Nursery Rhyme Guides and Activities
Start with your child's age, choose an activity or printable, or explore all 31 collections.
Featured collections
Hand-picked lists with the history and the stories behind the rhymes.
Most Popular Nursery Rhymes
The ten rhymes almost everyone knows by heart, each with the fact behind it.
Oldest Nursery Rhymes
Ranked by the first date each rhyme can be proven to exist, starting in the 1400s.
Nursery Rhymes with Dark Origins
Plague, scaffolds and pawn shops, and an honest look at which stories hold up.
Nursery Rhymes Through History (Timeline)
Every dated rhyme on the site, lined up century by century from the 1400s to today.
History of Nursery Rhymes
From tavern songs to Mother Goose: how these verses reached the printed page.
Most Viewed Kids Songs on YouTube
The kids' songs with billions of views, ranked against every video on YouTube.
Places and languages
Where the rhymes come from, and what children sing everywhere else.
Nursery Rhymes about London
Ten rhymes and the real streets behind them, from Bow bells to Drury Lane.
Nursery Rhymes about Ireland
Irish songs for children in English and in Irish, from Dublin to Donegal.
Nursery Rhymes Around the World
One song from each of the ten languages here, with translations and notes.
By age
What to sing at each stage, with the actions and why they work.
Nursery Rhymes for Babies (0-12 Months)
Gentle lullabies and soft touch games for the first year, ages 0 to 12 months.
Nursery Rhymes for Toddlers (1-2 Years)
Clapping, action and repetition songs for busy one and two year olds.
Preschool Circle Time Rhymes (3-5 Years)
Counting songs and group games for circle time, ages 3 to 5.
Activities and printables
Songs and resources for movement, learning, close-up play and creative time.
Free Printable Coloring Pages
Free printable black-and-white coloring sheets for classic nursery rhymes.
Nursery Rhymes with Actions
21 rhymes with the movements set out step by step, plus how to teach them.
Jump-Rope and Skipping Rhymes
Learn how to play eight jump-rope and skipping rhymes, with rules for counting jumps, swapping turns and playing without a rope.
Hand-Clapping Games and Songs
Learn simple partner clap patterns for Miss Mary Mack, A Sailor Went to Sea and other nursery rhymes.
Tongue Twisters for Kids
Try easy and tricky tongue twisters for kids. Practise similar sounds with short lines, partner games and familiar rhymes.
Days of the Week Songs and Rhymes
Use Today Is Monday, Solomon Grundy and Monday’s Child to practise weekday order, memory and calendar words.
Cumulative Songs for Children
Learn how add-a-verse songs work, with memory prompts, activities and five familiar examples for singing together.
Easy Rounds to Sing with Children
Teach a two-group singing round with simple entry cues for Row, Row, Row Your Boat and Frère Jacques.
All Action Nursery Rhymes and Movement Songs
The full collection of movement songs for clapping, jumping, marching and circle games.
Finger Play Nursery Rhymes & Hand Games
28 hand and finger games for close-up play with babies and toddlers.
Counting Nursery Rhymes & Number Songs
44 number songs that count up, count down and make early maths a game.
Nursery Rhymes for Memory & Emotional Development
Why rhymes help memory and feelings, with 24 songs chosen for the job.
By theme
Full collections of every rhyme on the site in each category.
Classic Nursery Rhymes & Traditional Songs
The 128 traditional rhymes every child is expected to pick up somewhere.
Animal Nursery Rhymes & Songs
87 rhymes about farmyard, wild and made-up creatures of every kind.
Funny Nursery Rhymes & Silly Songs
83 silly songs, tongue twisters and rhymes that end somewhere absurd.
Bedtime Nursery Rhymes & Lullabies
43 lullabies and sleepy-time songs for the end of the day.
Travel Nursery Rhymes & Journey Songs
17 songs that go somewhere: buses, boats, bridges and long marches.
Weather Nursery Rhymes & Sky Songs
16 rhymes about rain, wind, stars and the weather outside the window.
Christmas Nursery Rhymes & Carols for Children
41 carols and festive songs, split into sacred carols and singalongs.
Looking for a specific rhyme?
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