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BabyCenter
16 nursery rhymes your baby and toddler are sure to love
By Emily Jaeger,
7 days ago
Whether it’s "Itsy Bitsy Spider" to "Mary Had a Little Lamb," you probably know the words and tunes without even realizing how or where you learned them. These charming rhymes and songs have been passed down for generations and are woven into childhood’s core memories, from lullabies at bedtime to circle time at preschool.
Singing nursery rhymes to babies and young children can also help you develop deep bonds that will last a lifetime, says New Jersey-based psychologist Liat Segal , Ph.D.“They are universally accessible and an easy way of providing mental stimulation and playful, social interaction with infants and kids,” she says. Even in those days, gentle songs can be an easy way to interact and bond.
A child’s exposure to nursery rhymes is also associated with higher literacy skills later in life, “It teaches kids and even babies who are preverbal how to hear rhythm and rhyme, which is really important for being able to take apart the different parts of words – a skill called phonological awareness,” says Emily Fishman, a speech-language pathologist in Massachusetts. So next time you sing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," remember you're not just entertaining your child – you're supporting their growth and learning.
What is a nursery rhyme?
Nursery rhymes are, quite simply, short poems told or sung to young children . Nursery rhymes were originally passed down orally from caregiver to child and are common across many cultures and languages. English-language nursery rhymes were first written down in the late 1500s, and the well-known rhyme "Mother Goose" became very popular in children’s books in the United Kingdom and United States in the late 1700s to early 1800s.
Singing nursery rhymes to babies and young children can also help you develop deep bonds that will last a lifetime - psychologist Liat Segal , Ph.D
Why are nursery rhymes so beneficial for kids?
From strengthening family bonds to practicing fine motor skills with “The Itsy Bitsy Spider,” nursery rhymes are powerful tools for your child's development. For one, every time you rock your baby to a rhyme like “Rock-a-bye Baby," you’re showing your baby the joy of connecting with you and others, says Segal.
Next, nursery rhymes introduce newborns and toddlers to language in an engaging and playful way, which is important for helping them learn how to speak and read as they get older. And rhymes help children explore the mechanics of spelling from an early age by sound, too.
Best nursery rhymes for babies
In your baby's first year of life, picking nursery rhymes that are short is a good bet. As the first year goes on, you can work on easy hand motions together and mimic animal sounds – a skill that comes just before speech. Try out some of these favorites:
1. I’m a Little Teapot
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!
2. Itsy Bitsy Spider
The itsy bitsy spider crawled up the water spout.
Down came the rain, and washed the spider out.
Out came the sun, and dried up all the rain,
and the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again.
For toddlers, you can introduce nursery rhymes with slightly more complex motions, narratives, riddles, and counting games. Your toddlers may even be able to take the lead singing some of the rhymes they learned as babies. Try these out with your toddler:
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