Nursery rhymes are perfect for babies and toddlers. They are short and simple to recite or sing. They include words that begin and end with the same sounds, helping children’s brains to recognize syllables and hear similarities in patterns. Familiarity with nursery rhymes can lead to phonological awareness. The repetition in nursery rhymes helps increase a child’s vocabulary. Research shows that children who enter kindergarten knowing nursery rhymes will have an easier time learning how to read.
Mother Goose on the Loose® is based on nursery rhymes that are presented in a variety of different ways. Below are links to different rhymes presented by many people in a wide range of styles. If they do not open simply by clicking on the link, try pressing the Control Key and clicking at the same time!
Rhyme of the Month
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
A Leopard Has Lots of Spots (Animal Rhymes) Port Discovery Children’s Museum, Baltimore, Maryland
And We Hop (Freeze Game) from Port Discovery Children’s Museum
Animals on the Bus – explaining how to add animal actions and noises
La Araña Pequenita(Animal Rhymes)from the San Bernadino County Library, California
Baby Baby Dumpling, (Knee bounce) British Columbia Public Libraries
Bananas (Whole Body) Riverton Branch Library
Bananas Unite (Whole Body) from the King County Library System
Behind a Tree, (clapping rhyme) British Columbia Public Libraries
Bells Away (Clean-Up Song) by Derek at the Port Discovery Children’s Museum in Baltimore.
Bicycle Song by Julie from the Kamehameha School System in Hawaii.
A Big Mac Truck from a Mother Goose on the Loose Workshop in Surrey, British Columbia
Bubble, Bubble, Pop (Colors Song) from the Champaign Library, Illinois
Bubble, Bubble, Say Good-Bye – a song for the end of your session by Lisa
Buenas Dias / Good Morning (Fingerplay) Bibliotecas ParalaGente
Bumpy Road by Cork Hardin at the Village Learning Place
C
Can You Shake Your Egg With Me? (Egg shakers) Riverton Branch Library
Caterpillar, Caterpillar (ASL) shown by Kathy MacMillan
Cherries on a Plate (Flannel Board Book Illustration) from Port Discovery Children’s Museum, Baltimore
Choo, Choo (Hand Slapping) Musser Public Library, Iowa
Choo Choo Train from the King County Library System, Washington State
Clap Your Hands (Body Rhymes)from the Johnson County Library, Kansas
D
Dinosaur Rhyme (Standing Up) Early Childhood School Library
E
The Elephant (Puppet Rhyme) from the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Maryland
Eye Winker, Tom Tinker (Body Rhymes: Face) from the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Maryland
F
Farmer Plants a Seed (Standing Up) Arlington Public Library, Virginia
Fe Fi Fo Fum (Body Rhymes – Fingers) Edmonton Public Library, Canada
Five Fat Peas in a Pea Pod Pressed (Finger Play) Edmonton Public Library, Canada
Five Fat Sausages (Fingerplay) from the King County Library System, Washington State
Five Fat Sausages (Soft Sculpture) from the Scottsdale Public Library, Arizona
Five Green and Speckled Frogs (Animal Songs) from the Champaign Library, Illinois
Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed (Puppets) Mooresville Public Library, Indiana
Five Little Peas (Fingerplay) from the Hennepin County Library, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Five Little Puppies (Animals) from the Johnson County Library, Kansas
From Wibbleton to Wobbleton, (Knee bounce), Paw Paw, Michigan
G
Good Morning, Mrs. Perky Bird (Puppets)from the Scottsdale Public Library, Arizona
Goosey, Goosey Gander (Fingerplay) from Port Discovery Children’s Museum, Baltimore
Grand Old Duke of York (Knee Bounce) from the Brooklyn Public Library, New York
Grand Old Duke of York (Knee Bounce) from Port Discovery Children’s Museum, Baltimore, Maryland
Grandfather Clock (Musical Instruments) with Jenny Gallagher at the Centreville Library, MD.
Grandfather Clock (Clapping) from the Scottsdale Public Library, AZ.
Grandfather Clock (Knee Bounce, Leaning) from the Airdrie Public Library
H
Here is My Turtle (Animals)from the New Albany YSL.
Here is the Beehive (Tickle Rhyme) Musser Public Library, Iowa
Here’s a Cup, British Columbia Public Libraries
Hey Diddle Diddle (Knee Bounce) from the Brooklyn Public Library, New York
Hickory Dickory Dare (Animals) Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
Hickory Dickory Dock (Flannel Board) from the Muskingum County Library
Horsey, Horsey, British Columbia Public Libraries
Hot Cross Buns (Tickle Rhyme with child and soft sculpture) from the Scottsdale Public Library, Arizona
Humpty Dumpty (Knee Bounce)Port Discovery Children’s Museum, Baltimore, Maryland
Humpty Dumpty (Sensory Activity) from the Scottsdale Public Library, Arizona
I
I Have Ten Fingers (Body Rhymes – Fingers) from the Brooklyn Public Library, New York
I Have Ten Little Fingers (Body Rhymes – Fingers) from the Los Gatos Library, California
I Went to Visit the Farm One Day (Animals – Playing with a Book)
J
Jack and Jill (Fingerplay) from the King County Library System, Washington State
Jack and Jill (Fingerplay) from MsRhymetime
Jack Be Nimble (Interactive Rhyme) from the Scottsdale Public Library, Arizona
Jello in the Bowl, (standing up rhyme) from the King County Library System, Washington State
L
Little Bo Peep (Puppets, Colors, Numbers) from the Scottsdale Public Library, Arizona
Little Boy Blue (Flannel Board) from Worthington Libraries, Ohio
Little Drops of Rain, British Columbia Public Libraries
London Bridge(Knee Bounce) from the King County Library System, Washington State
M
Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary (Bells) Port Discovery Children’s Museum, Baltimore, Maryland
Michael Finnegan (Body Rhyme)from the San Bernardino County Library
Mother and Father and Uncle John (Knee Bounce) from Port Discovery Children’s Museum, Maryland
Mother and Father and Uncle John (Knee Bounce)from the Scottsdale Public Library, Arizona
O
Old Mother Goose (Rhymes and Reads) from the Scottsdale Public Library, Arizona
On the Shores of the Hanky Panky, (Knee Bounce) British Columbia Public Libraries
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe (Fingerplay) from the King County Library System, Washington State
One, Two, Three, Four, Five…Fish Alive! (Animal Fingerplay)Port Discovery Children’s Museum, MD
One, Two, Three Four, Max is Sitting by the Door (Counting)Port Discovery Children’s Museum.
Open Them, Shut Them (Fingerplay) from the King County Library System, Washington State
Open Them, Shut Them (Fingerplay) by Dr. Betsy Diamant-Cohen
P
Pat-a-cake (Clapping andTapping) from the King County Library System, Washington State
Pease Porridge Hot (Clapping and Tapping) from the Toronto Public Library, Ontario
Peek-a-Boo (Colored Scarves)from Port Discovery Children’s Museum, Baltimore, Maryland
Peek-a-Boo (Colored Scarves)from San Bernadino County Library, California
Popcorn (Whole Body)from the Hennepin County Library, Minneapolis, Minnesota
R
Ride a Cock Horse (Bells) Port Discovery Children’s Museum, Baltimore, Maryland
Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring, Ring…. Shhhhh! (Bells)Port Discovery Children’s Museum, Maryland
Ring Your Bells (tune of “Jingle Bells”) Port Discovery Children’s Museum, Baltimore, Maryland
Ring Your Bells (tune of “Lightly Row”) Port Discovery Children’s Museum, Baltimore, Maryland
Roly Poly (Body Rhymes – Hands) from the King County Library System, Washington State
Round and Round the Garden (Body Rhymes – Tickling) from the Brooklyn Public Library, New York
Round and Round the Garden (Body Rhymes – Tickling) from the Champaign Library, Illinois
Row, Row, Row, Your Boat (Knee Bounce) from the Brooklyn Public Library, New York
S
Sana, Sana (Animals) Johnson County Public Library, Kansas
See the Pony Galloping (Knee Bounce)from the Scottsdale Public Library, Arizona
Shake, Shake, Shake, Shake, Shake, Shhh… (Shakers)Port Discovery Children’s Museum, Baltimore
Shake Your Shakers, Baby (Musical Instruments – Shakers)Port Discovery Children’s Museum
Shake Your Shakers Like the Leaves (Musical Instruments – Shakers)Port Discovery Children’s Museum
Shoo, Fly, Don’t Bother Me (Colored Scarves) LBPH, Maryland
Six Little Ducks (Fingerplay) Washington County, Oregon, Library Services
Sleeping Bunnies (Movement Song) Champaign Library, Illinois
Slowly, Slowly, Very Slowly, Goes the Little Snail (Tickle Rhyme) The Betty Julie
Sometimes (Whole Body)from the Hennepin County Library, Minneapolis, Minnesota
T
Tall Trees, (Standing up rhyme) British Columbia Public Libraries
This is the Way We Wash (Colored Scarves)Port Discovery Children’s Museum
This Little Pig Went Rub-a-Dub filmed at Mother Goose on the Loose Workshop in Surrey, British Columbia
This Little Piggy (Tickle Rhyme) The Betty Julie
This Old Man (Singing) from the King County Library System, Washington State
Tony Chestnut (Body Rhyme) from the Florence County Library, South Carolina
To Market, To Market (Knee Bounce) from the King County Library System, Washington State
To Market, To Market (Knee Bounce with puppet) from the Scottsdale Public Library, Arizona
Tommy O’Flynn (Knee Bounce) from Port Discovery Children’s Museum, Baltimore, Maryland
Trot, Trot to London (Knee Bounce)from the Scottsdale Public Library, Arizona
Two Little Blackbirds (Fingerplays) Webster Public Library, Webster, New York
‘
Two Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed (Puppets) from the Scottsdale Public Library, Arizona
U
Up and Up the Candlestick, (tickle rhyme) British Columbia Public Libraries
W
We Ring Our Bells Together (Bells) from Port Discovery Children’s Museum, Baltimore, Maryland
We Ring Our Bells Together, Birds are happy
Wee Willie Winkie (Puppets)from the Scottsdale Public Library, Arizona
We’re Going to Kentucky (Shakers) from Port Discovery Children’s Museum, Baltimore, Maryland
What Are You Wearing? (Interactive Song) from the King County Library System, Washington State
Where is Thumbkin? (Body Rhymes – Fingers) Webster Public Library, Webster, New York
Where is Thumbkin? (Body Rhymes – Fingers) Skokie Public Library, Skokie, Illinois
Wind, oh Wind (Colored Scarves) from Port Discovery Children’s Museum, Baltimore, Maryland
Wind the Bobbin Up, British Columbia Public Libraries
Worms Up, Worms Down from British Columbia
Z
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom (Standing Up Rhyme) from the Toronto Public Library, Ontario
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, (using a paper airplane!) British Columbia Public Libraries
Click here for more songs and rhymes from the King County Library System
Click here for more fingerplays from the Hennepin County Library
Click here for more fingerplays from the Johnson County Library
Click here for more songs and rhymes from the Scottsdale Public Library
Click here for more songs and rhymes from the San Bernadino County Library
Click here for more songs and rhymes from the Mooresville, Indiana Public Library
Click here for some cool videos with songs and rhymes from Jbrary