Nursery Rhymes: Songs, Activities and Games

Humpty Dumpty

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall

All the king’s horses and all the king’s men

Couldn’t put Humpty back together again

Have the kids make a Humpty Dumpty project.

Materials: Glue, Egg Shells, Paper

Step 1:  Crack an egg and gently clean out the shell with soap and water.

Step 2:  Over paper have the kids break the shell into smaller pieces.

Step 3: Ask kids to help put Humpty back together again by glueing the egg shell pieces on the paper.

The Monkeys and the Crocodile

Five little monkeys swinging from a tree

Teasing Mr. Crocodile,”you can’t catch me!”

He comes Mr. Crocodile, as quiet as can be

And snatch that monkey right out of that tree!

Four little Monkeys swinging from a tree

Teasing Mr. Crocodile, “you can’t catch me!”

Here comes Mr. Crocodile, as quiet as can be

And snatch that monkey right out of that tree!

Three little monkey’s swinging from a tree

Teasing Mr. Crocodile, “you can’t catch me!”

Here comes Mr. Crocodile as quiet as can be

And snatch that monkey right out of that tree!

Two little Monkeys swinging from a tree

Teasing Mr. Crocodile “you can’t catch me!”

Here comes Mr. Crocodile as quiet as can be

And Snatch that money right out of that tree!

One little Monkey swinging from a tree

Teasing Mr. Crocodile  “you can’t catch me!”

Here comes Mr. Crocodile as quiet as can be

And snatch that monkey right out of that tree!

No more monkeys!

Actions 

Have all the kids sit down on the floor

When you say “teasing Mr. Crocodile”

Have all the children put their hands up with their thumbs to each side of their heads, waves fingers back and fourth and shake their heads from side to side.

When you say “You can’t catch me!”

Have the children wave thier finger side to side and shaking their head no

When you say “Here comes Mr. Crocodile as quiet as can be”

Speak really softly

When you say “Snatch that monkey right out of that tree”

Put their right arm over their left with their palms touching lift right arm up (so it looks like a mouth) and slap down fast to hands make a clapping noise. (kids love this part)

Jack and Jill

Jack and Jill went up the hill

To fetch a pail of water

Jack fell down and broke his crown

And Jill came tumbling after.

Up Jack go and said to Jill

As in his arms he caught her,

You’re not hurt, brush off the dirt,

And now we’ll fetch the water.

Jack and Jill Activity

Outside, fill up a buket with water.  Tell the children to collect small stones. Have the children stand a couple of feet (depending on age) away from the bucket. Pretend the bucket is a wishing well and have the children throw their stones in the “wishing well.”

Baa Baa Black Sheep

Baa baa black sheep

Have you any wool?

Yes sir, yes sir three bags full.

One for the master and one for the dame

And one for the little boy

Who lives down the lane.

Baa Baa Black Sheep Activity:

Materials: Paper, Pencil, Cotton Balls, Black Paint (poster or tempera)

Step 1: Have children draw a picture of a sheep on thier paper.

Step 2: Have the children glue white cotton balls on the sheep.

Step 3: Have children paint the cotton balls black.

The farmer in the Dell

This game is best played with 7 or more children.

Directions: Have all the children stand in a circle.  Pick someone to be the farmer.  That person stands in the middle of the circle. As the song goes on the person in the middle of the circle must choose another person to join them in the middle of the circle example: the farmer takes a wife.  The child who is the farmer chooses a child from the circle to join them in the middle of the circle as the wife and so on and so on.

The farmer in the dell, the farmer in the dell

Hi-ho the dairy-o the farmer in the dell.

The farmer takes a wife, the farmer takes a wife,

Hi-ho the dairy-o the farmer takes a wife.

The wife takes a child, the wife takes a child

Hi-ho the dairy-o the wife take a child.

The child take a nurse, the child takes a nurse

Hi-ho the dairy-o the child takes a nurse.

The nurse takes the dog, the nurse takes the dog

Hi-ho the dairy-o the nurse takes the dog

The dog takes the cat. the dog takes the cat

Hi-ho the dairy-o the dog takes the cat

The cat takes the mouse, the cat takes the mouse

Hi-ho the dairy-o the cat takes the mouse

The mouse takes the cheese, the mouse takes the cheese

Hi-ho the dairy-o the mouse takes the cheese.

In the next verse the children leave middle of  the circle after saying good-bye and return to the outer circle (except the cheese).

The farmer says good-bye, the farmer says goodbye

Hi-ho the derry-o the farmer says goodbye

The wife says goodbye, the wife says goodbye

Hi-ho the derry-o the wife says goodbye

The child says goodbye, the child says goodbye

Hi-ho the derry-o the child says goodbye

The nurse says good-bye, the nurse says goodye

Hi-ho the derry-o the nurse says goodbye

The dog says goodbye, the dog says goodbye

Hi-ho the derry-o the dog says goodbye

The cat says good-bye, the cat says goodbye

Hi-ho the derry- of the cat says goodbye

The mouse says good-bye, the mouse says goodbye

Hi-ho the derry-o the mouse says goodbye

The cheese stands alone, The cheese stands alone

Hi-ho the dairy-o the cheese stands alone.

Ring Around the Rosy 

Directions: All of the children stand in a circle holding hands. While singing the words they walk in a circle.  When they say “we all fall down” all the children fall to the floor

Ring around the rosy,

Pocket full of posies,

Ashes! Ashes!

We all fall down.

 
Little Miss Muffet

Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet

Eating her curds and whey

Along came a big spider who sat down besides her

And frightened Miss Muffet away.

 
Hickory Dickory Dock

Hickory Dickory Dock

The mouse ran up the clock

The clock struck one

The mouse ran down

Hickory Dickory Dock.

Ten Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

Ten little monkeys jumping on the bed

One  fell off and bumped his head

Mamma called the doctor and the doctor said

“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”

Nine little monkeys jumping on the bed

One fell off and bumped his head

Mamma called the doctor and the doctor said

“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”

Eight little monkeys jumping on the bed

One fell off and bumped his head

Mamma called the doctor and the doctor said

“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”

Seven little monkeys jumping on the bed

One fell off and bumped his head

Mamma called the doctor and the doctor said

“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”

Six little monkeys jumping on the bed

One fell off and bumped his head

Mamma called the doctor and  the doctor said

“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”

Five little monkeys jumping on the bed

One fell off and bumped his head

Mamma called the doctor and the doctor said

“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”

Four little monkeys jumping on the bed

One fell off and bumped his head

Mamma called the doctor and the doctor said

“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”

Three little monkeys jumping on the bed

One fell off and bumped his head

Mamma called the doctor and the doctor said

“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”

Two little monkeys jumping on the bed

One fell off and bumped his head

Mamma called the doctor and the doctor said

“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”

One little monkey jumping on the bed

He fell off and bumped his head

Mamma called the doctor and the doctor said

“Put those monkeys straight to bed!”

Actions:

Have the children hold up fingers for the amount of monkeys jumping on the bed

When you say “bumped his head” place hand on the side of your head

When you say “the doctor said no more monkeys jumping on the bed” Have children hold up on finger and shake it and their heads no

Doggy, Doggy, Where’s Your Bone?

Materials: Blindfold, something to be used as a bone

Step 1: Have children sit on the floor in a circle.

Step 2: Pick one child to be it. That child sits in the middle of the circle with the blindfold on and the “bone” behind their back.

Step 3: Then a child from the circle steals the “bone” sits back in the circle and places it behind their back.

Step 4: The children in the circle sing:

Doggy, doggy, where’s your bone?

Somebody stole it from your home.

Who stole the bone?

The child who took the bone says

“I stole the bone”

The child who is blindfolded has to guess to took the bone

The person who took the bone is it next.

Mary had a little Lamb

Mary had a little lamb,

Little lamb, little lamb

Its fleece was white as snow.

Now, everywhere that Mary went

Mary went, Mary went

Now everywhere that Mary went

The lamb was sure to go.

It followed her to school one day

School one day, school one day

It followed her to school one day

Which was against the rule.

It made the children laugh and shout

Laugh and shout, laugh and shout

It made the children laugh and shout,

To see a lamb at school.

And so the teacher turned it out,

Turned it out, turned it out

And so the teacher turned it out

But still it lingered near.

And wait patiently about

Patiently about, patiently about

And waited patiently about

Till Mary did appear.

“Why does the lamb love Mary so?”

Love Mary so? Love Mary so?

“Why does the lamb love Mary so?”

The eager children cry.

“Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know”

Lovers her so, loves her so

“Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know”

The teacher did reply.

Activity

Have children draw a picture of the school, teacher, kids, Mary and her lamb. You