47 Popular Nursery Rhymes for Kids

Summary

Kids enjoy singing and reading nursery rhymes. They enjoy acting them and teachers enjoy using nursery rhymes to teach their students. Rhymes are simple and help students improve their linguistic and memory skills. They also contribute to children’s spatial and musical skills. Some nursery rhymes have a moral lesson, and for others the meaning is not so clear, but they are truly comical.

Here are 45 popular nursery rhymes over the years, their origins and their meanings. There are more, but this selection will be enjoyable for both children and their teachers.

47 NURSERY RHYMES

1. Bye Baby Bunting

Lyrics

Bye, baby bunting,
Father’s gone a-hunting,
Mother’s gone a-milking,
Sister’s gone a-silking,
And brother’s gone to buy a skin
To wrap the baby bunting in.

Song

2. Hickory Dickory Dock

Lyrics: Hickory, Dickory Dock

Hickory, dickory dock,
The mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck one,
The mouse ran down,
Hickory, dickory dock.

Song

The rhyme is thought to have been based on the astronomical clock at Exeter Cathedral. The clock has a small hole in the door below the face for the resident cat to hunt mice.

3. Little Miss Muffet

Lyrics: Little Miss Muffet

Little Miss Muffet
Sat on a tuffet,
Eating her curds and whey;
There came a big spider,
Who sat down beside her
And frightened Miss Muffet away.

Song

4. Hey Diddle Diddle

Little Miss Muffet

Lyrics: Hey Diddle Diddle

Hey diddle, diddle
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon;
The little dog laughed
To see such sport,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.

The rhyme may date back to at least the sixteenth century. Some references suggest it dates back in some form a thousand or more years: in early medieval illuminated manuscripts a cat playing a fiddle was a popular image. (Source)

5. Ring-a-ring o’ Roses

Lyrics: Ring-a-ring O’ Roses

Ring-a-ring o’ roses,
A pocket full of poises,
A-tishoo! A-tishoo!
We all fall down.

Ashes in the water,
Ashes in the sea.
We all jump up,
With a one, two, three!

Song and Game

The origins and meanings of the game have long been unknown and subject to speculation. Folklore scholars, however, regard the Great Plague explanat

6. One Two Buckle My Shoe

Lyrics: One, Two, Buckle My Shoe

One, two,
Buckle my shoe;
Three, four,
Knock at the door;
Five, six,
Pick up sticks;
Seven, eight,
Lay them straight;
Nine, ten,
A good, fat hen;
Eleven, twelve,
Dig and delve;
Thirteen, fourteen,
Maids a-courting;
Fifteen, sixteen,
Maids in the kitchen;
Seventeen, eighteen,
Maids a-waiting;
Nineteen, twenty,
My plate’s empty.

Song

Rhyme 1-20

Rhyme 1-20

This rhyme is used to help children count.

7. Solomon Grundy

Lyrics: Solomon Grundy

Solomon Grundy,
Born on a Monday,
Christened on Tuesday,
Married on Wednesday,
Took ill on Thursday,
Worse on Friday,
Died on Saturday,
Buried on Sunday.
This is the end
Of Solomon Grundy.

The nursery rhyme is the inspiration for the DC Comics character Cyrus Gold/Solomon Grundy, a large, strong zombie supervillain created in 1944 as an adversary for the Green Lantern, though later a common foe of Batman and Superman.

In 1964, Jamaican singer Eric “Monty” Morris released the ska song “Solomon Gundie” whose lyrics were based on the nursery rhyme.

8. Come Out To Play

Lyrics: Come Out To Play

Girls and boys, come out to play,
The moon doth shine as bright as day;
Leave your supper, and leave your sleep,
And come with your playfellows into the street.
Come with a whoop, come with a call,
Come with a good will or not at all.
Up the ladder and down the wall,
A half-penny roll will serve us all.
You find milk, and I’ll find flour,
And we’ll have a pudding in half an hour.

Song

The verse may date back to the time when children were expected to work during the daylight hours, and play was reserved for late in the evening.

9. To Market

Lyrics: To Market

To market, to market, to buy a fat pig.
Home again, home again, jiggety jig.
To market, to market, to buy a fat hog,
Home again, home again, jiggety jog.
To market, to market, to buy a plum bun,
Home again, home again, market is done.

Song

10. Cobbler Cobbler

Lyrics: Cobbler, Cobbler

Cobbler, cobbler, mend my shoe,
Get i done by half-past two;
Stitch it up and stitch it down,
Then I’ll give you half-a-crown.

Song

11. Rain

Lyrics: Rain

Rain, rain, go away,
Come again another day;
Little Johnny wants to play.

Song

This is a rhyming couplet rhyming. Similar rhymes can be found in many societies, including ancient Greece. The modern English language rhyme can be dated to at least to the 17th century.

12. Three Blind Mice

Lyrics: Three Blind Mice

Three blind mice! See how they run!
They all ran after the farmer’s wife,
Who cut off their tails with a carving knife.
Did you ever see such a thing in your life
As three blind mice?

Song

The ‘Three Blind Mice’ is rhyme taken from an illustrated children’s book by John W. Ivimey entitled The Complete Version of Ye Three Blind Mice, fleshes the mice out into mischievous characters who seek adventure, eventually being taken in by a farmer whose wife chases them from the house and into a bramble bush, which blinds them.

13. Jack and Jill

Lyrics: 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.

Then up Jack got and off did trot,
As fast as he could caper,
To old Dame Dob, who patched his nob
With vinegar and brown paper.

Song

Traditionally a nonsense verse in the form of a game, particularly as the couple go up a hill to find water, which is often incorrectly thought to be only found at the bottom of hills. Vinegar and brown paper were a home cure used as a method to draw out bruises on the body.

Jack is the most common name used in English-language nursery rhymes while Jill or Gill had come to mean a young girl or a sweetheart by the end of the Middle Ages. (source)

14.Baa Baa Black Sheep

Lyrics: Baa, Baa, Black Sheep

Baa, baa, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes, marry, have I,
Three bags full;

One for my master,
One for my dame,
But none for the little boy
Who cries in the lane.

Song

The rhyme is usually sung to a variant of the 1761 French melody Ah! vous dirai-je, maman, which is also used for “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and the “Alphabet song”.

There is a suggestion that the rhyme referred to resentment at the heavy taxation on wool in the medieval times.

15. This is the way

Lyrics: This is the Way

This is the way the ladies ride,
Tri, tre, tre, tree,
Tri, tre, tre, tree!
This is the way the ladies ride,
Tri, tre, tre, tre, tri-tre-tre-tree!

This is the way the gentlemen ride,
Gallop-a-trot,
Gallop-a-trot!
This is the way the gentlemen ride,
Gallop-a-gallop-a-trot!

This is the way the farmers ride,
Hobbledy-hoy,
Hobbledy-hoy!
This is the way the farmers ride,
Hobbledy-hobbledy-hoy!

Song

This is a lively song sung to babies while bobbing on the knees.

16. The Mulberry Bush

Lyrics: The Mulberry Bush

Here we go round the mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush,
Here we go round the mulberry bush.
On a cold and frosty morning.

This is the way we wash our hands,
Wash our hands, wash our hands,
This is the way we wash our hands,
On a cold and frosty morning.

This is the way we wash our clothes.
Wash our clothes, wash our clothes,
This is the way we wash our clothes,
On a cold and frosty morning.

This is the way we go to school,
Go to school, go to school,
This is the way we go to school,
On a cold and frosty morning.

This is the way we come out of school,
Come out of school, come out of school,
This is the way we come out of school,
On a cold and frosty morning.

Song

This is a nursery rhyme and singing game. Similar to “Here we go round the bramble bush” which may be an earlier version, possibly changed because of the difficulty of the alliteration, since mulberries do not grow on bushes.

The song and associated game is traditional, and has parallels in Scandinavia and in the Netherlands (the bush is a juniper in Scandinavia).

Local historian R. S. Duncan suggests that the song originated with female prisoners at HMP Wakefield. A sprig was taken from Hatfeild Hall (Normanton Golf Club) in Stanley, Wakefield, and grew into a fully mature mulberry tree around which prisoners exercised in the moonlight. The mulberry tree died during 2017 and was cut down and removed on 7 May 2019. Cuttings were taken during the 1980s and have grown into mature trees. Further cuttings taken from these trees will be replanted at HMP Wakefield to replace the mulberry tree. (source)

17. Sing A Song Of Sixpence

Lyrics: Sing A Song Of Sixpence

Sing a song of sixpence,
A pocket full of rye;
Four-and-twenty blackbirds
Baked in a pie!

When the pie was opened
The birds began to sing;
Was not that a dainty dish
To set before the king?

The king was in his counting-house,
Counting out his money;
The queen was in the parlor,
Eating bread and honey.

The maid was in the garden,
Hanging out the clothes;
When down came a blackbird
And snapped off her nose.

Song

Many interpretations have been placed on this rhyme. It is known that a 16th-century amusement was to place live birds in a pie, as a form of entremet. An Italian cookbook from 1549 (translated into English in 1598) contained such a recipe: “to make pies so that birds may be alive in them and fly out when it is cut up” and this was referred to in a cook book of 1725 by John Nott. (source)

18. One Two Three

Lyrics: One, Two, Three

One, two, three, four, five,
Once I caught a fish alive.
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten,
But I let it go again.
Why did you let it go?
Because it bit my finger so.
Which finger did it bite?
The little one upon the right.

Song

19. Little Bo-Peep

Lyrics (Full version): Little Bo-Peep

Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep,
And can’t tell where to find them;
Leave them alone, and they’ll come home,
And bring their tails behind them.

Little Bo-Peep fell fast asleep,
And dreamt she heard them bleating;
But when she awoke, she found it a joke,
For still they all were fleeting.

Then up she took her little crook,
Determined for to find them;
She found them indeed, but it made her heart bleed,
For they’d left all their tails behind ’em!

It happened one day, as Bo-peep did stray
Unto a meadow hard by–
There she espied their tails, side by side,
All hung on a tree to dry.

She heaved a sigh and wiped her eye,
And over the hillocks she raced;
And tried what she could, as a shepherdess should,
That each tail should be properly placed.

Song

Generally referred to as a game with the first five verses since the 16th century. Additional verses were added in 1810.

Now, the phrase “to play bo-peep” refer to the punishment of being stood in a pillory in the 14th century.

20. Little Boy Blue

Lyrics: Little Boy Blue

Little Boy Blue, come, blow your horn!
The sheep’s in the meadow, the cow’s in the corn.
Where’s the little boy that looks after the sheep?
Under the haystack, fast asleep!

Song

21. Please Porridge

Pease porridge hot,
Pease porridge cold,
Pease porridge in the pot,
Nine days old.

Some like it hot,
Some like it cold,
Some like it in the pot,
Nine days old.

Origins:

This nursery rhyme is well-known for its simple rhythm and playful repetition, making it easy for children to learn and recite. The rhyme likely dates back to the 17th century. The use of the word pease reflects older English usage, as pease referred to peas in the singular form. The concept of porridge made from peas was common in households, especially in times when food was scarce.

Pease porridge (or pease pudding) was a staple food in medieval England, made from split peas. It was a common dish for the lower classes and served as a practical way to utilize available ingredients. The rhyme may reflect the everyday lives of people during those times.

The earliest known printed version of the rhyme appears in the 19th century, but it is believed that oral traditions passed it down much earlier. Variations of the rhyme exist in different cultures, indicating its widespread appeal.

The rhyme’s simplicity and repetitive nature make it accessible and engaging for young children. It serves as an introduction to language, rhythm, and rhyme in a playful manner.

Also, the mention of pease porridge connects to themes of nourishment and the importance of food in daily life. It reflects how certain foods became part of cultural identity and tradition. The lines Some like it hot, / Some like it cold suggest individual preferences, highlighting that people have different tastes. This could also represent broader themes of diversity and acceptance of different choices and opinions.

Overall, is more than just a simple rhyme; it encapsulates historical, cultural, and social elements that reflect the lives of its time while remaining a beloved part of children’s literature. If you have more questions or want to explore other nursery rhymes, feel free to ask!

22. Jack Sprat

Lyrics: Jack Sprat

Jack Sprat
Could eat no fat,
His wife could eat no lean;
And so,
Betwixt them both,
They licked the platter clean.

The name Jack Sprat was used of people of small stature in the sixteenth century. This rhyme was an English proverb from at least the mid-seventeenth century. As with many nursery rhymes, Jack Sprat may have originated as a

23. Old Mother Hubbard

Lyrics: Old Mother Hubbard

Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard,
To give her poor dog a bone;
But when she got there
The cupboard was bare,
And so the poor dog had none.

She went to the baker’s
To buy him some bread;
When she came back
The dog was dead.

She went to the undertaker’s
To buy him a coffin;
When she got back
The dog was laughing.

She took a clean dish
To get him some tripe;
When she came back
He was smoking a pipe.

She went to the alehouse
To get him some beer;
When she came back
The dog sat in a chair.

She went to the tavern
For white wine and red;
When she came back
The dog stood on his head.

She went to the hatter’s
To buy him a hat;
When she came back
He was feeding the cat.

She went to the barber’s
To buy him a wig;
When she came back
He was dancing a jig.

She went to the fruiterer’s
To buy him some fruit;
When she came back
He was playing the flute.

She went to the tailor’s
To buy him a coat;
When she came back
He was riding a goat.

She went to the cobbler’s
To buy him some shoes;
When she came back
He was reading the news.

She went to the sempster’s
To buy him some linen;
When she came back
The dog was a-spinning.

She went to the hosier’s
To buy him some hose;
When she came back
He was dressed in his clothes.

The dame made a curtsy,
The dog made a bow;
The dame said, “Your servant,”
The dog said, “Bow-wow.”

Song

The number of stanza for this nursery rhyme vary over the years. This rhyme, though non-nonsensical and quite entertaining, is stilled used in education.

24. Five Toes

Lyrics: Five Toes

This little pig went to market;
This little pig stayed at home;
This little pig had roast beef;
This little pig had none;
This little pig said, “Wee, wee!
I can’t find my way home.”

Song

This rhyme is usually counted out on an infant or toddler’s toes, starting with the big toe and ending with the little toe. A foot tickle is added during the “Wee…all the way home”.

25. Simple Simon

Lyrics: Simple Simon

Simple Simon met a pieman,
Going to the fair;
Says Simple Simon to the pieman,
“Let me taste your ware.”

Says the pieman to Simple Simon,
“Show me first your penny,”
Says Simple Simon to the pieman,
“Indeed, I have not any.”

Simple Simon went a-fishing
For to catch a whale;
All the water he could find
Was in his mother’s pail!

Simple Simon went to look
If plums grew on a thistle;
He pricked his fingers very much,
Which made poor Simon whistle.

He went to catch a dicky bird,
And thought he could not fail,
Because he had a little salt,
To put upon its tail.

He went for water with a sieve,
But soon it ran all through;
And now poor Simple Simon
Bids you all adieu.

Song

The verses used today are the first of a longer chapbook history first published in 1764

26. Lady Ladybird

Lyrics: Ladybird, Ladybird

Ladybird, ladybird,
fly away home,
Your house is on fire
And your children all gone;
All except one,
And that’s little Ann,
And she crept under
The warming pan.

Song

This verse has several popular forms. The names of the children also changes to Nan or Anne.

27. Pat-a-cake

Lyrics: Pat-a-cake

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake,
Baker’s man!
So I do, master,
As fast as I can.

Pat it, and prick it,
And mark it with T,
Put it in the oven
For Tommy and me.

Song

This nursery rhyme is one of the oldest. It comes from a time when households, with an oven, brought their cakes from a local baker or bake house at a small fee. Marking the pastry would have been a way to ensure the return of the proper item.

This nursery rhyme is also a clapping game between two people. If told by a parent to a child, the “B” and “baby” in the last two lines are sometimes replaced by the child’s first initial and first name.

28. Hot Cross Buns

Lyrics: Hot-Cross Buns

Hot-cross Buns!
Hot-cross Buns!
One a penny, two a penny,
Hot-cross Buns!

Hot-cross Buns!
Hot-cross Buns!
If ye have no daughters,
Give them to your sons.

Song

Hot Cross Buns was an English language street cry, later became a nursery rhyme. It refers to the spiced English confection known as a hot cross bun. Hot cross buns are associated with the end of Lent and is eaten on Good Friday in various countries.

29. Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary

Lyrics: Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary

Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
Silver bells and cockle-shells,
And pretty maids all of a row.

Song

This is an English nursery rhyme that has religious and historical significance.

30. Coffee And Tea

Lyrics: Coffee and Tea

Molly, my sister and I fell out,
And what do you think it was all about?
She loved coffee and I loved tea,
And that was the reason we couldn’t agree.

SONG

31. The House That Jack Built

Lyrics: The House That Jack Built

This is the house that Jack built.
This is the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the maiden all forlorn,
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built

This is the man all tattered and torn,
That kissed the maiden all forlorn,
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the priest all shaven and shorn,
That married the man all tattered and torn,
That kissed the maiden all forlorn,
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the cock that crowed in the morn,
That waked the priest all shaven and shorn,
That married the man all tattered and torn,
That kissed the maiden all forlorn,
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the farmer sowing the corn,
That kept the cock that crowed in the morn,
That waked the priest all shaven and shorn,
That married the man all tattered and torn,
That kissed the maiden all forlorn,
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn,
That tossed the dog,
That worried the cat,
That killed the rat,
That ate the malt
That lay in the house that Jack built.

Song

There are other versions of this nursery rhyme. The rhyme derived from an Aramaic (Jewish) hymn Chad Gadya (“One Young Goat”).

32. Itsy Bitsy Spider

Lyrics: Itsy Bitsy Spider

The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the waterspout.
Down came the rain
and washed the spider out.
Out came the sun
and dried up all the rain
and the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again.

Song

There are other versions for this popular nursery rhyme and finger play that describes the adventures of the spider.

33. One Misty Moisty Morning

Lyrics: One Misty Moisty Morning

One misty moisty morning,
When cloudy was the weather,
I chanced to meet an old man,
Clothed all in leather.
He began to compliment
And I began to grin.
How do you do? And how do you do?
And how do you do again?

Song

34. Old King Cole

Lyrics: Old King Cole

Old King Cole
Was a merry old soul,
And a merry old soul was he;
He called for his pipe,
And he called for his bowl,
And he called for his fiddlers three!
And every fiddler, he had a fine fiddle,
And a very fine fiddle had he.
“Twee tweedle dee, tweedle dee,” went the fiddlers.
Oh, there’s none so rare
As can compare
With King Cole and his fiddlers three.

Song

There is much speculation as to who King Cole was; but it has been suggested it could be a reference to the “Prince that Built Colchester” and a 12th-century cloth merchant named Cole-brook and Sir Walter Scott

35. A Week of Birthdays

Lyrics: A Week Of Birthdays

Monday’s child is fair of face,
Tuesday’s child is full of grace,
Wednesday’s child is full of woe,
Thursday’s child has far to go,
Friday’s child is loving and giving,
Saturday’s child works hard for its living,
But the child that’s born on the Sabbath day
Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay.

Songs

36. What Are Little Boys Made Of

Lyrics: What Are Little Boys Made Of?

What are little boys made of, made of?
What are little boys made of?
“Snaps and snails, and puppy-dogs’ tails;
And that’s what little boys are made of.”

What are little girls made of, made of?
What are little girls made of?
“Sugar and spice, and all that’s nice;
And that’s what little girls are made of.”

Song

37. For Want Of A Nail

Lyrics: For Want of a Nail

For want of a nail, the shoe was lost;
For want of the shoe, the horse was lost;
For want of the horse, the rider was lost;
For want of the rider, the battle was lost;
For want of the battle, the kingdom was lost,
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

Song

“For Want of a Nail” is a proverb, having numerous variations over several centuries, reminding that seemingly unimportant acts or omissions can have grave and unforeseen consequences.

38. The Pumpkin-Eater

Lyrics: The Pumpkin-Eater

Peter, Peter, pumpkin-eater,
Had a wife and couldn’t keep her;
He put her in a pumpkin shell,
And there he kept her very well.
Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater

Song

39. Little Tom Tucker

Lyrics: Little Tom Tucker

Little Tom Tucker
Sings for his supper.
What shall he eat?
White bread and butter.
How will he cut it
Without e’er a knife?
How will he be married
Without e’er a wife?

Song

To ‘sing for one’s supper‘ was a proverbial phrase by the seventeenth century. To ‘sing for one’s supper’ was a proverbial phrase by the seventeenth century in reference to the idea one has to perform a service in order to be feed.

40. Wee Willie Winkie

Lyrics: Wee Willie Winkie

Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town,
Upstairs and downstairs, in his nightgown;
Rapping at the window, crying through the lock,
“Are the children in their beds? Now it’s eight o’clock.”

Song

The poem is a popular Scottish poem.

41. Birds Of A Feather

Lyrics: Birds Of A Feather

Birds of a feather flock together,
And so will pigs and swine;
Rats and mice will have their choice,
And so will I have mine.

Song

42. Where Are You Going

Lyrics: Where Are You Going My Pretty Maid

“Where are you going, my pretty maid?”
“I’m going a-milking, sir,” she said.
“May I go with you, my pretty maid?”
“You’re kindly welcome, sir,” she said.
“What is your father, my pretty maid?”
“My father’s a farmer, sir,” she said.
“What is your fortune, my pretty maid?”
“My face is my fortune, sir,” she said.
“Then I can’t marry you, my pretty maid.”
“Nobody asked you, sir,” she said.

Song

43. Diddle Diddle Dumpling

Lyrics: Diddle Diddle Dumpling

Diddle diddle dumpling, my son John
Went to bed with his breeches on,
One stocking off, and one stocking on;
Diddle diddle dumpling, my son John.

Song

There are a few variation of this nursery rh

44. A Candle

Lyrics: A Candle

Little Nanny Etticoat
In a white petticoat,
And a red nose;
The longer she stands
The shorter she grows.

Song

45. Humpty Dumpty

Lyrics: 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
Cannot put Humpty Dumpty together again.

Song

This is an old English nursery rhyme, originally a riddle because the rhyme does not state that it is about an egg, describe a character. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, in the 17th century the term “humpty dumpty” referred to a drink of brandy boiled with ale. It has been considered that the riddle is about a short and clumsy person.

46. Jack

Lyrics: Jack

Jack be nimble, Jack be quick,
Jack jump over the candlestick.

Song

There are many more fabulous nursery rhymes for children to learn.

47. Star Light, Star Bright

Lyrics: Star Light, Star Bright

Star light, star bright,
The first star I see tonight;
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Have the wish I wish tonight.

Star Light, Star Bright is a popular traditional nursery rhyme with origins in superstition dating from the the nineteen century. This nursery rhyme is recited most during the sighting of a shooting in the expectation of good luck.