Popular nursery 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

34 Best Nursery Rhymes for Kids (Lyrics and Activities)

Table of Contents

• 1 Free Nursery Rhymes for Kids
• 2 A Tisket, A Tasket Lyrics
• 3 Baa, Baa, Black Sheep Lyrics
• 4 Hey Diddle Diddle Lyrics
• 5 Hickory Dickory Dock Lyrics
• 6 Humpty Dumpty Lyrics
• 7 I’m a Little Teapot Lyrics
• 8 It’s Raining, It’s Pouring Lyrics
• 9 Itsy Bitsy Spider Lyrics
• 10 Jack and Jill Lyrics
• 11  Jack Be Nimble Lyrics
• 12 Little Bo Peep Lyrics
• 13 Little Boy Blue Lyrics
• 14 Little Miss Muffet Lyrics
• 15 Mary Had a Little Lamb Lyrics
• 16 One, Two, Buckle My Shoe Lyrics
• 17 Polly Put the Kettle On Lyrics
• 18 Rain, Rain Go Away Lyrics
• 19 Row, Row, Row your Boat Lyrics
• 20 Star Light, Star Bright Lyrics
• 21  
• 22 The Wheels on the Bus Lyrics
• 23 There Was An Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe Lyrics
• 24 Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Lyrics
• 25 Wee Willie Winkle
• 26 A Wise Old Owl Lyrics
• 27 Hot Cross Buns Lyrics
• 28 One, Two, Three, Four, Five (Once I caught a fish alive) Lyrics
• 29 Little Jack Horner Lyrics
• 30 Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary Lyrics
• 31 Old Mother Hubbard Lyrics
• 32 Pat a Cake Lyrics
• 33 Pease Porridge Hot Lyrics
• 34 Roses are Red Lyrics
• 35 Three Blind Mice Lyrics
• 36 Three Little Kittens Lyrics

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Nursery Rhymes for kids lay the foundation to early language and reading skills. Children who are frequently read and sang to early on, are much more likely to develop strong reading skills.

After using poems to teach kids how to read over the past 17 years, I have found nursery rhymes to be the most effective tool. I’m so excited to share this list of the nursery rhymes for kids with you. They will build vocabulary, fluency, expressive and receptive language, rhyming skills, and expand the kids’ imagination.

Free Nursery Rhymes for Kids

In this blog post, you will find the some of the best nursery rhymes lyrics and suggested activities.  Before you start scrolling, grab your FREE poetry guide with checklists, activities, and printables.

A Tisket, A Tasket Lyrics

A Tisket, a tasket, a green and yellow basket.

I wrote a letter to my friend, and on the way I dropped it. 

I dropped it, I dropped it, 

and on the way I dropped it.

The little boy, he picked it up,

and put it in his pocket. 

• A Tisket, A Tasket Build a Poem activity for in the classroom or at home.
• Have the kiddos write or draw a letter to a friend, then act out the poem.

Get this printable poem HERE or on TPT

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 the dame

One for the little boy

Who lives down the lane. 

• Color a sheep template black, then use cotton balls to incorporate a sensory craft
• Estimate how many cotton balls it will take to fill three lunch bags
• Baa, Baa Black Sheep Build a Poem

Get this printable poem HERE or on TPT

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. 

Get “Hey Diddle Diddle”, HERE or on TPT

• Introduce a fiddle, and let the kids have turns acting out the cat’s role
• Paint a picture of a cow jumping over the moon.
• Have a jumping contest
• Do a sight word hunt using the printable Hey Diddle Diddle Poem.
• Hey Diddle Diddle Build a Poem

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 said “BOO!”

Hickory dickory dock.

Hickory dickory dock, the mouse ran up the clock.

The clock struck three, the mouse said “WHEE!”

Hickory dickory dock.

Hickory dickory dock, the mouse ran up the clock.

The clock struck four, the mouse said “No more!”

Hickory dickory dock.

• Use with a Teaching Time kit to integrate lessons about clocks and time.
• Talk about and act out position words: up, down, etc.
• Come up with a list of rhyming words for mouse.
• Hickory Dickory Dock Build a Poem

Get this printable poem HERE or on TPT

Humpty Dumpty Lyrics

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

All the Kings horses, and all the king’s men,

couldn’t put Humpty together again. 

• Grab your FREE Humpty Dumpty Printable and Build a Poem when you sign up to my Little Learning Corner Newsletter, HERE.

Get Humpty Dumpty, HERE or on TPT

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 my shout.

Just tip me over, and pour me out!

• Have a tea party using a kids Tea set
• Integrate lessons on measurement. Compare compacity and weight of a teapot verves a teacup

This printable poem is exclusive to the Poem of the Day Bundle, HERE or on TPT.

It’s Raining, It’s Pouring Lyrics

It’s raining, it’s pouring.

The old man is snoring.

Went to bed, and bumped his head

and couldn’t get up in the morning.

• Act out the poem (the kids love being the old man who snores
• Integrate a lesson on weather 
• It’s Raining, It’s Pouring Build a Poem

Get this printable poem HERE or on TPT

Itsy Bitsy Spider Lyrics

The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout.

Down came the rain, and washed the spider out.

Out came the sun, and dried up all the rain.

And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again.

• Integrate Spider Facts for Kids sentence building activities.
• Use hand movements to reinforce the poem or song.
• Focus on positional words
• Make a paper plate spider craft
• Add the Itsy Bitsy Spider printable poem to the kids’ poetry notebook
• Itsy Bitsy Spider Build a Poem

Get this printable poem HERE or on TPT

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.

• Get a class set of plastic pails, and let the kids act out this popular nursery rhyme for kids.
• Jack and Jill poetry packet
• Jack and Jill Build a Poem

Get this printable poem HERE or on TPT

 Jack Be Nimble Lyrics

Jack be nimble, Jack be quick.

Jack jump over the candlestick.

Jack jumped high. Jack jumped low. 

Jack jumped over, and burned his toe! 

• Get a cheap candlestick mold and candle making kit to make candles with your kids. (This is great to do with a parent volunteer)
• Let the kids practice jumping over a candlestick while reciting the nursery rhymes for kids.
• Jack Be Nimble Build a Poem – replace the Jack card with the students names to personalize this fun nursery rhyme for kids (see video above)

Get this printable poem HERE or on TPT

Little Bo Peep Lyrics

This traditional nursery rhyme is one I like to include in my farm themed lesson plans. For example, the introduction of sheep allows for the talk of other farm animals. It’s great a bridge into more mother goose nursery rhymes naturally occurs. For example, you can then teach more English nursery rhymes such as “This Little Piggy”, “Five Little Ducks”, “Three Little Pigs”, “Five Little Speckled Frogs”, “Old MacDonald”, and more popular rhymes.

Get this printable poem HERE or on TPT

Little Bo Peep lost her sheep,

and doesn’t know where to find them.

Leave them alone, and they’ll come home,

bringing their tails behind them.

• Grab this set of 3 Sheep stuffed animals to let the kids act out the nursery rhyme for preschool, kindergarten, or first grade.
• Little Bo Peep Build a Poem

Little Boy Blue Lyrics

Little Boy Blue come blow your horn.

The sheep’s in the meadow, the cow’s in the corn.

But where’s the boy who looks after the sheep?

He’s under a haystack fast asleep.

Will you wake him? No – not I.

For if I do, he’s sure to cry.

• This a great nursery rhyme for kids to incorporate your favorite farm animal lessons.
• Set up a farm pretend area 
• Little Boy Blue Build a Poem

Get this printable poem HERE or on TPT

Little Miss Muffet Lyrics

Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet,

eating her curdy and whey.

Along came a spider who sat down beside her,

and frightened Miss Muffet away.

• Do a nursery rhyme for kids comparison with Little Miss Muffet and Itsy Bitsy Spider
• Introduce vocabulary, such as tuffet, curds and whey, and frightened.
• Swap out frightened for another word to describe emotions and act them all out.
• Little Miss Muffet Build a Poem

Get this printable poem HERE or on TPT

Mary Had a Little Lamb Lyrics

Mary had a little lamb,

it’s fleece was white as snow.

And everywhere that Mary went,

the lamb was sure to go.

It followed her to school one day

and broke the teacher’s rule

And what a time did they have

that day at school.

Get this printable poem HERE or on TPT

• Swap out the name “Mary” for the kids’ names. It’s a great way to personalize nursery rhymes for preschoolers.
• Send home a little lamb stuffed animal with the kids and have them recite the poem to their family. Rotate through all of the kids.
• Mary Had a Little Lamb Build a Poem

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe Lyrics

One, two, buckle my shoe.

Three, four, shut the door.

Five, six, pick up sticks.

Seven, eight, lay them straight.

Nine, ten, a big fat hen. 

Get this printable poem HERE or on TPT

• Work on number word recognition – highlighting the number words in the printable poem.
• Identify the rhyming patterns throughout the nursery rhyme for kids.
• Act out the poem
• Try to come up with new lyrics
• One Two Buckle My Shoe Build a Poem 

Polly Put the Kettle On Lyrics

Polly put the kettle on.

Polly put the kettle on.

Polly put the kettle on.

We’ll all have tea.

Sukey, take it off again.

Sukey, take it off again.

Sukey, take it off again.

They’ve all gone away.

Get this poem HERE or on TPT

• Do a compare and contrast with “I’m a Little Teapot”
• Set up a kitchen area with a toy kettle
• Let the kids role play as Polly and Sukey
• Polly Put the Kettle On Build a Poem

Rain, Rain Go Away Lyrics

Rain, rain, go away.

Come again another day.

Little Johnny wants to play.

Get this poem HERE or on TPT

• Integrate with your lessons about weather.
• Replace “Johnny” with your kid’s name.
• Rain Rain Go Away Build a Poem

Row, Row, Row your Boat Lyrics

Row, row, row your boat

gently down the stream. 

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,

life if but a dream.

• Sink or float activities
• Water table
• Row Row Row Your Boat Build a Poem

Get this printable poem HERE or on TPT

Star Light, Star Bright Lyrics

Star light, star bright,

First star I see tonight;

I wish I may, I wish I might,

Have the wish I wish tonight.

Get this poem HERE or on TPT

• Get a telescope for kids and let them look at the stars
• Integrate this nursery rhyme for kids with your lessons about shapes.  Making Words Shapes and Write the Room Shapes are two popular activities.
• Star Light Star Bright Build a Poem

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.  

• Sing with hand motions
• Each kid and be a part of, or people on, the bus (wheels, wipers, babies, mommy, etc) and act out their part.
• The Wheels on the Bus poetry packet

Get this printable poem HERE or on TPT

Some may debate that The Wheels on the Bus is an American Folk song, while others claim it to be a classic Mother Goose song for kids. Either way, it was published in 1939, and remains a popular song for kids of all ages.

This nursery rhyme for kids has variations, changing “wheels” to wipers, kids, babies, bus driver, mommies, daddies, and horn – to name a few.   Each variation has a different hand motion or sound effect, making this a very engaging and interactive song for kids.

There Was An Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe Lyrics

This fun, classic nursery rhyme, inspires young children to use their imagination. The kids say this is a funny nursery rhyme because how can an old lady actually live in a shoe. They ask questions such as “how many little boys live in the shoe?”, and “Is there a little girl?” While you may want to work on more thorough reading comprehension questions, and focus on learning new words, this is a fun poem for kids of all ages.

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe.

She had so many children, she didn’t know what to do. 

She gave them some broth without any bread.

Then, whipped them all soundly, and put them to bed. 

• Free coloring page of There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe
• Practice tying shoes with kids
• There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe Build a Poem

Get this printable poem HERE or on TPT

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Lyrics

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.  

• Put up glow in the dark stars throughout the room
• Work on shape identification: Making Words Shapes and Write the Room shapes are two great resources to learn shapes.
• Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Build a Poem

Get this printable poem HERE or on TPT

Wee Willie Winkle

 Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town,

Upstairs and downstairs, in his nightgown;

Rapping at the window, crying through the lock,

“Are the children in their beds?

Now it’s eight o’clock.

Get this poem HERE or on TPT

• Have a pajama day with the kids.
• Integrate learning to tell time.
• Have the kids graph when their nap time is.
• Wee Willie Winkie Build a Poem

A Wise Old Owl Lyrics

A wise old owl sat in an oak.

The more he heard,

the less he spoke.

The less he spoke,

the more he heard. 

Why aren’t we all like

that wise old bird? 

• A Wise Old Owl Build A Poem
• Make a cute set of Owl Eyes as a STEM project
• Foam Owl Art Crafts

Get this poem HERE or on TPT

Hot Cross Buns Lyrics

Hot cross buns,

Hot cross buns,

One a penny, two a penny,

Hot cross buns

If your daughters

Don’t like them,

Give them to your sons.

Hot cross buns.

• Hot cross bun taste testing and graph
• Make fresh buns with the kids.
• Play a money game from Learning Resources
• Hot Cross Buns Build a Poem

Get this poem HERE or on TPT

One, Two, Three, Four, Five (Once I caught a fish alive) Lyrics

One, two, three, four, five.

Once I caught a fish alive.

Six, seven, eight, nine, ten,

then I let it go again.

Why did you let it go?

Because he bit my finger so.

Which finger did he bite?

This little finger on the right. 

One, Two, Three, Four, Five Suggested Activities | Nursery Rhymes for Kids

• Go fishing for sight words! Put a small magnetic dot on the back of sight word cards, attach a paper clip to a string on the end of dow rod, and fish for sight words.
• One, Two, Three, Four, Five Build a Poem

Get this printable poem HERE or on TPT

Little Jack Horner Lyrics

Little Jack Horner

sat in a corner

eating a Christmas pie.

He put in his thumb

and pulled out a plumb

and said, “What a good boy and I?”

Get this poem HERE or on TPT

Little Jack Horner Suggested Activities

• Pie tasting and graphing your favorite pie
• Plumb tasting
• Little Jack Horner Build a Poem

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary Lyrics

Mary, Mary, quite contrary,

How does your garden grow?

With silver bells

and cockle shells,

and pretty maids all in a row. 

Get this poem on TPT

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary Suggested Activities

• Kids Plant and Flower Growing Kit
• Make paper flower patterns
• Intro to flower facts for kids
• Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary Build a Poem

Old Mother Hubbard Lyrics

Old Mother Hubbard

went to the cupboard

to get her poor dog a bone.

But when she got there,

the cupboards were bare,

so the poor dog had none.

Get this poem HERE or on TPT

Old Mother Hubbard Suggested Activities

• Fun printable and digital pet activities
• Sew your own pet craft for kids
• Old Mother Hubbard Build a Poem

Pat a Cake Lyrics

Pat a cake, pat a cake bakers man.

Bake me a cake as fast as you can.

Roll it and pat it and mark it with a B.

But it in the oven for baby and me.

Pat a Cake Suggested Activities

• Integrate your lesson about community helpers
• Set up a bakery dress-up area with a cake pretend playset.
• This is the perfect song to integrate hand movements and support kinesthetic learners.
• Pat a Cake Build a Poem

Get this printable poem HERE or on TPT

Pease Porridge Hot Lyrics

Pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold.

Pease porridge in the pot

nine days old.

Some like it hot, some like it cold,

Some like it in the pot

nine days old.

Get this poem HERE or on TPT

Pease Porridge Hot Suggested Activities

• Do a nursery rhyme for kids comparison with Little Miss Muffet, and with the fable, Goldilocks and the Three Bears
• Pease Porridge Hot Build a Poem

Roses are Red Lyrics

Roses are red.

Violets are blue.

Sugar is sweet 

and so are you. 

Get this poem HERE or on TPT

It’s the simplest nursery rhymes for kids that often stick out the most!

Roses are Red Suggested Activities

• Do a nature walk and collect wild flowers, then sort them by color or type
• Plant roses
• Roses are Red Build a Poem

Three Blind Mice Lyrics

Three blind mice,

three blind mice,

See how they run,

see how they run.

They all ran after the farmer’s wife

who cut off their tails with a carving knife.

Did you ever see such

a sight in your life,

as three blind mice?

Three Blind Mice Suggested Activities

• Blindfold three students, and have them run a short distance (if there is an open, safe, area)
• Integrate 5 Senses activities
• Three Blind Mice Build a Poem

Get this printable poem HERE or on TPT

Three Little Kittens Lyrics

Three little kittens,

they lost their mittens,

and they began to cry.

“Oh, mother dear,”

we sadly fear, 

that we have lost our mittens.

Three Little Kittens Suggested Activities

• Incorporate a pretend pet area in the classroom to support these traditional rhymes.
• Read “The Mitten” by Jan Brett
• Do a poem comparison with Three Blind Mice
• Three Little Kittens Build a Poem

Get this printable HERE or on TPT

Thanks for stopping by Little Learning Corner to check out these favorite nursery rhymes for kids. Leave your favorite ideas for Mother Goose rhymes in the comments below.

If you’re interested in getting 35 Printable Nursery Rhyme poems, check out the bundle below.

Before you go, here are some blog posts you may enjoy:

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90 Quick Report Card Comments

All About Build a Poems

25 Popular Nursery Rhymes Songs

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Nursery Rhymes for Kids

The 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 rare exhibits of the Russian National Music Music

Chung-Chang

poet Yuri Entin Entin Entin . 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.
— And what do they teach at school? he asked me.
- Read!
— What else?
- Write!
— What else?
- Count!
— What else? What else? What else?

This dialogue inspired Plyatskovsky. This is how the famous lines appeared: “They learn to write different letters with a thin pen in a notebook at school, they teach at school, they teach at school…”

The music for the poem by Mikhail Plyatskovsky was created by Vladimir Shainsky. For the first time, the song "What They Teach at School" sounded in a radio show based on the fairy tales of Sakarias Topelius "Twice two - four". It was performed by the popular Soviet singer Eduard Khil, accompanied by a children's choir.

Author: Irina Kirilina

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Top 10 children's songs on the road - magazine Behind the wheel

There is no worse travel when the child is naughty... Do not forget this playlist before the trip!

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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)... When asked why the tractor was blue, the creators answered that they proceeded from 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”

Even the most serious parent will immediately remember the words and melody of this song: “We are going, we are going, we are 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 story (it is no longer possible to confirm this) that it was actually written by a talented political prisoner when he was taken to 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, since the animators drew a no less 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,
You don'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,
Rolling, rolling blue car.

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 is four”

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 some fools, 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, it was green.
Imagine, imagine,
Just like a cucumber,
Imagine, imagine,
He was green.

And, by the way, there are four verses, 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 about 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.

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