Singing with toddlers

Singing nursery rhymes is a fun way for your toddler to learn new words. Many of the songs repeat the same words over and over again, this will help your child to learn, understand and remember new words. It is also a way to begin to think about rhyming words.

Helpful tips

• If you're not confident at singing nursery rhymes straight away, there are lots of videos to help you online. There is a good selection on the BBC website
• Don't worry if you make a mistake or are out of tune, your little one won't mind and will probably be having so much fun that they won't even notice
• Make up your own moves if you want to, this is a fun way of keeping your little one's attention on the song
• If your child only wants to sing one song, don't worry, the repetition will actually help them to learn the words. The more they hear the words, the more likely they are to remember and use them.

Nursery rhymes to try

Here are some examples of popular and catchy nursery rhymes that you could try singing at home with your child. If you want to, you could try adding some actions to go with the words. This will help make the nursery rhyme more fun and memorable.

Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

This rhyme is good for helping your child to learn the names of their body parts. The hand actions that go alongside the rhyme will help to keep your child's attention whilst also encouraging them to develop their gross motor skills.

Heads, shoulders, knees and toes
Knees and toes
Heads, shoulders, knees and toes
Knees and toes
And eyes and ears and mouth and nose
Heads, shoulders, knees and toes
Knees and toes.

If You're Happy and You Know It

Actions are an important part of this song and it's a great one for active little ones as its very physical and requires them to use their whole body. You could try making up your own actions and words for this song too, asking your little one to give their suggestions, or you could change some of the words around, e.g. swap 'nod your head' for 'wiggle your fingers'.

If you're happy and you know it,
Clap your hands.
If you're happy and you know it,
Clap your hands.
If you're happy and you know it,
And you really want to show it,
If you're happy and you know it,
Clap your hands.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

This is another nursery rhyme that can involve hand movements to help your little one stay engaged. It is also a nice relaxing song that you can both sing calmly at bedtime.

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

Five Little Ducks

Numbers are a big part of this rhyme. If your little one starts to lose interest before the end of the song, you can cut the song down to three little ducks instead.

FIVE little ducks went swimming one day,
Over the hill and far away.
Mamma duck said: 'Quack, quack, quack, quack!'
And only FOUR little ducks came back.
FOUR little ducks went swimming one day...
THREE little ducks went swimming one day...
TWO little ducks went swimming one day...
ONE little duck went swimming one day,
Over the hill and far away.
Mamma duck said: 'Quack, quack, quack, quack!'
And all her five little ducks came back.

The Wheels on the Bus

Not only is this nursery rhyme catchy with some lovely descriptive sound words, children can easily relate it to a time when they have been on a bus or seen a bus driving past. Again, you could change the words to feature some other characters and noises that you might hear on your bus.

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 day long!
The bell on the bus goes 'Ding, ding, ding...
The wipers on the bus go 'Swish, swish, swish...

Watch a video about singing with your toddler