A number of nursery rhymes are one of the first sets of English songs children learn. They are easy for young children to remember and enjoy due to the repetition, rhythm and actions they use. Most importantly, nursery rhymes for children in English can transform language learning into an enjoyable, everyday experience.It also suggests rhyming children's local language and culture with the other songs.
Thus the best rhymes aren't necessarily the ones that children just memorize. These are the ones that children can sing, act out, understand and relate to day-to-day experiences.
Here are 10 Nursery Rhymes For Kids:
1. Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Twinkle, twinkle, little star is one of the most often-used nursery rhymes for kids.
The rhyme depicts stars and the night sky in an easy-to-follow repetition of language.
Why children enjoy it
Melody is easy to remember
Repeated words assist the child in being able to confidently participate
May be used in conjunction with hand gestures
It provides an opportunity to talk about stars, the moon and nighttime
The child's imagination is stimulated by singing, for drawing the night sky
Learning Idea
After children have sung, ask children:
“What can you see in the night sky?”
They can refer to names of stars, moon, clouds or sky. This makes an old rhyme into a conversation and word activity.
2. Humpty Dumpty
Humpty Dumpty is a short rhyme, a memorable story and good rhythm.
Can be very helpful for children to listen carefully, and perform the rhyming actions.
Children can learn about:
Story sequencing
New vocabulary
Listening skills
Rhyming sounds
Simple cause-and-effect ideas
Create safe rhyme activity with the teacher using toy blocks or soft toy.
Try this activity
Have children put the three picture cards in the proper sequence:
Sitting: Passively sitting, Falling: falling, Being helped: actively helped
3. Baa, Baa, Black Sheep
Baa, Baa, Black Sheep is an introduction to animals, sounds and simple questions for the children.
The sheep theme is also conducive to linking the rhyme to an early learning activity.
Learning opportunities
Children can learn:
Animal names
Animal sounds
Colours
Counting
Sharing
Simple question-and-answer patterns
Fun Activity
Point out pictures of various animals and ask:
What type of animal is this?
What sound does it make?
What colour is it?
Where does it live?
4. Jack And Jill
Short, narrative rhyme Jack and Jill which can be heard and performed by children.
The dea that things happen in a sequence is easy to sequence; it's helpful to teach this idea.
Children can practise
Listening
Sequencing
Remembering events
Vocabulary
Delivering messages succinctly
5. Mary Had A Little Lamb
Mary Had a Little Lamb is a simple rhyme and child and a lamb.
It may be enjoyable for the younger preschoolers because they are using language that they know and the picture of an animal.
The benefits of preschool :
Repetition encourages participation.
Pupils have animal words practice.
Can teach about caring for animals.
The song is relatively easy to sing with.
It can be used by children to accompany simple movements.
Extension activity
Have children identify other animals that they know and talk about how people should treat the animals gently.
There are some words that can also be introduced, such as:
soft, white, little, lamb, school, follow
6. Row, Row, Row Your Boat
This is a great action based group activity to do with Row, Row, Row Your Boat.
When children are singing as part of the rowing action they are physically active.
Learning benefits
Children can practise:
Rhythm
Coordination
Listening
Group participation
Movement
Vocabulary
The use of songs and rhymes is further highlighted in the National Curriculum Framework for the Foundational Stage with emphasis on physical movement, gestures and rhythm.
Try this
Invite kids to face each other in pairs and sing while they gently row back and forth.
Words that can be used as an introduction are:
Boat
River
Stream
Row
Dream
7. The Wheels On The Bus
Preschoolers loved the Wheels on the Bus book due to its repetition and action.
Children can repeat the actions in the song and so the song is suitable for group participation.
Why is it one of the top children's nursery rhymes?
It can introduce:
Transport vocabulary
Different sounds
Body movements
Listening and imitation
Community helpers
Everyday experiences
Make it interactive
Brainstorm with children other sounds they might hear on a bus or what they might do on a bus if a different sound was made.
For example:
The doors in the house open and close.
The horn goes beep.
A bus-load of passengers board.
The driver drives.
The children can then create their own version in the classroom.
8. If You're Happy And You Know It
You're Happy and You Know It is a classic action rhyme to help children associate words with actions.
Children can clap, stamp feet or do any simple actions as they sing.
Learning Benefits
It supports:
Listening and responding to instructions
Body awareness
Rhythm
Coordination
Emotional vocabulary
Group participation
NAEYC also points to songs and chants integrating language and movement as beneficial experiences for young children.
Add more emotions
With children familiarized with the basic song, ask:
When do you feel happy and what do you do?
When you feel excited, what do you do?
How would you let someone know you're feeling tired?
What do you find funny?
This can make the rhyme a straightforward SEL task.
9. Five Little Ducks
Five little ducks is a combination of a simple story, counting and is useful for preschool learning.
As the ducks' number changes, children also practise their counting skills while singing.
Children can learn about the following:
Number recognition
Counting
Number sequence
Animal vocabulary
Listening
Memory
Fun learning activity
Use 5 paper ducks or toy ducks.
Have children count them:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Then one by one take the ducks away and ask:
“How many ducks are left?”
This makes a nursery rhyme into an early maths exercise!
This can be very helpful for songs to link language and fundamental concepts like counting.
10. Head, shoulders, knees And toes
Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes is an active action rhyme to recognise various body parts.
It is particularly well suited for transition times in the preschool day.
Children can learn
Body-part vocabulary
Listening
Coordination
Movement
Following instructions
Spatial awareness
Make it more challenging
Do the exercises slowly, naming every body part.
Slowly speed up gradually.
You may also stop and ask:
“Where are your knees?”
or
“Can you touch your shoulder?”
Why Are Nursery Rhymes Important For Preschoolers?
Nursery rhymes are not just for fun. Rhymes are used to provide opportunities for children to listen, talk and explore sounds as adults sing and talk with them.
1. They Develop Phonological Awareness
Help children recognise similarities in sounds with the help of rhyming. This growing sensitivity to the phonological patterns of language is crucial to later literacy.
Rhyming activities have been found to support children's phonological awareness (NAEYC), and research literature from the NCERT website indicates that rhymes and songs are also helpful in developing children's phonemic awareness and early literacy development.
2. They Expand Vocabulary
Children listen to words in a meaningful context several times.
For example:
Star
Boat
Duck
Bus
Lamb
River
Body
Happy
The basis of the National Curriculum Framework is that children can learn concepts through songs and that their vocabulary will grow as a result of this experience.
3. They Encourage Movement
Many nursery rhymes, obviously, include:
Clapping
Stamping
Jumping
Pointing
Pretending
Dancing
Hand movements
It promotes an active and participative learning experience.
4. They Aid Memory And Attention
The repetition allows children the chance to hear the words and patterns more than once. With practice, children begin to predict the next word or action.
5. They Promote Interaction With Others
Children have opportunities when they sing together to:
Take turns
Play in time to the group rhythm
Listen to others
Participate together
Build confidence
The Foundational Stage framework of NCERT specifically mentions that songs can encourage interaction and cooperation among children.
Should Preschoolers Learn Only English Nursery Rhymes?
No
While rhymes in English can be useful for children to get to know English sounds and words, it is important for children to hear rhymes in their home and community languages too.
The India's Foundational Stage framework clearly states that there should be access to multiple languages of speech and local language songs and rhymes are recognised as a means to build vocabulary, imagination and expression.
The parent(s) and teacher may include:
English nursery rhymes
Hindi rhymes
Regional-language songs
Folk songs
Action songs
Finger plays
Children's original songs
The purpose is to provide a rich language environment, and not to replace a child's home language.
Tips For Choosing The Best Nursery Rhymes For Kids
Choose nursery rhymes for preschool children when you take into account:
Age: Select rhymes that are suitable for kids' understanding.
Length: May be more appropriate if the rhymes are shorter, for younger kids.
Partial repetition: Active participation, which is easily accessible.
Movement: Action rhymes involve them in moving around.
Vocabulary: Incorporate some new words in the vocabulary.
Meaning: Make sure that you choose rhymes that will provide an opportunity to discuss.
Enrich cultural relevance: Sing children's rhymes/songs; Make use of the cultural language and culture of children.
Variety: Alternate action, animal, counting, storytelling and musical rhymes.
Above all, watch kids play.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are children's favourite nursery rhymes?
Of course, these are a few of the more familiar nursery rhymes: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Humpty Dumpty, Baa Baa Black Sheep, Jack and Jill, Mary Had a Little Lamb, Row Row Row Your Boat and Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, Five Little Ducks. The most suitable is determined by a child's age and interests/ learning goals.
2. What are the messages that the children are taught through nursery rhymes?
Nursery rhymes can be used to assist vocabulary, listening skills, pronunciation, rhythm, rhyming awareness, memory and movement and social interaction. They can also reinforce the early learning concepts that they have with appropriate activities; counting, body parts, animals, daily activities etc.
3. At what age do the children start to learn nursery rhymes?
Children are provided with the opportunity to join in from an early age with songs, rhymes and music. Simple rhymes which can be repeated with action are particularly suitable for preschool children. Activities to be modified according to the child's level of language and attention.
4. How do parents help to make nursery rhymes more educational?
Parents can add actions, give explanations of a couple of new words, ask questions, use props and/or relate the song to everyday situations or counting. This way the rhyming doesn't simply need to be memorised, but it is interactive.
5. Is it reasonable for children to be taught nursery rhymes in home language and English?
Yes. They may benefit from some rhymes with English words, and a bit of English language in home/regional language songs. As India is a part of the FS, it has the concept of multiple oral languages.
