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
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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
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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
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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
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Two Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed (Puppets) from the Scottsdale Public Library, Arizona
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