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2. Be face to face

Have you ever tried to have a conversation with someone who is several feet taller than you? Its quite difficult! When you are talking to your child get down to their level and look at them. It also helps to get their attention if yoy say their name.

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Rhymes and Songs to Sing Together

Getting Started

Babies are soothed by the rhythm of their mother's heart even before they are born. After birth babies and young children continue to enjoy and respond to all kinds of rhythm, rhymes and songs. Joining in rhymes and songs will help your child learn new words, develop skills in turn taking, listening and joining in. - all essential skills for communicating. Its also lots of fun!

Here are some tips to help you get you started..

  • Begin with familiar rhymes and songs in your own language
  • Make it fun
  • Use actions to keep them interested
  • Give lots of praise when they join in
  • Add variety and rhythm by using body percussion (tapping, clapping hands, stamping feet)
  • Keep it short, stop before they get bored

If you are not sure of the words or feel a bit shy you can always use CD's to sing along and dance to with your child until you feel more confident. Remember that your children love the sound of your voice and they won't mind if you make up the words or don't always sing in tune!

As well as rhymes and songs let your children hear and enjoy all kinds of music and have fun making up their own.

Rhymes and songs to share

Birth to 2 years

Pat-a-Cake

Pat-a-Cake

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker man.
Bake me a cake as fast as you can.
Roll it and pat it and mark it with B,
And put it in the oven for baby and me!

Line 1: Pat hands together
Line 2: Circle hand in a mixing action
Line 3: Make a rolling and patting action
Line 4: Place hands with palms facing up

Humpty Dumpty

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 together again.

Bounce your baby on your lap in time with the rhythm.

 

2 to 3 years

Incey Winsey Spider

Incey Winsey Spider Incey Winsey Spider climbed up the water spout.
Down came the rain and washed the spider out.
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain,
So Insey Wincey Spider climbed up the spout again.

Line 1: Join the left index fingertip to right thumb tip and the right index fingertip to the left thumb tip. Keeping one fingertip and thumb tip touching, swing the other pair up to touch each other again. Repeat this "climbing" motion going "up the water spout"
Line 2: Sprinkle fingers down and make a sweeping motion for "washed the spider out"
Line 3: Make a big sunshine (circle with your arms)
Line 4: Make your climbing fingers for the final verse.

Row Row Row Your Boat

Row Row Row Your Boat

Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.

Face each other , join hands and rock forwards and backwards

3 to 5 years

Old Macdonald

Old Macdonald

Old MacDonald had a farm, E I E I O,
And on his farm he had a cow, E I E I O.
With a moo moo here and a moo moo there,
Here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo moo.
Old MacDonald had a farm, E I E I O.

Old MacDonald had a farm, E I E I O,
And on his farm he had a sheep, E I E I O.
With a baa baa here and a baa baa there,
Here a baa, there a baa, everywhere a baa baa.
Old MacDonald had a farm, E I E I O.
Old MacDonald had a farm, E I E I O,

And on his farm he had a duck, E I E I O.
With a quack quack here and a quack quack there,
Here a quack, there a quack, everywhere a quack quack.
Old MacDonald had a farm, E I E I O.

The Wheels on the Bus

The Wheels on the Bus

The wheels on the bus go round and round,
round and round,
round and round.
The wheels on the bus go round and round,
all day long
(Roll hands around each other)

The wipers on the bus go Swish, swish, swish;
Swish, swish, swish;
Swish, swish, swish.
The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish,
all through the town.
("Swish" hands in front of you like windshield wipers)

The horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep;
Beep, beep, beep;
Beep, beep, beep.
The horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep,
all through the town.
(Slap palm in front of you like honking a horn)

The doors on the bus go open and shut;
Open and shut;
Open and shut.
The doors on the bus go open and shut;
all through the town.
(Push hands back and forth in front of you)

The driver on the bus says "Move along please ,move along please , move along please"
The Driver on the bus says "Move along please",
all through the town.
(Point thumb over your shoulder)

The babies on the bus says "wah, wah, wah;
Wah, wah, wah;
Wah, wah, wah".
The babies on the bus says "wah, wah, wah",
all through the town.
(Rub fists in front of eyes)

The mummies on the bus says "shush, shush, shush;
Shush, shush, shush;
Shush, shush, shush."

The mummies on the bus says "shush, shush, shush"
all through the town.
(Hold index finger in front of mouth as if saying shhh)

Links

Follow the links below to find more rhymes and songs to share and sing along to.

http://www.indianchild.com/nursery%20rhymes.htm
http://www.teachersandfamilies.com/nursery/index.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/music/

Click on the links below for more tips and information about having fun with songs, rhymes and music.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/parents/yourchild/prebirth_18mnths/index.shtml

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