Top 20 Nursery Rhymes Playlist for Toddlers and Preschoolers

If there is one aspect of education that hasn’t changed for the longest time, it’s the preschool nursery rhymes. Even the earlier generation learnt nursery rhymes in their native languages, and nearly all English medium schools employ their usage in the earlier classes. But what exactly are nursery rhymes, and why have they been so popular over the years?

Nursery rhymes hold a special place in childhood memories, their timeless melodies weaving into the fabric of early learning and imagination. These charming verses, often passed down through generations, have an enchanting quality that transcends time and culture. Let’s learn about some of the popular nursery rhymes for children.

What Are Nursery Rhymes?

In the simplest terms, nursery rhymes are an interesting tool to enhance early memory development in children and prime them to be receptive to the schooling experience. A lot of things that are repeated in the childhood tend to stay with us for the longest time. Which is why, even if you don’t use nursery rhymes on a daily basis, if you come across a small kid, you will automatically begin to teach him one. That is the power of learning things early in life since they get embedded in your memory and stay there for long.

20 Best English Rhymes for your Young Children to Begin Learning

1. Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall

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)

2. Old Macdonald had a farm, ee ya ee ya oo

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 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 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 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 MACDONALD 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 MACDONALD 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 MacDonald had a farm
E-I-E-I-OOOOOOO………

3. Incy wincy spider climbed up the spout

Incy Wincy Spider climbed up the water spout,
Down came the rain and washed poor Incy out,
Out came the sunshine and dried up all the rain,
So Incy Wincy Spider climbed up the spout again !(x2)

4. The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round

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 says “Wah, wah, wah;
Wah, wah, wah;
Wah, wah, wah”.
The babies on the bus says “Wah, wah, wah”,
all through the town.
    (Rub fists in front of eyes)

The mommies on the bus says “Shush, shush, shush;
Shush, shush, shush;
Shush, shush, shush.”
The mommies on the bus says “Shush, shush, shush”
all through the town.
    (Hold index finger in front of mouth as if saying shhh)

5. Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.

When this blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, through the night.

Then the traveller in the dark
Thanks you for your tiny spark;
He could not see where to go,
If you did not twinkle so.

In the dark blue sky you keep,
And often through my curtains peep,
For you never shut your eye
Till the sun is in the sky.

As your bright and tiny spark
Lights the traveller in the dark,
Though I know not what you are,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

6. Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream

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 brook,
If you catch a little fish
Please let it off the hook

Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the creek,
If you see a little mouse
Listen to it squeak

Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the river,
If the river gets you wet
Don’t forget to shiver

Row, row, row the boat
Gently to the shore,
If you see a lyin’ bear
Don’t forget to roar

Row, row, row your boat
Watch the water flow,
Rowing’s fun but rowing’s hard
That is what I know

Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the lake,
Don’t stand up and rock the boat
That’s a big mistake!

Row, row, row your boat
See the water run,
Rowing here and rowing there
Oh we’re almost done

Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream,
Ha ha fooled ya all
I’m a submarine

Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream,
Merrily merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream

7. Rock a bye baby, on the treetop

Rock-a-bye, baby, in the tree top
When the wind blows the cradle will rock
When the bough breaks the cradle will fall
Down will come baby, cradle and all

Baby is drowsing, cosy and fair
Mother sits near in her rocking chair
Forward and back, the cradle she swings
Though baby sleeps, he hears what she sings

Rock-a-bye baby, do not you fear
Never mind, baby, mother is near
Wee little fingers, eyes are shut tight
Now sound asleep – until morning light

8. Mary had a little lamb, whose fleece was white as snow

9. London bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down

London Bridge is falling down
Falling down, falling down
London Bridge is falling down 
My fair lady

Build it up with iron bars
Iron bars, iron bars
Build it up with iron bars
My fair lady

Iron bars will bend and break
Bend and break, bend and break
Iron bars will bend and break
My fair lady

Build it up with god and silver
Gold and silver, gold and silver
Build it up with gold and silver
My fair lady

London Bridge is falling down
Falling down, falling down
London Bridge is falling down
M-y-y f-a-i-r l-a-d-y

10. Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep and doesn’t know where to find them

11. Ring a ring of roses, a pocketful of posies

Ring a-ring o’ roses,
A pocketful of posies.
A-tishoo! A-tishoo!
We all fall down!

Fishes in the water,
Fishes in the sea
We all jump up with a
One, two, three!

12. Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack jump over the candlestick

Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Jack jump over the candlestick

Jack be faster, Jack be cool
Jack jump over the paddling pool

Jack be quicker, Jack be fast
Jack jump over the ship’s tall mast

Jack bounce higher, Jack bounce far
Jack jump over the planets and stars

Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Jack jump over the candlestick

Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Jack jump over the candlestick

Jack be faster, Jack be cool
Jack jump over the paddling pool

Jack be quicker, Jack be fast
Jack jump over the ship’s tall mast

Jack bounce higher, Jack bounce far
Jack jump over the planets and stars

Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Jack jump over the candlestick

13. I’m a little teapot, short and stout

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!”

I’m a clever teapot,
Yes it’s true
Here let me show you
What I can do
I can change my handle
And my spout
Just tip me over and pour me out! 

14. Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water

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.

15. Here we go round the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush

Here we go round the mulberry bush
The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush
Here we go round the mulberry bush
So early in the morning

This is the way we bale the hay
Bale the hay, bale the hay
This is the way we bale the hay
So early Monday morning

This is the way we feed the chicks
Feed the chicks, feed the chicks
This is the way we feed the chicks
So early Tuesday morning

This is the way we sweep the porch
Sweep the porch, sweep the porch
This is the way we sweep the porch
So early Wednesday morning

This is the way we paint the fence
Paint the fence, paint the fence
This is the way we paint the fence
So early Thursday morning

This is the way we groom the horse
Groom the horse, groom the horse
This is the way we groom the horse
So early Friday morning

Oh, this is the way we milk the cows
Milk the cows, milk the cows
This is the way we milk the cows
So early Saturday morning

Here we go round the mulberry bush
The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush
Here we go round the mulberry bush
So early Sunday morning

16. Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet, eating her curds and whey

Little Miss Muffet
Sat on a tuffet,
Eating her curds and whey;
Along came a spider,
Who sat down beside her,
And frightened Miss Muffet away.

17. Pat a cake, Pat a cake, baker’s man

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker’s man.
Bake me a cake as fast as you can.
Roll it, and pat it, and mark it with a “C”
Put it in the oven for Carlos and me!

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker’s man.
Bake me a cake as fast as you can.
Roll it, and pat it, and mark it with a “A”
Put it in the oven for Amy and me!

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker’s man.
Bake me a cake as fast as you can.
Roll it, and pat it, and mark it with a “K”
Put it in the oven for Kayla and me!

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker’s man.
Bake me a cake as fast as you can.
Roll it, and pat it, and mark it with a “E”
Put it in the oven for Evan and me!

18. Rain, rain, go away, come again another day

Rain, rain, go away.
Come again another day.
Daddy wants to play.
Rain, rain, go away.

Rain, rain, go away.
Come again another day.
Mommy wants to play.
Rain, rain, go away.

Rain, rain, go away.
Come again another day.
Brother wants to play.
Rain, rain, go away.

Rain, rain, go away.
Come again another day.
Sister wants to play.
Rain, rain, go away.

Rain, rain, go away.
Come again another day.
Baby wants to play.
Rain, rain, go away.

Rain, rain, go away.
Come again another day.
All the family wants to play.
Rain, rain, go away.

19. Pussycat, pussycat, where have you been?

Pussycat pussycat where have you been?

I’ve been up to London to visit the Queen!

Pussycat pussycat what did you there?

I frightened a little mouse under the chair!

20. One, two, buckle my shoe

One, Two. Buckle my shoe
Three, Four. Open the door
Five, Six. Pick up sticks
Seven, Eight. Lay them straight
Nine, Ten. Do it again!

One, Two. Buckle my shoe
Three, Four. Open the door
Five, Six. Pick up sticks
Seven, Eight. Lay them straight
Nine, Ten. A big fat hen?!?!

One, Two. Buckle my shoe
Three, Four. Open the door
Five, Six. Pick up sticks
Seven, Eight. Lay them straight
Nine, Ten. Do it again!

One, Two. Buckle my shoe
Three, Four. Knock on the door
Five, Six. Pick up sticks
Seven, Eight. You’re doing great!
Nine, Ten. And that’s the end

Some Other Nursery Rhymes for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Here are some more fun and musical nursery rhymes for kids:

1.  Five Little Ducks

Five little ducks went out one day,
Over the hills and far away.
Mother duck said, “Quack, quack, quack, quack.”
But only four little ducks came back.

2. 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.

3. If You’re Happy and You Know It

If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it.
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands. (Clap! Clap!)

4. Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes

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.

5. Hickory Dickory Dock

Hickory dickory dock, the mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck one, the mouse ran down,
Hickory dickory dock.

6. Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed:

Five little monkeys jumping on the bed,
One fell off and bumped his head.
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”

7. Hey Diddle Diddle

Hey diddle diddle, the cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon.
The little dog laughed to see such fun,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.

8. This Little Piggy

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.

9. Little Miss Muffet

Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet,
Eating her curds and whey.
Along came a spider,
Who sat down beside her,
And frightened Miss Muffet away.

10. Three Blind Mice

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 thing in your life,
As three blind mice?

11. To Market, To Market

To market, to market, to buy a fat pig,
Home again, home again, jiggety-jig.
To market, to market, to buy a fat hog,
Home again, home again, jiggety-jog.

12. Simple Simon

Simple Simon met a pieman,
Going to the fair.
Says Simple Simon to the pieman,
“Let me taste your ware.”

13. The Queen of Hearts

The Queen of Hearts she made some tarts,
All on a summer’s day.
The Knave of Hearts he stole the tarts,
And took them clean away.

14. Goosey, Goosey Gander

Goosey, goosey gander, where shall I wander?
Upstairs and downstairs and in my lady’s chamber.
There I met an old man who wouldn’t say his prayers,
So I took him by his left leg and threw him down the stairs.

15. Sing a Song of Sixpence

Sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of rye,
Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie.
When the pie was opened, the birds began to sing,
Wasn’t that a dainty dish to set before the king?
The king was in his counting-house, counting out his money,
The queen was in the parlour, eating bread and honey.
The maid was in the garden, hanging out the clothes,
When down came a blackbird and pecked off her nose.

Nursery Rhyme Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Engaging in nursery rhyme activities for kindergarten not only sparks their imagination but also nurtures their language development and cognitive skills. Here are six delightful activities centred around beloved nursery rhymes, each complete with what you’ll need and step-by-step instructions to make learning and play an enchanting experience.

1. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star Craft

What You Will Need:

• Black construction paper
• Glitter or star-shaped stickers
• Glue
• Child-safe scissors
• Hole punch (optional)

How to Perform:

1. Cut out a star shape from the black construction paper.
2. Apply glue all over the star and sprinkle with glitter or attach star-shaped stickers.
3. Allow the glue to dry, then punch a hole near the top if you’d like to hang it.
4. Recite “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” while admiring your sparkling creation.

2. Wheels on the Bus Sensory Play

What You Will Need:

• Small toy bus or make one from cardboard
• Various small toy animals or figures
• Sensory bin or tray
• Blue-water beads or rice (to mimic water)

How to Perform:

1. Fill the sensory bin or tray with blue water beads or rice to represent water.
2. Place the toy bus in the “water” and arrange the figures inside.
3. Sing “The Wheels on the Bus” while moving the bus and figures around, mimicking the actions in the song.

3. Old MacDonald’s Farm Animal Match

What You Will Need:

• Pictures of farm animals (printed or drawn)
• Farm animal figurines or stuffed toys
• A large piece of paper or a poster board
• Glue

How to Perform:

1. Spread out the pictures of farm animals and the corresponding figurines.
2. Encourage your child to match the figurines to the pictures and glue them in place.
3. Sing “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” while exploring the animal matches.

4. Itsy Bitsy Spider Finger Puppet Play

What You Will Need:

• Finger puppets or make your own with felt
• Small container with water (optional)

How to Perform:

1. Put on the finger puppets to represent the spider and the rain.
2. Use your fingers to act out the motions of the spider climbing up and the rain coming down.
3. Optionally, dip your fingers in water for added sensory engagement.

5. Humpty Dumpty Egg Carton Craft

What You Will Need:

• Empty egg carton
• Paints or markers
• Construction paper
• Glue
• Cotton balls (optional)

How to Perform:

1. Cut out a section of the egg carton to resemble Humpty Dumpty’s wall.
2. Paint or decorate the egg carton section.
3. Create a Humpty Dumpty face using construction paper and glue it onto the egg carton.
4. Optionally, use cotton balls to represent the cushioning for Humpty Dumpty’s fall.

6. Hickory Dickory Dock Clock Craft

What You Will Need:

• Paper plate
• Paints or markers
• Small clock hands (can be made from paper or craft sticks)
• Brad fastener

How to Perform:

1. Paint or decorate the paper plate to resemble a clock.
2. Attach the clock hands using a brad fastener at the centre.
3. Move the clock hands to different positions while reciting “Hickory Dickory Dock.”

Amazing Benefits of Rhymes for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Here are some of the benefits of rhymes.

1. Verbal Skill Development

Each child needs a good bit of learning and practice in being able to express their thoughts, emotions, and opinions in the right way that can be understood by anyone. Reciting nursery rhymes helps them speak and recite from the memory, which builds the muscle memory required for repeating words and helps in developing their internal confidence of expression.

2. Hearing Skill Enhancement

There is a reason why nursery rhymes have a sense of repetition to them. In the first stages of listening to the rhyme, your child tries very hard to understand and process it as a narrative. As he does it, he will try to make sense of it by repeating for himself and tweak it by listening to you better.

3. Memory Skill Boost

Nursery rhymes are structured in such a way that they are entertaining. The key to memorising them is to not restrict their usage only in school or only with the parents. You will notice kids break into rhymes by themselves and sing along unbeknownst to them. This is the final goal of the rhyme since this is a clear sign of it being embedded in the unconscious memory.

4. Motor Skill Development

Action rhymes for preschoolers are meant for a very specific reason, and that is movement. By using hands, feet, and faces to express the various aspects of the poem, children start associating the words and tonalities, with their actual meanings and non-verbal cues. This, indirectly, helps in their eye-to-limb coordination and enhance fine motor movement in a better way.

5. Language Skill Sculpting

Certain words in the nursery rhymes can be quite complex to speak independently by themselves. Which is why they are usually accompanied by a rhyming word so that your kid gets a vague idea of what the word might sound like. With enough repetition, the new word becomes a frequently used one and gets added to their mental vocabulary, improving their language.

6. Cognitive Skill Enhancement

The initial years are full of understanding the concepts of space, shape, size, colour and so on. Many of these ideas are usually discrete and stay independent. The inclusion of nursery rhymes allows this components to be strung together and create meaning, which helps in grasping these concepts in a strong solid manner. This also shapes the learning attitude within kids as they begin to pick up new things by associating them with what they know.

7. Reading Skill Development

A great way to complement the repetition of nursery rhymes is to use a book that goes with it. Once the rhyme is memorized by your kid, you can repeat it while pointing to the words in the book. This helps him understand the way a word is written and it is pronounced, allowing him to recognize alphabets easily, too. It acts as a boost to reading and helps your child in the later stages of his life.

8. Social Bonding Improvement

Nursery rhymes are usually learnt and performed in groups. As the teacher guides along, each child tries to repeat it and observes other kids as well to learn from them. Not only does this help in learning the rhyme, but it creates a sense of camaraderie between kids since they all share the memory of learning the rhyme, as well as begin to bond over it.

9. Imagination Skill Boost

Nursery rhymes barely make rational sense and that’s specifically done so for a reason. The creative capacities of young children are extremely strong and these rhymes allow them to delve into those imaginative worlds in a better way. That internal visualization is key to developing creative skills and different ways to express ideas.

10. Auditory Skill Shaping

Have you noticed that not a single rhyme is without a tune or a melody? All the tunes that rhymes have are extremely simple and catchy, which flow well with the rhyming words. This taps into various sensory portions of the brain, where certain patterns help in building learning blocks of the other regions. The music and tonalities assist in learning the words of the rhyme.

How Can You Help Your Child to Learn Nursery Rhymes?

• Repetition is key. Don’t be embarrassed to behave like a child. Recognize the fun in it. If you see your kid liking a particular nursery rhyme, feel free to start singing it yourself and your kid will love you for it.
• Bring out the musical nature of the rhyme. Sing along with your little one and don’t forget to clap or dance to the beat.
• Your hands are not the only instruments. If you’re cooking and your kid waltzes in singing his rhyme, use the spoon to tap on the bowl and the kitchen platform to add musical flourishes.
• Reinforce the actions that flow along with the words of rhyme. This helps your kid visualize the words in the poem and remember the meaning even better. It also is quite a funny feeling to be a child for a change.
• Turn it into a game. Try singing a line and let your kid follow up the next. Or sing half the line and let your kid sing the other half. This further strengthens the structure of their memory.
• Mix the nursery rhymes with other hobbies they might have. If the rhyme is about a particular character, ask them to draw the character as described by the rhyme.
• Once they are used to one rhyme, introduce a newer one that might connect to the first or be a totally different story. Know their interests and plan accordingly.
• Learning is not a process in silo. You can use nursery rhymes to educate your child about the alphabet, numbers, colours, animals and so on. The association of various domains and senses brings a holistic sense of learning.

Nursery rhymes have been a strong tool for teaching for the longest time. As your child progresses ahead in class, the subjects tend to be separate and the overlap of teaching starts to reduce. Studies have strongly depicted that associative learning that crosses over domains tends to have a strong tendency of being memorized. English rhymes for toddlers are the easiest and the quickest way to develop a learning methodology for your child. The sooner you begin, the better it is for your child. Don’t force this as a subject to be learnt for an examination. Let it stay in the way of fun-frolic that it has been created as, and your child will fall in love with them right away.

FAQs

1. What Is the Origin and History of Nursery Rhymes?

Nursery rhymes have ancient roots, evolving from oral traditions. They gained popularity in the 18th century as educational tools. Their origins, however, often remain unattributed, blending folklore and historical events.

2. How Many Nursery Rhymes Should Your Child Be Familiar With?

There is no specific number of nursery rhymes for kindergarten to learn. However, familiarizing them with a diverse selection aids in language development and cultural awareness.

Teaching nursery rhymes to your little one is an interesting approach to foster good memory in him from an early age. When your child learns and recites these easy nursery rhymes, his reading, verbal, and hearing skills develop, too. However, you can go a step ahead by focusing on overall intelligence with Intellikit, an activity subscription box that focuses on the theory of multiple intelligence. Each box has a unique theme, with fun, interactive activities that promote all-round development in your child, keeping him engaged all month-long.

Also Read: 

Types of Play for Overall Child Development
How to Teach Colours to Toddlers and Preschoolers?
Ways to Teach about Body Parts to Toddlers & Preschoolers