Nursery Rhymes

Sing, say or read several nursery rhymes together. Give the kids a chance to sing or say them by themselves too. You can also say them as the children participate in each of the corresponding activities.

Click on the any of the images above to view and/or print.

Twinkling Moon & Star Mobile

Provide star and moon shapes, glitter, glue, yarn and paper plates for the kids to make & hang mobiles. Use the paper plate as the top base, punch holes in it for the yarn to tie to. After the stars and moons are decorated and dried, punch a hole in each of them and hang them on the yarn from the plate.

Click on the image to view and/or print.

Kitten Mitten Match

Provide several pairs of mittens for the children to mix up and match together.

Click on the image to view and/or print.

Jack’s Candlestick Jump

Use an unlit candle or make a candlestick out of a paper towel tube with tissue paper for the flame. Teach the kids the rhyme. Then recite it for each child, replacing Jack with their name. Let them jump over the candlestick.

Click on the image to view and/or print.

Miss Muffet’s Curds

Warm up 2 cups of whole milk and add 1 tsp of vinegar. Stir as curds (milk solids) separate from whey (liquid). Strain curds, gently press with paper towel. Sprinkle with salt, refrigerate and eat as cottage cheese. You could also flavor it (cinnamon, orange, vanilla, pb, etc), stir it & eat it warm on crackers.

Click on the image to view and/or print.

Pat-A-Cake Bakery

Display the rhyme and set up a bakery for children to pretend play. Props could include: hats, aprons, cookie cutters, baking pans, rolling pins, mixers, spoons, bowls, play bakery food, baskets, signs, play dough can be used as bakery dough at a table, etc.

Click on the image to view and/or print.

Candle Making

Invite someone to visit and demonstrate how to make candles, or take a field trip to a craft center so the children can watch candles being made.

Click on the image to view and/or print.

Hey Diddle Dish and Spoon Setting

Use attached place setting (laminated). Let the children match silverware and dishes to the pictures on the outline in preparation for a snack or meal. After practicing, let them try setting the table without the pictures.

Click on and of the images above to view and/or print.

Mary’s Little Lamb

Have the children paint a hand print on a piece of construction paper. When the paint is dry, let them cover the palm with cotton balls. Turn the hand print upside down, add eyes on thumbs,etc. Now they have their own little lambs.

Click on the image to view and/or print.

1, 2, Buckle My Shoe with props

Collect props (buckling shoe, door- be near one, sticks, picture or toy hen), use them to say or sing the rhyme "1, 2, Buckle My Shoe" together. It's a good rhyme to practice counting.

Click on the image to view and/or print.

Nursery Rhymes Journal Page

Read a book about nursery rhymes then hand out a journal sheet with this question on it: "If you could be a character from a nursery rhyme, who would you be? Why?" Record the children's responses and let them draw a picture to go along with their response.

Click on the image to view and/or print.

Jack & Jill’s

Add water, pails and scoopers to the sensory table for the children to explore. Display and say the rhyme together too.

Click on the image to view and/or print.

Hickory Dickory Dock Clock

Draw and cut out a large clock from cardboard or use a real clock. Move the hands of the clock and see if the children can identify the numeral. If the children are older, you can explain how the short hand helps to tell us what hour it is. Let them have a turn moving the hands.

Click on the image to view and/or print.

Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Tasters

Provide a variety of pumpkin foods (muffins, pie, seeds, pumpkin cooked like squash, etc) for the children to have a pumpkin tasting party. Be sure to display and say the rhyme together.

Click on the image to view and/or print.

Nursery Rhymes Lesson Plan

Click on the image to view and/or print.