Nursery Rhymes, Songs, and Fingerplays for Kids
I had a little puppy,
His name was Tiny Tim.
I put him in the bathtub,
To see if he could swim.
He drank up all the water,
He ate a bar of soap.
The next thing you know
He had a bubble in his throat.
In came the doctor,
In came the nurse,
In came the lady with the alligator purse.
Out went the doctor,
Out went the nurse,
Out went the lady with the alligator purse.
Horsey, horsey, don’t you stop,
Just let your feet go clippety clop;
Your tail goes swish;
And the wheels go round;
Giddy-up, you’re homeward bound!
Teddy bear, teddy bear,
Touch the ground.
Teddy bear, teddy bear,
Turn around.
Teddy bear, teddy bear,
Walk upstairs.
Teddy bear, teddy bear,
Say your prayers.
Teddy bear, teddy bear,
Turn out the light.
Teddy bear, teddy bear,
Say good night.
I had a little hen,
The prettiest ever seen,
She washed up the dishes,
And kept the house clean.
She went to the mill
To fetch me some flour,
And always got home
In less than an hour.
She baked me my bread,
She brewed me my ale,
She sat by the fire
And she told a fine tale!
This little pig went to market,
This little pig stayed home,
This little pig had roast beef,
And this little pig had none,
And this little pig went wee-wee-wee
All the way home.
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 thing in your life
As three blind mice?
Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard,
To fetch her poor dog a bone;
But when she came there
The cupboard was bare
And so the poor dog had none.
She went to the baker’s
To buy him some bread;
But when she came back
The poor dog was dead.
She went to the undertaker’s
To buy him a coffin;
But when she came back
The poor dog was laughing.
She took a clean dish
To get him some tripe;
But when she came back
He was spoking a pipe.
She went to the alehouse
To get him some beer;
But when she came back
The dog sat in a chair.
She went to the tavern
For white wine and red;
But when she came back
Th dog stood on his head.
She went to the fruiterer’s
To buy hims some fruit;
But when she came back
He was playing the flute.
She went to the tailor’s
To buy him a coat;
But when she came back
He was riding a goat.
She went to the hatter’s
To buy him a hat;
But when she came back
He was feeding the cat.
She went to the barber’s
To buy him a wig;
But when she came back
He was dancing a jig.
She went to the cobbler’s
To buy hims some shoes;
But when she came back
He was reading the news.
She went to the seamstress
To buy him some linen;
But when she came back
The dog was a-spinning.
She went to the hosier’s
To buy him some hose;
But when she came back
He was dressed in his clothes.
The dame made a curtsy,
The dog made a bow;
The dame said, Your servant,
The dog said, Bow-wow.
Goosey, goosey, gander,
Wither shall I wander?
Upstairs and downstair
And in my lady’s chamber.
There I met an old man
Who would not say his prayers
I took him by the left leg
And threw him down the stairs.
Who killed Cock Robin?
I, said the Sparrow,
With my bow and arrow,
I killed Cock Robin.
Who saw him die?
I, said the Fly,
With my little eye,
I saw him die.
Who caught his blood?
I, said the Fish,
With my little dish,
I caught his blood.
Who’ll make his shroud?
I, said the Beetle,
With my thread and needle,
I’ll make his shroud.
Who’ll dig his grave?
I, said the Owl,
With my pick and shovel,
I’ll dig the grave.
Who’ll be the parson?
I, said the Rook,
With my little book,
I’ll be the parson.
Who’ll be the clerk?
I, said the Lark,
If it’s not in the dark,
I’ll be the clerk.
Who’ll carry the link?
I, said the Linnet,
I’ll fetch it in a minute,
I’ll carry the link.
Who’ll be the chief mourner?
I, said the Dove,
I’ll mourn for my love,
I’ll be chief mourner.
Who’ll carry the coffin?
I, said the Kite,
If it’s not through the night,
I’ll carry the coffin.
Who’ll bear the pall?
We, said the Wren,
Both the cock and the hen,
We’ll bear the pall.
Who’ll sing a psalm?
I, said the Thrush,
As I sit on a bush,
I’ll sing a psalm.
Who’ll toll the bell?
I, said the Bull,
Because I can pull,
So Cock Robin, farewell.
All the birds of the air
Fell a-sighing and a-sobbing,
When they heard the bell toll
For poor Cock Robin.
Spring is bursting with new energy. I can feel it, and I can see my little ones are feeling it, too. We all get a little restless during spring. After months of cold winter stillness, spring is a time to get active. These five spring fingerplays will help busy hands connect with spring.
All around our neighborhood we are watching bunnies, squirrels and birds come out of their winter hiding. I picked fingerplays that match and will build on the experiences of little ones. A spring nature walk or scavenger hunt would be a great activity to introduce these spring fingerplays.
As little ones learn these spring fingerplays and songs, they are building emergent literacy skills. Learning rhyming sounds and rhythm from these fingerplays helps build phonological awareness. We can also build vocabulary by using new words within a familiar context; for example, 5 Little Bunnies includes the words “hop” “grass “lawn.” Children develop a deeper understanding of words when they can place them in context and associate them with other words.
Create a pond: Lay a blue blanket down and have little ones jump onto it pretending it is the pond that the speckled frogs jump into.
Make a kite: These lunch sack kites are easy to make for little fingers and use common materials. Check out Lovely Commotion for the full list of materials and her tutorial.
Wooden Spoon Bee Craft: This bee craft is so simple and darling. Find the full tutorial on Easy Peasy and Fun.
