bus goes “Wah, wah, wah”,
“Wah, wah, wah”,
“Wah, wah, wah”.
The baby on the bus goes “Wah, wah, wah”.
All through the town.
The mummy’s on the bus go “Shh, shh, shh”,
“Shh, shh, shh”,
“Shh, shh, shh”.
The mummy’s on the bus go “Shh, shh, shh”.
All through the town.
The wheels on the bus go round and round,
Round and round,
Round and round.
The wheels on the bus go round and round,
All through the town.
28. This Old Man Lyrics
This old man, he played one
He played knick-knack on my thumb
Knick-knack paddy whack
Give the dog the bone
This old man came rolling home.
This old man, he played two
He played knick-knack on my shoe
Knick-knack paddy whack
Give the dog the bone
This old man came rolling home.
This old man, he played three
He played knick-knack on my knee
Knick-knack paddy whack
Give the dog the bone
This old man came rolling home.
This old man, he played four
He played knick-knack on my door
Knick-knack paddy whack
Give the dog the bone
This old man came rolling home.
This old man, he played five
He played knick-knack on my hive
Knick-knack paddy whack
Give the dog the bone
This old man came rolling home.
This old man, he played six
He played knick-knack with some sticks
Knick-knack paddy whack
Give the dog the bone
This old man came rolling home.
This old man, he played seven
He played knick-knack up in Heaven
Knick-knack paddy whack
Give the dog the bone
This old man came rolling home.
This old man, he played eight
He played knick-knack on my gate
Knick-knack paddy whack
Give the dog the bone
This old man came rolling home.
This old man, he played nine
He played knick-knack on my spine
Knick-knack paddy whack
Give the dog the bone
This old man came rolling home.
This old man, he played ten
He played knick-knack once again
Knick-knack paddy whack
Give the dog the bone
This old man came rolling home.
29. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Lyrics
(Everyone loves a classic, this English nursery rhyme is a family favourite in many homes.)
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!
When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
When you shower your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
30. Wind the bobbin up Lyrics
Wind the bobbin up, wind the bobbin up
Pull, pull, clap clap clap
Wind the bobbin up, wind the bobbin up
Pull, pull, clap clap clap
Point to the ceiling, point to the floor
Point to the window, point to the door
Clap your hands together, 1, 2, 3,
Put your hands down on your knees
Looking for more? Read these posts next:
- Mother Goose Rhymes
- Baby Lullabies
- Short and Fun Kids Poems
Fun Rhymes and Nursery Songs to sing with your kids!
I hope you enjoy this list of popular English nursery rhymes for kids with lyrics and have fun singing along with your kids.
For further reading, check out why nursery rhymes are so important.
If you have any other favourite English nursery rhymes with lyrics which are not listed, please let us know in the comments!
You are looking at our list of Nursery Rhymes in English, but we also have them in bilingual, Spanish, and Chinese too!
Looking for other English resources? Take a look at our English for Kids page. Don’t miss our Top story books for kids and the best sites where you can find FREE kids books online to read anywhere 🙂
Raising a bilingual child? Subscribe for related articles. Follow Bilingual KidSpot on Facebook and join our private discussion group.
If you prefer more unconventional nursery rhymes, take a look at this post on unexpected lullabies.
Top 10 children's songs on the road - magazine Behind the wheel
There is no worse trip when the child is naughty... Do not forget this playlist before the trip!
Related materials
11 best games on the road - as many as you can in Cities!
Older children love to listen to their music on headphones, and sometimes it is difficult to guess what they like, so here we will talk about kids "from three to six".
At first, adults sing to them, and when they get older, they themselves join the general choir. It is especially good if there are sisters or brothers in the family, on whom the younger ones always equal and who can easily set the tone.
Enable compilation and sing along from smartphone? You can do that, but it's much more interesting to sing on your own. It remains to refresh the memory of the words. And learn something interesting about old familiar songs.
10. "Blue Tractor"
One of the most cheerful and groovy songs that are well received by kids on trips is "Blue Tractor", which comes to us "through the fields, across the fields":
trailer someone sings a song.
Well, baby, come on, try to guess,
Who, who, who, who sings a song:
Mu mumumum mumumumuuu mumumumumumu
That's right, it's a cow!
And so on with variations: a ram (be-be), a pig (oink-oink), a dog (woof-woof), a rooster (crowing).
.. preferences of babies under the age of 4 years. There was a choice between a blue tractor or a red car, the latter seemed too banal, and so the blue tractor appeared.
9. “We are going, we are going, we are going”
And even the most serious parent will immediately remember the words and melody of this song: “We are going, going, going” - this, as they say, is a classic for all times:
We have fun,
We sing a song,
And the song is sung
About how we live.
Sergei Mikhalkov is believed to be the author of the text, but there was a tale (it is no longer possible to confirm) that it was actually written by a talented political prisoner when he was being taken into exile in "distant lands". I wrote with humor, and if we consider the words of the song from this angle, one can discover new meanings in simple lines.
8. "Antoshka"
And how not to remember the song about the red-haired Antoshka, who was called first to dig potatoes, then play the harmonica, but the guy "saves his strength" for food, and he had one answer to everything:
Tili-tili, trali-wali,
We did not go through this,
We were not asked to do this.
Tili-tili, trali-wali,
We did not go through this,
We were not asked to do this.
It is easy to remember, especially since the image of a red-haired naughty boy is in front of your eyes, as animators drew an equally wonderful cartoon for this song.
By the way, in Soviet times, the artistic council did not want to miss this song, considering it harmful to the younger generation. It only helped that she was able to get her on the air of the Good Morning! on the radio and it became an instant hit. Not only children liked it - for a long time the song about Antoshka was popular among drunken citizens. It was not for nothing that the hero of Yuri Yakovlev, Ivan Vasilyevich Bunsha, who had gained a lot of talent, tried to teach ancient Russian musicians "modern melody" in Gaidai's comedy.
7. Gena's crocodile song
If it's late in the evening, and it's getting dark outside the window, and suddenly it gets quieter and a little sad in the car, how can we do without the song "Uncle Gena"? She teaches kids: whatever happens in life, you need to hope for the best, and so it will happen!
Slowly the minutes float away into the distance,
You can't wait to meet them.
And, although we are a little sorry for the past,
The best, of course, is ahead!
Tablecloth, tablecloth spreads a long way,
And rests directly on the sky.
Everyone, everyone believes in the best,
The blue wagon is rolling, rolling.
6. Little Mouse's Song
In the morning, to shake things up and start the day in a good mood, you can cheerfully "squeak" the song of the Little Mouse - also from the animated film. It doesn’t matter that the main character is still that lazy person, he sings, standing with a guitar on a stump while others are working. But he does it cheerfully and with a spark:
What a wonderful day!
What a wonderful stump!
How wonderful I am,
And my song!
5. "Twice two - four"
If a child begins to master the multiplication table, then we can remember that: the world!
And it was sung at one time by Eduard Khil, who, thirty or even forty years later, would become "Mr.
Trololo". Following him, preschool children of many generations repeat the multiplication table, because "three times three is forever nine, there's nothing to be done, and it's easy to count how much five five will be."
4. Chunga-changa (song from the cartoon "Katerok")
If you are tired of sitting quietly and want to play pranks a little, then you should sing about the island of Chunga-changa, where life is easy and simple, you don't have to do anything, just chew coconuts and bananas. Once the boat “Chizhik” falls into the storm, and it brings it to a small island where a cheerful company meets it: Negrit, giraffe and bass parrot and are happy to talk about their island-Rae.
Chunga-changa! Blue sky!
Chunga-changa! Summer is all year round!
Chunga-changa! We live happily!
Chunga-changa! Let's sing a song!
Wonder Island, Wonder Island!
Living on it is easy and simple!
Living on it is easy and simple!
Chunga-changa!
3.
The song of the cat Leopold We have not forgotten about the cat Leopold either - the eternal war of mice against him always ends in reconciliation: shoulder light,
And with this song I roll around the world,
I roll, I roll wherever I want.
At first, Leopold was voiced by Andrei Mironov, and when the actor fell ill, all three characters spoke in the voice of Gennady Khazanov. Then they decided to invite Alexander Kalyagin, and it is his voice that sounds in this song. Colleagues called Kalyagin Leopold Ilyich, because at the same time he played the role of Lenin in a feature film.
2. “A grasshopper sat in the grass”
Many kids (and their parents for sure!) know by heart the words of the hit of all times and generations “A grasshopper sat in the grass”. But many remember only the first verse:
A grasshopper was sitting in the grass, a grasshopper was sitting in the grass,
Just like a cucumber, he was green.
Imagine, imagine,
Just like a cucumber,
Imagine, imagine,
He was green.
And, by the way, there are four couplets, so it would be nice to refresh the memory of the song too.
Few people know that the text was written by Nikolai Nosov. And he entered the wonderful book "The Adventures of Dunno and His Friends". Hearing "Grasshopper", Dunno suddenly realized that he wanted to become a singer. True, it did not last long...
1. “Smile”
And what is at the top of our hit parade? Of course, "Smile"! After all, a trip is an anticipation of joy, new meetings and impressions, so the mood should be appropriate:
A gloomy day is brighter from a smile,
A rainbow will wake up from a smile in the sky.
Share your smile -
And it will return to you more than once!
The song from the cartoon "Little Raccoon" has become the hallmark of Clara Rumyanova. The voice of the immortal Hare from "Well, you wait!" perfectly cheers up - checked!
***
Of course, there are much more children's compositions that are suitable for a long journey than in our hit parade.
We tried to choose the simplest and kindest. Having learned them, our children someday will sing to their babies. Because these words and melodies have long passed the test of time.
- Another question that often torments moms and dads: how to feed children on the road, so that it is both tasty, and fast, and not harmful? You can find an example menu here.
Photo: Depositphotos and screenshots from cartoon films
Top 10 children's songs for the road
There is no worse trip when the child is naughty... Do not forget this playlist before the trip!
Top 10 children's songs on the road
5 most popular children's songs and their history
Music section publications
Many songs for children have been popular since Soviet times to this day. They are taught in kindergartens and schools, they sound in your favorite cartoons, at holidays and concerts.
"Culture.RF" has collected five stories about how famous songs for kids appeared. Read who Yury Entin dedicated Antoshka to, where the name of Chunga-Chang's "wonder island" came from, and how many authors wrote music for the composition "A Grasshopper Sat in the Grass".
“A Christmas tree was born in the forest”
Yuri Reiner. New Year tree (Lights of Moscow) (detail). 1947. Chuvash State Art Museum, Cheboksary
Ilya Glazunov. Christmas tree. New Year's Eve (detail). 1989. Private collection
Boris Smirnov. Christmas tree in a rich house. 1904. Novosibirsk State Museum of Local Lore, Novosibirsk
The text of the famous song “A Christmas tree was born in the forest” appeared more than a century ago. The poem about the New Year tree was written for her pupils by the teacher and governess Raisa Kudasheva. December 1903, it was published in the magazine "Malyutka", however, under a pseudonym: out of modesty, Kudasheva did not want to indicate her real name.
The music for the poem "Christmas Tree" was composed for his daughter by the scientist Leonid Beckman. He was not a composer, he did not know musical notation, and therefore he was not going to write down the melody. This was done by his wife, Elena Beckman, a graduate of the Moscow Conservatory and a friend of Sergei Rachmaninoff.
Soon, Beckman's daughter performed a song about a Christmas tree at a family holiday with friends. The listeners liked the melody so much that they asked to rewrite the notes and words. Within 19In 06, Beckman rewrote "Yolochka" for friends more than 10 times, they passed it on to their friends, and soon the New Year's song became very popular in Moscow.
Raisa Kudasheva did not know for a long time that her poem had become so famous. It wasn't until 1921 that she first heard a little girl on a train sing "Herringbone" to her words. Kudasheva herself became famous only in the 1950s, when she gave two interviews - to the Evening Moscow newspaper and the Ogonyok magazine.
However, she never sought fame and said in a letter to a friend: "I didn't want to be famous, but I couldn't help but write" .
Antoshka
Composer Vladimir Shainsky. 1980 Photo: Vladimir Savostyanov / TASS
Still from Leonid Nosyrev's animated film "Antoshka" anthology "Merry Carousel" No. 1 (1969)
Cartoonist Leonid Nosyrev and artist Vera Kudryavtseva. 1989–1990 Photo: State Central Museum of Cinema, Moscow
Poet Yuri Entin and composer Vladimir Shainsky wrote the song "Antoshka" at 1968. A few years before, Entin worked as a history teacher at the school. He dedicated a poem about a lazy but mischievous boy to one of the especially negligent students, who answers all requests: “We didn’t go through this, they didn’t ask us!”
Shainsky composed the melody in just a few minutes, even without a musical instrument. Yuri Entin recalled: “He said: “I don’t need a piano, I compose on the table.” He began to knock on the table and sing: “Tili-tili, trali-vali .
..” There are only six lines. The song turned out right on this day " .
However, in the children's edition of television, Antoshka was not immediately appreciated. Entin and Shainsky applied to different programs, and everywhere the song was refused to be aired. They accepted her only in the program "Good morning!". Already on the day of its release on television, Antoshka became a hit. After that, in 1970, a cartoon of the same name appeared: it was directed by Leonid Nosyrev for the animated magazine "Merry Carousel".
I liked the song about Antoshka. Cheerful melody, mischievous words. The image of a boy immediately presented itself ... I decided that Antoshka must be a red-haired, sunny, free man who is sitting somewhere in nature under a sunflower.
Read also:
- 5 composers who wrote music for cartoons
- Lemeshev and Kozlovsky: the most famous tenora of the 20th century
- 7 of the rare exhibits of the Russian National Museum of Music
"Chung-changes" 9000 ENII EARS .
Photo: Sergey Miklyaev / ITAR-TASS A still from Inessa Kovalevskaya's animated film "Katerok" (1970)
Singer Aida Vedischeva. 1972 Photo: Mikhail Strokov / TASS newsreel
This song was featured in Inessa Kovalevskaya's cartoon "Katerok". Yuri Entin and Vladimir Shainsky also worked on it, and they composed it on the same day as Antoshka. They just could not immediately come up with the main thing - the name of the "wonder island". All options seemed unsuccessful to Entin until he accidentally saw a poster for a ballet on ice. The name of director Evgeny Changi was indicated on it. Yuri Entin liked the unusual surname so much that he supplemented it with the fictitious word "chunga" and inserted it into the text.
Popular Soviet singers Anatoly Gorokhov and Aida Vedischeva performed in the cartoon "Chunga-Changu". Entin himself did not consider this work successful: the motive and rhymes seemed to him too uncomplicated. But it was thanks to the light melody and words that the song was quickly remembered by children throughout the Soviet Union.
“A grasshopper sat in the grass”
Writer Nikolai Nosov reads to children. Moscow, 1969. Photo: P. Lesnoy / Newsreel TASS
Still from the animated film by Yuri Trofimov, Vladimir Golikov, Alexander Bogolyubov, Leonid Aristov, Carlo Sulakauri, Kirill Malyantovich and Yuri Klepatsky "The Adventures of Dunno and His Friends" (1971–1973)
Actress Klara Rumyanova. Photo: Belozersky Regional Museum of Local Lore, Belozersk
The lyrics of the song "A Grasshopper Sitting in the Grass" appeared much earlier than the music to it. In 1954, the fairy tale novel by Nikolai Nosov "The Adventures of Dunno and His Friends" was published. In one of the last chapters, the inhabitants of the Flower City sang this song, which, according to the plot, was composed by the poet Tsvetik and the musician Guslya. Nosov wrote the verses for this episode himself.
In 1961, based on the story of Dunno, a radio play was staged and a short cartoon filmed. Both works included a song about a grasshopper: Yan Frenkel and Ilya Shakhov wrote the music for the radio show, and Mikhail Meerovich wrote the music for the animated short film.
But both versions did not gain popularity. Only the version of Vladimir Shainsky, which sounded in the puppet animated series "The Adventures of Dunno and His Friends" in 1971 years old. It was performed by actress Klara Rumyanova, who voiced the main character.
"What they teach at school"
Songwriter Mikhail Plyatskovsky with young viewers at the XIII Moscow International Film Festival. Moscow, 1983. Photo: Alexander Shogin / TASS newsreel
Nikolai Bogdanov-Belsky. Oral account (fragment). 1895. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
Singer Eduard Khil. Moscow, 1965. Photo: Valery Gende-Rote, Vladimir Musaelyan / TASS
The text of the song "What they teach at school" was written by the popular Soviet songwriter Mikhail Plyatskovsky. He recalled that he once rode in an elevator with a neighbor's boy who was supposed to go to first grade.
- You're doing great! I told him. - You will go to school.
- What do they teach at school? he asked me.
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