“Frosty the Snowman” is a popular kids song written in 1950 by Walter Rollins and Steve Nelson. It was first recorded by “The Singing Cowboy” Gene Autry. The song proved to be very popular and charted instantly in 1950 and […]
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Betty Botter is one of the toughest yet more popular English tongue twisters. Originally it was known as “The Butter Betty Bought” and it was written by Carolyn Wells. Since its first publication in 1899, Betty Botter has suffered many
Kookaburra is an Australian children’s song and round, well known in all English-speaking countries, composed by professor Marion Sinclair in 1932. It refers to the Kookaburra, a bird that lives in Australia that “sits in the old gum tree”, a
The traditional song “Down by the Bay” was brought back to the public’s attention in 1976 when the children’s musician Raffi included it in the album “Singable Songs for the Very Young”. Although an old song, it is still popular
Most likely referring to the ears of a hound or hare “Do Your Ears Hang Low” is a group song, sung by kids together when going camping or participating in various activities. The children’s version of this song comes from
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“Five little pumpkins” is a children’s Halloween and counting song. It also has an educational meaning, teaching the little ones about how to handle the fear by and choosing the have fun together over being scared or runaway. “Five Little
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“Oh Danny Boy” is a modern ballad, mainly associated with Irish folk and sharing the same tune with the traditional Londonderry Air. A 1913 composition by Frederic Weatherly, “Danny Boy” was actually made known by vocalist Elsie Griffin in 1915.
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly is a cumulative song that tells the story as funny as it is absurd of a woman who after swallowing a fly, and then a spider that has to catch the
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“The Ants Go Marching” is a fun and easy rhyme that helps little ones count. The tune of the melody is based on the American Civil War song “When Johnny Comes Marching Home”. “The Ants Go Marching” Gesture Play When
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“Kumbaya”. also known as “Come By Here”. is a song that is deeply linked to African American culture. Its exact origins are disputed but it was sung in the lowland areas of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. It was first
“Daisy Bell”, also known as “Bicycle Built for Two” is a popular folksong written in 1892 by Harry Dacre. The song’s lyrics most likely refer to the Countess of Warwick, Daisy Greville, one of King Edward VII. Daisy Bell is
Fuzzy Wuzzy is one of the most popular tongue twisters. The origins of this nursery rhyme aren’t clear but the term “fuzzy wuzzy” was used to describe the Hadendoa warriors in Sudan in a 1892 poem by Rudyard Kipling. The
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The origins of this American folk song are quite uncertain. “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” rhyme can be tracked back to a similar old African American folk song around 1894, about working on a Mississippi River levee. The final
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The original version of the English carol “O Cristmas Tree” is and German song “O Tannenbaum”. Here are the lyrics in German accompanied by the English translation. “O Tannenbaum” Lyrics “O Tannenbaum” German Lyrics O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,Wie treu sind
Today a very popular Christmas song in America “O Christams tree” was originally written in German by composer Ernst Anschütz (1824) more as an ode to the beauty and permanence of the evergreen fir tree. It was supposed to be
“Miss Susie had a steamboat” (or Lucy, Mary and other names) is an old jump-rope song. Nowadays the song is more widely associated with a clapping game. It shares its tune with another popular jump rope song called “Miss Lucy
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“De Colores” (Of colors) is a popular and beloved song in Spanish-speaking countries, with unclear origins. Associated mainly with Mexican folklore was most likely imported in Americas from the colonial period. “De Colores” Lyrics Canción “De Colores” En Español De
Inspired by an old traditional English rhyme for children, “Mairzy Doats” is a 1943 composition by Milton Drake, Al Hoffman, and Jerry Livingston. The unintelligible lyrics of “Mairzy Doats” have a very pleasant melodic line and can be decrypted as
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The popular Thanksgiving song “Over the River and Through the Wood” was originally published as a poem entitled “The New-England Boy’s Song about Thanksgiving Day”. The lyrics, which belong to the well-known writer Lydia Maria Child, represent her own childhood
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Alouette, one of the most popular French songs known worldwide, is about plucking the feathers of a lark. Alouette Song Origins Most probably Alouette song has French-Canadian origin as the first published version appeared in Montreal at McGill College where
The Italian song “Funiculì, Funiculà” dates from 1880 and was originally written in the Neapolitan dialect by composer Luigi Denza and journalist Peppino Turco (lyrics) to inaugurate the first funicular cable on Mount Vesuvius. Besides the literary translation in English
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The famous Italian song “Bella Ciao” is a protest anthem sung around the world as an anti-fascist symbol of resistance and freedom. Who sang the original “Bella Ciao”? This version is an adaptation of an old song from the late
The Spanish song “La Cucaracha” became popular during the Mexican revolution around 1910. With quite obscure Spanish origins, the song was modified over time by groups and individuals according to spontaneous situations, cultural and political events. We can therefore consider
“Guess What?” “Chicken Butt!” is a beloved playground song we can easily use to cheer up our kids as it makes everybody laugh and the little ones just adore the spontaneity of the dialogue. They also love the use of
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This nursery rhyme has appeared in many different forms accross time. It was first published in 1726 in “A Learned Dissertation on Dumpling” with the name “Nauty Pauty Jack-a-Dandy”. A similar version to the current one appeared in 1850 in
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Once I Saw a Little Bird is a fun nursery rhyme that was first published in “An Alphabet Of Old FriendsAn Alphabet Of Old Friends” by Walter Crane in 1874. Often times the rhyme is accompanied by certain actions kids
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Draw a Pail of Water (known in the USA as “Draw a bucket of water”) is an traditional nursery rhyme that first appeared published in “The Nursery Rhymes of England: Obtained Principally from Oral Tradition” by James Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps in
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This short and little known nursery rhyme was first published in the 19th century in 1881 in “Mother Goose or the Old Nursery Rhymes”. In this poem “Joan” rhymes with “alone”. “Here I am, Little Jumping Joan”Lyrics Here am I,
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Oh My Darling Clementine is one of the most popular folks songs from the 19th century. It is believed it was written by Percy Montrose in 1884 based on a song called “”Down by the River Liv’d a Maiden” by
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Alice the Camel or sometimes known as Sally the Camel is a classic nursery rhyme that teaches kids to count down. To make the song more interactive, kids can show the number of fingers on their hand with each new
To Bed, To Bed also known as “Come, Let’s to Bed” is a nursery rhyme that first appeared published in “Traditional Nursery Songs of England With Pictures by Eminent Modern Artists” by Sir Henry Cole in 1843 and later republished
Who Killed Cock Robin is an old English nursery rhyme and poem dating back to the 18th century. It was first recorded in “Tommy Thumb’s Pretty Song Book” in 1744. The meaning of this poem are shrouded in mystery. There
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The Three Wise Men of Gotham is a nursery rhyme that first appeared in 1765 in Mother Goose’s Melody. It was since then republished and readapted countless of times. The nursery rhyme refers to the villagers in Gotham in south
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Dance to your Daddy, sometimes known as “When the Boat Comes In” is a nursery rhyme first published in 1849 in “Songs of the bards of the Tyne” by Joseph Robson. It became popular again in the 1970s when a
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Cackle, Cackle, Mother Goose is an old nursery rhyme whose origins remain unclear. It is one of the few songs that include a reference to “mother goose” a phrase so much linked to nursery rhymes. The “mother goose” often refers
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This Little Light of Mine is a traditional gospel song meant for children. It was written by Harry Dixon Loes in the 1920s. It is a religious song especially popular during Christmas. Ray Charles performed a single based on the
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Eeper Weeper is a morbid old traditional nursery rhyme that has fallen out of use in recent times as its content (a chimney sweeper killing his second wife and hiding her body) is not considered child-friendly anymore. It is questionable
How Many Days Has My Baby to Play is a traditional nursery rhyme that first appeared in England. It is a very simple and short rhyme that teaches the kids the days of the week. “How Many Days Has My
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Little Robin Redbreast is an old traditional rhyme that first appeared in the first ever anthology of nursery rhyme named “Tommy Thumb’s Pretty Song Book” published around 1744. Another different version of Little Robin Redbreast appeared in the 1833 version
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Here are the Lady’s Knives and Forks also sometimes known as Here are Mother’s Knives and Forks is a short song with a fingerplay associated to it. The tune of the song is very similar to the more popular Pop
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Little Poll Parrot is a sweet old nursery rhyme about animals. If was first printed in one of James Orchard Halliwell’s books. It is worth mentioning that in olde English tea rhymed with away. “Little Poll Parrot” Lyrics Little Poll
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The origins of Willy Boy, Willy Boy are unclear but it was first seen published in the 1881 book “Mother Goose or the Old Nursery Rhymes” by Kate Greenaway. “Willy Boy, Willy Boy, Where Are You Going? ” Lyrics Willy
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Way Up High in the Apple Tree is a rhyme that has a fingerplay associated with it. The second line can be changed with any number instead of “two” and the song can be repeated, each time with one less
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The first mention of Daffydowndilly was in the title of a novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1843 called “Little Daffydowndilly”. It is not known when the rhyme was first sung but one slightly modified version (the petticoat is fine, not
Sometimes simply known as “The Robin”, the origins of this popular rhyme are unclear but given the olde English use of “doth” it might go as far back as the 16th century England. “The North Wind Doth Blow” Lyrics The
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Thirty Days Hath September also sometimes known as “The Days of the Month” is a rhyme used to remember how many days there are in a certain month. The use of the “Hath” instead of the modern “Has” leads us
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This fun little poem has unknown origins. Structurally it bears some resemblance to rhymes like “If all the World Was Apple Pie” or “If all the World Were Paper“. “If All the Seas Were One Sea” Lyrics If all the
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She Sells Seashells, also known as Sally Sells Seashells is an old tongue twister made popular by Terry Sullivan in 1909. The phrase was a popular tongue twister even before that, “She Sells Seashells” appearing in the 1 December 1871
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Little Tommy Tucker is an old nursery rhyme first documented in 1744. Little is known about who Tommy Tucker but the name might be a blanket name given to any orphan. In some versions of the song the bread is
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Zoom Zoom is a fun song that is popular among preschoolers. It is also associated with a fun action game. Game Instructions Whenever the “zoom, zoom, zoom” part starts, hands are rubbed together while rocking them up in the air.
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