What is the practice?
Nursery rhymes are a way of using simple, repetitive poems with your young child that can be especially fun and enjoyable parent–child activities. Rhyming games help infants pay attention to sounds, provide opportunities to “ask for more,” and to become familiar with sounds and words.
What does the practice look like?
The best nursery rhymes are ones that include some type of movement or some type of touching. The movement or touching will help your child learn the connection between different sounds and words and different things that happen as part of hearing a nursery rhyme. Imagine a parent reciting the words to Baby’s Name while tickling and touching her daughter who listens to every sound and watches every movement. You can just see why nursery rhymes are so much fun!
How do you do the practice?
Nursery rhymes are not only fun and enjoyable; they have an important purpose. They are simple parent– infant games that help your child be an active partner in listening to, doing, and saying the nursery rhyme. Try different rhymes to fnd ones that your child especially enjoys.
How do you know the practice worked?
- Does your child try to make any of the nursery rhyme movements?
- Does your child show signs that she knows what is about to happen?
- Does your child make sounds while playing the games?
Dancing Fingers
Fingers are up, (Wiggle fngers, pointing up)
Fingers are down. (Wiggle fngers, pointing down)
Fingers are dancing, (Make fngers appear to dance)
All over town. (Run dancing fngers on the child’s tummy)
Blow, Wind, Blow
See the trees move (Move your arm back and forth)
To and fro.
See the trees move
Blow wind, blow. (Gently blow on child’s tummy or face)
Make Baby Smile
I can make baby smile. (Gently touch the child’s mouth)
By tickling her toes, (Tickle the child’s feet)
I can make baby smile (Gently touch the child’s mouth)
By kissing her on the nose! (Kiss the child on his or her nose)
Baby’s Name
What is your name? (Point to the child)
I just want to know. (Point to yourself)
Your name is _____. (Say the infant’s name)
Hello, hello, hello! (Wave to the child)
Blow Me A Kiss
Tell me you love me, (Cross your heart)
And blow me a kiss. (Blow the child a kiss)
Aim good and straight (Gently place the child’s hand on his or her mouth)
So you don’t miss. (Pretend to catch the kiss)
Take a look at more fun with nursery rhymes
Do It Again!
Little Charlene is lying stretched-out on her back on her mother’s legs looking up at her. Mom starts what has become a familiar game between mother and her 3-month-old daughter. She says, “Can you smile for me? I can make Charlene smile by tickling her toes. I can make Charlene smile by kissing her nose!” Charlene has learned to lift her leg to have her toes tickled, and she starts to blink her eyes anticipating having her nose kissed. Her mom asks, “Do you want to play again?” Charlene squeals and gets excited to tell her mom to “do it again!”
Meal Time Sing-Along
Nine-month-old Jilly is sitting in her highchair while her mother fxes her something to eat. Mom and Jilly have turned this everyday routine into a kind of sing-along. Mom starts by saying, “It’s time to eat (pointing to her mouth while making the sign for eat). Let’s get ready. It’s time to eat! (pointing to Jilly’s mouth while making the sign for eat). You’ll feel so happy (while smiling to Jilly).” Jilly tries to con- tinue the game by putting her hand up to her mouth. Her mother repeats the made-up nursery rhyme, but this time Jilly touches her mother’s mouth and then her own. The more they play, the more excited Jilly gets, clearly showing delight in playing the game.
Dancing Fingers
Three-month-old Suzette is not able to lift her hands or arms because of a rare muscular condition, but her mother has fgured out how to entertain her daughter with nursery rhymes. She plays Dancing Fingers with Suzette by holding her daughter’s arm up in the air and using her fngers to move Suzette’s fngers. Suzette clearly enjoys this game by looking at her mother’s face. She even tries to get her mother to continue the game by making sounds and by getting ex- cited. Her mother has noticed that Suzette is trying as hard as she can to move her fngers on her own as Mom recites the nursery rhyme.
