Favourite Parent-Child Mother Goose rhymes

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Download all rhymes in a single .zip file.

Alphabetical listing (clickable)

A smooth road
Acker Backer watercracker
Bananas unite
Charlie Chaplin went to France
Coffee, coffee
Criss cross fairyfloss​
Dot dot, dash dash
Five little pumpkins
From Wibbleton to Wobbleton
From your head to your toe
Granny and Mumma and a horse named May
Here are baby's fingers
Here is a little boy
Here is a nest for a bluebird
Here is the earth
I have a little bicycle
I like to ride a camel
Jelly on a plate
Jeremiah blow the fire
Johnny, Johnny
Leg over leg
Monkey, monkey in a tree
Mother and Father and Uncle John
On my foot there is a flea
Pat it, kiss it
Pony ride
Roll your hands around
Round and round the garden
Shoe the wild horse
Slowly, slowly, very slowly
Slowly, slowly, very slowly (version 2)
Some snakes
Spot, spot, spot, spot
The grandfather clock
The moon is round
There's a monster in the garden
This is big, big, big
This is the key to the kingdom
This is the way the ladies ride
This little piggy
Three cheeky monkeys
Three little apples
Turtle went up the hill
Two little eyes to look around
Up, up in the air like this
Way up high in the apple tree
What's the matter with Dickory Dean?
​Who's in the circle today?
Wriggle wriggle wriggle
Why rhymes?

Reciting rhymes and singing songs are great ways to help a child's development.

When parents and carers learn a cluster of rhymes and songs they repeat during daily routines, babies often begin to communicate with sounds, smiles and actions. They'll move their bodies to the rhythm of a rhyme or song even before they have learnt to say their first words. 

Reciting rhymes and singing songs is a wonderful way for parents and carers and little children to have fun together, building the loving attachment between them that is so valuable. 

The most important voices any baby or toddler can hear are the voices of their parents and other loving adults who care for them. And when it comes to singing songs, it certainly doesn’t matter whether one has a ‘good’ singing voice or not. 

Tips for making the most of rhymes and songs

  • Face-to-face is best. Babies and toddlers watch faces. They learn they are loved from the smiling facial expressions of their parents and carers. In a Parent-Child Mother Goose group, toddlers may prefer to sit facing other children, and this is developmentally appropriate. However, when one-on-one, face-to-face is always best.
  • Recite rhymes and sing songs slowly. This helps little children hear the words and notice actions.
  • Recite or sing a few favourite rhymes and songs throughout daily routines (while feeding, changing nappies, bath time, soothing). This helps babies and little children learn to anticipate routines.
  • Hold and support babies and toddlers appropriately for their stage of development. Babies need to be held close and very well-supported with gentle actions like cuddling, rocking and swaying. Once a baby has developed head and trunk control, you can introduce gentle bouncing.
  • Be sensitive to children’s preferences to touch. Some don’t like tickling while others love it. Some prefer not to have their torsos touched, but may love to have their arms or legs massaged.
  • At home, encourage babies and toddlers to participate by pausing after the end of a line or phrase once a song or rhyme is familiar. Pausing gives a baby or toddler the chance to make a sound or fill in a word.

    Examples: 
    Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream,
    If you see a crocodile, don’t forget to scream...
    Wait for a scream. 

    Incey wincey spider climbed up the water spout,
    Down came the rain and washed the spider...
    Wait for child to join in with 'out', or with some approximation of that word.
  • Substitute the child’s name and family members’ names in rhymes and songs. Children love to hear names they are familiar with.

Opening rhymes
​Gently touch baby’s hair to cue her that you are going to touch her face. As you recite line one, run your finger gently around her face. Then point to her facial features as you name them. 

You can also use this rhyme as a baby massage by using two fingers of each hand while your baby is lying in your lap or on a rug on the floor.
Clap hands on thighs and hands. Go around the circle, introducing each child by name.

Bounce rhymes
​Substitute your child’s name for ‘Uncle John’ and other family members’ names.
​A smooth road: use swaying action.
A windy road: use circular action.
A rough road: use a gentle bounce.
A bumpy road:  use bigger bounce, then PAUSE so your child will learn to anticipate the hole.
A … hole: drop toddler between knees; bring baby to your chest for a cuddle.
​Use washing machine ‘agitator’ action while child is sitting in your lap.
Grandfather clock: sway slowly.
Kitchen clock: bounce.
Watch: faster bounce, tickle or little kisses.
For the Lollies in a jar verse: use a very gentle, well-supported bouncing action with babies held closely to you. Always be very gentle with babies, and never shake them.
Sit on floor with your knees bent up. Toddlers sit atop your knees while you hold their hands and make a bouncy action. Slide them down your knees to the floor for ‘whoo!’.
 Bounce to the left for Wibbleton, to the right for Wobbleton. 
A perennial favourite. The fifth and sixth lines in each verse are traditionally sung, while the remainder are spoken.

Remind parents and caregivers to gently rock a little baby, or a child who is yet to develop good head, neck and back support, rather than to bounce.

Foot rhymes
Holding baby’s foot, tap on ball of foot then heel, then make long gentle strokes on sole of foot while saying ‘let the little brumbies go bare’.

Back or tummy or massage rhymes
Substitute worms for snakes if you wish. 

Use finger to run lines down child’s back. Trace long line, then short line.
Fat: trace using two fingers spread apart.
Skinny: trace using one finger.
Straight: trace one straight line.
Wiggly: trace wiggly line.
Bite: walk two fingers up back to neck and give a gentle pinch.
Tickle: give gentle tickle on back of neck or kiss.
With your child lying face down, gently trace dots and dashes, then a question mark on their back. Give their back a cuddle (squeeze), blow gently (cool breeze) and finish with a gentle tickle. In the  second verse, gently walk your fingers up their spine.

Nappy change rhymes
​First verse: you may like to play peek-a-boo.
Second verse: point to baby’s fingers, toes and belly button.
Gently lift legs in criss-cross fashion, then up at ‘whoops’.
Hold baby’s legs up and circle then for first three lines, then kick them. Circle again for rhumba, then gently spilt them (but don’t split if baby has any hip concerns).

Hand rhymes
A soothing rhyme to use when a child has hurt themselves. Change the word hand to whatever part of the body that is hurting.
For toddlers who are beginning to understand and name their body parts, pause in the final line before you say nose. This gives them time to show their understanding, for example by pointing to their noses or by saying ‘nose’ themselves.

For babies, slow down the pace. Take their hands in yours and gently help them with the actions. Instead of bang them on the ground say touch them on the ground. In the final line, pause before you say nose. This allows babies time to show their understanding by anticipating a tickle on their noses.
in this lovely version we learned from Lisa and Lexie in Tasmania, the second verse maintains the slow, gentle pace of the first.
Substitute child’s name and family members’ names for subsequent verses.

Point to fingers one at a time, starting with baby’s little finger, then say ‘whoops’ while you run your finger dipping between index and thumb. Then go backwards from index finger to little finger again, saying child’s name again as you touch each finger.
Walk your fingers up the child’s body, then down again.
Give a very gentle tap on the foot when you say ‘take that you flea’, or clap your hands.
For toddler: act out actions with hands.

For baby:
nest: ruffle baby’s hair.
hive: tickle under arm.
hole: trace finger around belly button.
house: cuddle.
Run finger in a circle over baby’s palm.
One step, two step: step fingers up arm to armpit and give gentle tickle.
Verse two, haystack: trace finger around belly button.
One step, two step: step fingers to arm pit and give gentle tickle.
We've called this a "hand rhyme", but it includes whole arm and body actions too.

Wriggle your whole body, flap your arms, roll and then clap your hands, fly both your arms as you reach up, then drop your whole body down low. Use your fingers like rain drops for pitter, patter, then leave a long pause after Aaaaah so children will learn to anticipate, and perhaps join in with the word Stop.

For older children, this is a great call and response rhyme, where parents say the first line of each couplet and children repeat the line. Once they know it well, children can take the lead, and their parents follow.

For little children, say this rhyme slowly so they can learn to copy the actions. Increase the speed for older children.

Counting rhymes
Use three fingers in swinging action. For verse two, use two fingers. For verse three, use one finger.
​
For Mr Crocodile: quietly open and close hand.
For snap: clap hands together. 

When third monkey says ‘You missed me’, raise a finger high above baby to indicate the monkey swinging clear of Mr Crocodile, then finish with a kiss.

Other rhymes
​A favourite rhyme for circle time. In the first verse, the circle of adults and children begin slowly, ‘chuffing' the words, and moving arms round and round to imitate a steam train. Voices and actions get faster and faster as the train gathers speed, then when the train whistle blows (Soup!), the circle comes to a stop. Remember to compliment children on their ‘good stopping.’
 
After all the silliness, it’s time to turn around and go back to the station. Our voices become become slower and softer, until everyone has quietened as we repeat ‘tucker train’ over and over (for as long as it takes), then we all come to a stop and, just like a steam train, let off steam (Shhhhhhhhh). This is an effective and pleasurable way of supporting the development of emotional self-regulation.
Make appropriate gestures with your hands if sitting down, or with whole body if standing up. 

Fast, fast, fast: roll hands quickly and say this line fast too. 
Slow, slow, slow: roll hands very slowly and slow down voice. 
For yes: nod head.
For no: shake head.
Key: hold up thumb.
Kingdom: trace big circle or hold out hands wide.
Town: trace smaller circle or bring hands further together.
Hill: make hill shape with hand.
Street: move two hands away from body in a forward action.
Room: make a square with hands.
Bed: bring hands to side of face and lean head on them.
Basket: cup one hand.
Blanket: bring other hand over cupped hand 
Baby: make rocking action with hands, pause and say 'shhh'.
Unite: bring hands together.
Peel: hold up a finger and make peeling action with thumb and index of other hand.
Chop: make chopping action with blade of hand on palm.
Mash: make mashing action with palms together.
Eat: bring hands to mouth, then PAUSE, ….and bend down.
Go bananas: shake hands bringing then up and act out going ‘crazy’.
Puff, puff, puff: After saying 'puff' the third time, gently blow on baby’s face or arm.
Rough: After saying 'rough', blow more strongly on baby’s face or arm.