Rhymes for All Ages

Birth to Three Months
During this developmental period, your child may enjoy movements which help him learn the boundaries of his body, important people in his life and his surrounding environment. Developing a bond with his caregivers is critical and songs and rhymes are a perfect tool to fasciliate such a bond. Try rhymes such as: This Little Piggy Went to the Market, Hickory Dickory Dock or Round and Round the Garden. You can sing lullabies such as Rock-a-Bye Baby, Bye Baby Bunting, Hush Little Baby or All Through the Night while rocking and cuddling your child. A gentle human voice can calm a baby. Use nursery rhymes such as Georgie Porgie Pudding Pie, Hey Diddle, Diddle, and Little Miss Muffett.



Three to Six Months
Most babies at this age are social and eager to interact and learn all there is to know about their new world. At this age a baby can communicate, with different cries, discomfort, hunger, impatience, frustration and even boredom. She will babble and experiment with different sounds. Great rhymes for this age include knee ride songs such as: To Market, To Market; Ride a Cock Horse and Trot, Trot, Trot, Trot. While bathing your baby use rhymes such as Rub-a-Dub-Dub or Splish Splash. Enjoy other well-known nursery rhymes, songs and finger plays such as Eensy, Weensy Spider or Pat-a-Cake. Sing and dance with your baby to songs like The Bear Went Over the Mountain, You Are My Sunshine, Teddy Bear Picnic and other similar songs. Recite nursery rhymes such as Old King Cole, There Was a Crooked Man or There Was an Old Woman. Remeber, babies love repetition for that is how they learn.

Six to Nine Months
At this age, baby is becoming more mobile and is sitting, crawling, standing and discovering things. Baby's constant babbling is beginning to sound more like real words and his "baby-talk" has a range of tones similar to adults such as questions, commands and descriptions. Ankle rides and knee bouncing rhymes are often a favorite past time at this age and he might like Tom, Tom the Piper's Son; Humpty Dumpty; See Saw Marjory Daw and Leg Over Leg. Sing This is the Way We Wash Our Hands while washing hands and sing A Hunting We Will Go, The Grand Old Duke of York and She'll be Coming Around the Mountain with homemade musical instruments.

Nine to Twelve Months
Now baby is climbing, crawling, cruising and possibly walking. It is important to talk to your child about everything you or she are doing and provide names for things. She is imitating language and some words may even sound like real words, and she is starting to recognize and use meaningfully, rhymes, tones and facial expressions of language. These rhymes will have meaning and learning: Old McDonald; Head and Shoulders; Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and Jack and Jill. As interest in words grow, continue reciting nonsense verse and more complex rhymes so they hear the richness in their language. Use tongue twisters such as Peter Piper. Enjoy added rhymes such as The Muffin Man, Jack Sprat, and Little Tommy Tucker.

Remember, remember the importance of interacting with your child through rhymes, songs, chants and books. There is so much for your baby to learn.