Nursery Rhyme Activities

From LoveToKnow Baby

Nursery rhyme activities are fun to do with your toddler or a whole roomful of children. Whether you need some ideas for your child's birthday party, or you just want some fun activities to do on a rainy Saturday afternoon, LoveToKnowBaby can help! Keep reading for some great nursery rhyme activities to enjoy with your baby or share with your preschoolers!

Five Fat Peas

Children love to play this nursery rhyme activity. Instruct your child to hold up his hands as he sings the following song:

Five fat peas in a pea pod pressed (children hold hand in a fist)
One grew, two grew, so did all the rest. (put thumb and fingers up one by one)
They grew and grew (raise hand in the air very slowly)
And did not stop,
Until one day the pod went POP! (children clap hands together)

Mother Goose Waddle Race

This is a fun game to play with a group of children. You’ll need the following items:

2 Balls
2 chairs or garbage cans

Divide the children into teams. Give the first person on each team a ball, and instruct them to place the ball between their knees. Place the cans or chairs at least twenty feet away from the teams. When the teacher or adult gives a signal, the children will waddle as fast as they can down to and around the cans or chairs and back to their teammates with the ball between their knees. They must pass the ball to their teammates without using their hands, and the next teammate repeats the procedure. The first team to make it around the cans or chairs and back to the start wins.

Jack Be Nimble Sack Race

This game is lots of fun. You’ll need the following:

At least 2 cloth or burlap sacks
Two chairs, garbage cans, or cones

The children are divided into teams. The first member on each team is given a sack. They must hop in the sack down to the chair, garbage can, or cone, then, hop around it and back to their teammates. They’ll need to help the next teammate get into the sack to repeat the same activity. The first team to have all of their members circle the chair by hopping in the sack wins.

Humpty Dumpty Egg Race

Be sure you play this one outside. It could get messy! You’ll need the following:

At least one dozen eggs, uncooked
Package of plastic spoons
2 Chairs, cans, or cones

Divide the children into teams, and hand the first member of each team a spoon and an uncooked egg. When a signal is given, the first member of each team will try to run while balancing the egg on the spoon. He must run down to the chair, can, or cone, circle it and come back to his teammate without dropping the egg.

Nursery Rhyme Activity Scavenger Hunt

What child doesn’t love to go on a scavenger hunt? This is a simple hunt that even preschool children can do if the questions are read to them.

How many bags of wool did Baa Baa Black Sheep have? (3 bags)
Where did Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater keep his wife? (Pumpkin shell)
In Mary Had a Little Lamb, what made the children laugh and play? (The lamb)
What was Little Miss Muffet eating while sitting on her tuffet? (Curds and whey)
What did the dish do in Hey Diddle Diddle? (Ran away with the spoon)
What did Georgie Porgie do to make the girls cry? (Kissed the girls)
In Hickory, Dickory Dock, what did the mouse do before the clock struck one? (The mouse ran up the clock)
Why did Jack and Jill go up the hill? (To get a pail of water)
What happens when the little teapot in I'm a Little Teapot gets all steamed up? (It shouts.)
How old was the peas porridge in Peas Porridge Hot? (Nine days old.)