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This article was first published in April 2020

Singing nursery rhymes at home together is great fun, but it can also encourage a whole range of skills from confidence and independence to learning the alphabet. In our nursery rhyme videos you’ll find ideas for songs to try, and hear from parents about why they sing with their child.

This is the way we brush our hair

Tips

• Building songs like this one into your routine can help your child become more independent.

• Singing together makes everyday tasks more fun, and can help get them done faster!

• Start off by using actions or doing the task together as you sing, then let your child have a go independently.

Ten plastic bottles

Tips

• Household jobs are a great chance to make up silly songs together.

• Singing around the house and adapting rhymes you already know are a great way to build your child’s confidence with language.

• Listening to the lyrics of uplifting songs can inspire your child to emulate a character’s bravery, confidence or curiosity.

The alphabet song

Tips

• Singing songs like this one at home can help support your child’s learning.

• When children enjoy singing they often make up their own words and songs, which is great for imagination and creativity.

• Being familiar with the alphabet song can help your child to recognise and pronounce letters and sounds, and support their phonics.

Head, shoulders, knees and toes

Tips

• Big movements, like dancing, help develop muscles for smaller movements, like writing, and dancing is great for your child’s coordination too.

• Singing together is a lovely way to bond as a family and livens up everyday tasks.

• Nursery rhymes and songs can help children remember all sorts of information, from numbers and letters to the days of the week in Spanish!

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