Nursery Rhymes

Each month we will recommend some fun nursery rhymes that you can sing along to.

Number Rhymes

Children learn through repetition, so singing number rhymes throughout the day will help them to become familiar with numbers and the patterns between them.

Nursery rhymes usually have a simple tune and can be used to support young children practise early maths skills.

While singing number rhymes, try showing the numbers on your fingers. This will help your child start to link the number to the amount.

As well as helping to develop a wide range of mathematical skills, number rhymes also support language development, social and emotional skills and listening skills.

Number rhymes are amazing. They help children develop number sense in a fun way.

English number rhyme - Once I Caught a Fish

There are so many fun ways to keep this song feeling fresh and to introduce your child to new words. We've included some of our favourite verses below:

• One, two, three, four, five, Once I caught a crab alive.
• One, two, three, four, five, Once I caught an eel alive.

Welsh number rhyme - 5 Crocodiel

Rhymes with Actions

These Nursery rhymes are a fun way to teach children new words and help expand their vocabulary. Songs with actions are a great way to help children remember words. This fun rhyme will help your child begin to connect different words with actions.

This song can help with children’s gross motor skills as they are using their different parts of their body to do the actions. It can help them with their balance, co-ordination and muscle development. Repetitive songs can also help develop their memory skills.

Your child will love watching and copying the actions when you sing together!

English Action Rhyme - Wheels on the bus

There are so many fun ways to keep this song feeling fresh and to introduce your child to new words. We've included some of our favourite verses below:

• The horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep
• The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish
• The money on the bus goes, clink, clink, clink
• The driver on the bus says "Move on back"
• The doors on the bus go open and shut
• Dogs on the bus go woof, woof, woof
• The babies on the bus go waa, waa, waa

Welsh Action Nursery Rhyme – Clap Clap

Rhymes to Introduce New Words

Songs about animals and nature help children learn about the world around them.

‘Old MacDonald Had A farm’ has an easy tune and a repetitive chorus, which is why it’s often one of the first songs a child will begin to sing. The catchy ‘EE-I-EE-I-O’ is so easy to pick it up which allows children to join in before they can say the rest of the words.

This song provides an excellent opportunity to learn and practise all the animal names and the different sounds that they make.

It’s a great song for speech and language development. There are endless repetitions available and the only words that change are the names of the animal and their sounds.

Children will get very excited doing the different actions of the animals and will learn by watching you!

Bilingual Rhyme to Introduce New Words - Old McDonald Had a Farm

More Nursery Rhymes

• Tiny Happy People have lots of English nursery rhymes for you to explore
• Cyw has lots of Welsh nursery rhymes for you to explore