15 Best Nursery Rhymes Songs for Babies with Lyrics
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Nursery rhymes form an important part of your baby’s cognitive development. The lyrics of these rhymes help your child to learn about alphabets, numbers, animals and various day-to-day elements. Nursery rhymes are a great way of helping your baby to know and learn a language.
As a child, you must have heard a few rhymes from your parents, and your parents may, in turn, have heard from their parents. This means singing nursery rhymes to a baby has been in practice for generations, and this practice has proven helpful in many aspects. Here are some of the best nursery rhymes for your baby and also the various benefits of singing rhymes to your baby.
Video: Humpty Dumpty – A Nursery Rhyme for Babies & Toddlers
What Is a Nursery Rhyme?
A nursery rhyme is a small rhyming song or a poem that tells a lesson or a story in an amusing way. Nursery rhymes are made for young children to engage and improve their speech and cognitive skills using words and music. Nursery rhymes are full of exclamations and repetitions that excite kids and keep them engaged.
Benefits of Nursery Rhymes for Infants
Nursery rhymes have immense benefits for your baby because they are not only melody-filled pieces that will help you soothe your baby, but they are also very informative and educational. Here are some of the benefits that your baby can derive from nursery rhymes:
- Getting a baby involved in nursery rhymes is one of the best ways of entertaining him while teaching him something interesting at the same time. Singing nursery rhymes with a group of your toddler’s friends is an excellent way of engaging in a fun group activity.
- Singing the traditional age-old nursery rhymes with your baby helps your baby keep your cultural values and traditions intact. What you would have sung as a baby can be taught to your little one, along with its relevance. It is an absolute delight to see your toddler following your footsteps.
- It is also observed that nursery rhymes make babies smarter. This is because babies who are exposed to reading and singing at a younger age become better readers when they grow, in comparison to babies who do not listen to or sing nursery rhymes. It also helps the babies to focus better.
- Another benefit of nursery rhymes that cannot be ignored is the immense bond it develops between the parent and the baby. If seen as a learning experience more than a small task, it serves its true purpose.
- Nursery rhymes can also help the baby create mental images in his head with every line of the rhyme. This helps him develop his imaginative skills.
Most Popular Nursery Rhymes for Babies
What is a criterion for a good nursery rhyme? The most important aspect of nursery rhymes for a one-year-old baby is its catchy melody and lyrics, apart from others. If you are looking for rhymes to teach your little one, then look no more, as we have compiled a perfect list of nursery rhymes that will improve children’s vocabulary and speech. Here are some famous nursery rhymes with actions for babies that your baby will surely enjoy.
1. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
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
Then you show your little light
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night
Twinkle, twinkle, little star
How I wonder what you are
2. Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream
Row, row, row your boat
Gently up the creek If you see a little mouse
Don’t forget to squeak!
Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream If you see a crocodile
Don’t forget to scream!
Row, row, row your boat
Gently to the shore
If you see a lion
Don’t forget to roar!
3. Humpty Dumpty
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. (x3)
4. Wheels on the Bus
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.
(Roll hands around each other)
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.
(“Swish” hands in front of you like windshield wipers)
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.
(Slap palm in front of you like honking a horn)
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.
(Push hands back and forth in front of you)
The Driver on the bus says, “Move on back,
move on back, move on back;”
The Driver on the bus says, “Move on back”,
all through the town.
(Point thumb over your shoulder)
The babies on the bus say, “Wah, wah, wah;
Wah, wah, wah;
Wah, wah, wah”.
The babies on the bus say, “Wah, wah, wah”,
all through the town.
(Rub fists in front of eyes)
The mommies on the bus say, “Shush, shush, shush;
Shush, shush, shush;
Shush, shush, shush.”
The mommies on the bus say, “Shush, shush, shush”
all through the town.
(Hold index finger in front of mouth as if saying shhh)
5. Old Mac Donald Had a Farm
Old Mac Donald 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 Mac Donald had a farm
E-I-E-I-O
Old Mac Donald had a farm
E-I-E-I-O
And on his farm he had a pig
E-I-E-I-O
With a oink oink here
And a oink oink there
Here a oink, there a oink
Everywhere a oink oink
Old MacDonald had a farm
E-I-E-I-O
Old Mac Donald 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 Mac Donald had a farm
E-I-E-I-O
And on his farm he had a horse
E-I-E-I-O
With a neigh neigh here
And a neigh neigh there
Here a neigh, there a neigh
Everywhere a neigh neigh
Old MacDonald had a farm
E-I-E-I-O
Old Mac Donald had a farm
E-I-E-I-O
And on his farm he had a lamb
E-I-E-I-O
With a baa baa here
And a baa baa there
Here a baa, there a baa
Everywhere a baa baa
Old MacDonald had a farm
E-I-E-I-O
Old Mac Donald had a farm
E-I-E-I-O
And on his farm he had some chickens
E-I-E-I-O
With a cluck cluck here
And a cluck cluck there
Here a cluck, there a cluck
Everywhere a cluck cluck
With a baa baa here
And a baa baa there
Here a baa, there a baa
Everywhere a baa baa
With a neigh neigh here
And a neigh neigh there
Here a neigh, there a neigh
Everywhere a neigh neigh
With a quack quack here
And a quack quack there
Here a quack, there a quack
Everywhere a quack quack
With a oink oink here
And a oink oink there
Here a oink, there a oink
Everywhere a oink oink
With a moo moo here
And a moo moo there
Here a moo, there a moo
Everywhere a moo moo
Old Mac Donald had a farm
E-I-E-I-OOOOOOO………
6. One, Two, Three, Four, Five
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 it bit my finger so.
Which finger did it bite?
This little finger on the right.
7. Incy, Wincy Spider
Incy Wincy spider climbed up the water spout
Down came the rain and washed the spider out
Out came the sunshine and dried up all the rain
And Incy Wincy spider climbed up the spout again (x2)
8. Hey, Diddle Diddle
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. Grand Old Duke of York
Oh, the grand old Duke of York,
He had ten thousand men,
He marched them up to the top of
Everyone stands up
The hill and he marched
Them down again. Everyone sits down
And when they were up they were up.
Everyone stands up
And when they were down they were down.
Everyone sits down
And when they were only halfway up,
They were neither up nor down.
Everyone half-way up
10. Zoom, Zoom, Zoom
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom
(rub hands together, back and forth while pointing them up in the air)
We’re going to the moon.
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom
We’re going to the moon.
If you want to take a trip,
Climb aboard my rocket ship.
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom
We’re going to the moon.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1,
(hold 5 fingers up and count down)
Blast off!
(toss child up gently in the air)
11. Ring-a-Ring O’roses
Ring-a-ring o’roses,
A pocketful of posies,
Atishoo, atishoo,
We all fall down.
12. Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe
Eenie, Meenie, Minie, Mo,
Catch A Piggy By The Toe.
If He Hollers, Let Him Go,
Eenie, Meenie, Minie, Mo.
Eenie, Meenie, Minie, Mo,
Catch A Tiger By The Toe.
If He Hollers, Let Him Go,
Eenie, Meenie, Minie, Mo.
13. London Bridge Is Falling Down
London Bridge is falling down,
Falling down, falling down.
London Bridge is falling down,
My fair lady.
Build it up with wood and clay,
Wood and clay, wood and clay,
Build it up with wood and clay,
My fair lady.
Wood and clay will wash away,
Wash away, wash away,
Wood and clay will wash away,
My fair lady.
Build it up with iron and steel,
Iron and steel, iron and steel,
Build it up with iron and steel,
My fair lady.
Iron and steel will bend and bow,
Bend and bow, bend and bow,
Iron and steel will bend and bow,
My fair lady.
Build it up with silver and gold,
Silver and gold, silver and gold,
Build it up with silver and gold,
My fair lady.
14. Baa Baa Black Sheep
Baa baa black sheep, have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full!
One for the master, one for the dame,
And one for the little boy who lives down the lane.
15. Hickory Dickory Dock
Hickory dickory dock (Gently bounce baby to the beat)
The mouse ran up the clock (run your fingers from your baby’s toes to their chin)
The clock struck one (clap once)
The mouse ran down (run your fingers down to your baby’s toes)
Hickory dickory dock.
Hickory dickory dock (Gently bounce baby to the beat)
The mouse ran up the clock (run your fingers from your baby’s toes to their chin)
The clock struck two (clap twice)
The mouse went “boo!” (cover baby’s eyes with your hands then pull them away on boo!)
Hickory dickory dock.
Three… the mouse went weeee (lift baby in the air on weeee)
Four…The mouse went “no more!” (shake your finger no more!)
FAQ
1. At what age does a baby start singing nursery rhymes?
Toddlerhood is the age when young children are exposed to all types of rhymes and songs and try to sing them at around two to three years of age. This is the age of exposure, learning, and singing simple rhymes. By the age of four or five, young children are able to sing longer nursery rhymes and also be in line with the rhyme’s tune.
2. Which is the easiest nursery rhyme for babies?
Some easy nursery rhymes for children to start with are “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”, “Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear”, “Old McDonald Had a Farm”, “Wheels on the Bus”, etc.
3. Which is the oldest nursery rhyme?
Ding Dong Bell is the earliest known nursery rhyme recorded in 1580 by John Lange.
The above-mentioned nursery rhymes are a few of the popular rhymes that have been exciting kids for generations. You can sing some of these to your little one and spend quality time with him in the process!
Also Read:
Sing Along Songs With Lyrics Your Toddler
Best Educational Songs, Rhymes and Music for Kids
