A few days back, I visited my friend. Her 1.5 year old daughter started reciting twinkle-twinkle and she wanted all of us to do the actions she was doing. Imagine all of sitting and doing the pom pom action with our hands. Slowly we proceeded to Ring a ring o’roses wherein all of us had to be a part of her going round in circles. The worst part of the game was that we also had to fall. When I thought of cheating her, she patted on the floor and said aunty sit.
So when I saw this category today, I thought I should write about it. I think all the kids grow up with a good dose of nursery rhymes. It is also fun to see how they relate to most of the rhymes. They love some of them while, they refuse to recite a few others.
In my opinion, the idea to teach the little kids these verses are to assist them in the development of their vocabulary. Some verses helps in counting, some help in associating an object (or nature) with something else. In addition, the actions, motion of the head, and the little dance steps are associated with the rhymes. So believe it or not, this also helps in the development of the child.
Some of the rhymes that I have always liked are as follows (in no particular order)
1. Twinkle
Twinkle twinkle little star,
how I wonder what you are?
Up above the world so high,
like a diamond in the sky.
This is probably the fist rhyme we teach the kids. This helps in associating the word twinkle and diamond with stars. Also, the motion of the hands helps to understand the effect of twinkling.
2. Black Sheep
Baa baa black sheep, have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full!
One for the master, one for the dame,
And one for the little boy who lives down the lane.
This rhyme associates the animal (sheep) with its sound (baa) what it gives the mankind (wool).
3. One two buckle the shoes
One two buckle my shoe
Three, four, knock at the door
Five, six, pick up sticks
Seven, eight, lay them straight
Nine, ten, a big fat hen
This is a counting based rhyme.
4. 1-2-3-4-5
One, two, three, four, five.
Once I caught a fish alive.
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
Then I let it go again.
Why did you let it go?
Because it bit my finger so.
Which finger did it bite?
This little finger on my right.
This is one more counting based rhyme is 1-2-3-4-5 which is taught at a later stage.
5. Jack n 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 got Jack, and home did trot
As fast as he could caper
He went to bed and bound his head
With vinegar and brown paper.
During my days, I distinctly remember that we just had the first four lines. I have heard my daughter recite this extended nursery rhyme.
6. Chubby Cheeks
Chubby cheeks, dimple chin
rosy lips, teeth within.
Curly hair, very fair,
eyes are blue, lovely two
teachers pet is that you?
Yes, yes, yes!
This poem teaches the kids the parts of the face and probably how gives an idea how they can make a face beautiful. I know I used to like it and my daughter liked it too!
7. Ring a Ring
Ring a ring o’rose
A pocketful of posies
hasha, husha
We all fall down.
This is probably, one of the fun filled rhymes that kids love to sing and enact. Children stand in a circle holding hands. Then they either move or skip in one direction as they sing the song. At the end of the last line, the group fall down into a heap. It does not end it that, then you can hear them laugh with glee. I often wondered what this rhyme meant. A few years back, I read that this rhyme was written during the time there was plague in Europe. It seems the people were made to smell posies. Sometimes people became ok, else they died after sneezing (ah-tishoo, ah-tishoo) or after a deep breathe (hasha, husha). So hasha, husha is somethimes substituted by ah-tishoo, ah-tishoo.
8. 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 Dumpty together again!
Apart from ’’Ring a ring o’roses’’ this was another fun filled rhyme.
9. 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,
Oh wasn’t 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 parlour eating bread and honey
The maid was in the garden hanging out the clothes,
When down came a blackbird and pecked off her nose!
This is one of the rhymes that has been close to my heart for reasons unknown.
10. Mary had a Little Lamb
Mary had a little lamb its fleece was white as snow;
And everywhere that Mary went, the lamb was sure to go.
It followed her to school one day, which was against the rule;
It made the children laugh and play, to see a lamb at school.
This is a cute one!
Nostalgic? No problem! Enjoy the child in you.