World Nursery Rhyme Week

18 – 22 November 2019

World Nursery Rhyme Week is a fantastic time to have some fun with nursery rhymes; through song, dance and play.
Did you know through singing nursery rhymes together you can help your child’s development and bond with them? Even if you’re singing skills aren’t the greatest, or you feel you can’t sing, teaching your child nursery rhymes can help them develop their language and vocabulary skills, as well as literacy, numeracy, social skills and coordination.

Most of us have that one favourite rhyme we like, we asked around the office to see what everyone’s favourite one is;

“I love Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. “
– Sam

“If I had to choose just one, I would pick Wind the Bobbin up. “
– Karin

“Little Miss Muffet is my favourite nursery rhyme.”
– Jade

“My favourite one is This Little Piggy, because I always do that one with my nephew.”
– Alice

Let us know in the comments below which is your favourite!

Most Hampshire Libraries host a RhymeTime or Toddler Time session for you to bring your little ones to; some even have multiple ones a week. These are free, volunteer led, drop-in groups where nursery rhymes and songs are sung with you and your child (if they are old enough).
These sessions are aimed at the under 5’s, so there is usually a range of ages from newborns to preschoolers; but all ages are bound to enjoy the sessions.

The sessions are a great opportunity to bond with your baby, meet new people and just have a bit of fun. All singing abilities are welcome, remember; it’s for fun so no matter if you have a voice like Adele or sound more like a cat in distress when singing, there’s a space for you in these sessions.
Find when a group is meeting at your local library on our website, for both RhymeTime and ToddlerTime.

If you would like to refresh your memory on nursery rhymes, or just learn some new ones to sing with your little ones, check out these lovely books that you can borrow from Hampshire Libraries:

Hickory, dickory dock and other favourite nursery rhymes.
illustrated by Genine Delahaye

A super selection of classic nursery rhymes! Sing along with fun action rhymes including ‘Pat-a-Cake’ and ‘I’m a Little Teapot,’ then get ready for bed with soothing lullabies such as ‘Rock-a-Bye-Baby.’ Warmly illustrated with adorable animal characters, this sturdy board book is perfect for little ones!

This little piggy and other favourite nursery rhymes
illustrated by Genine Delahaye

This illustrated collection is packed with all your favourite nursery rhymes! Children will love learning fun action rhymes such as ‘The Wheels on the Bus’ and ‘Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes’ and singing along with sweet songs including ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’!

Nursery rhyme time: favourite rhymes and lullabies

This classic book of rhymes is filled with all the songs and verses you will remember from childhood and will want to pass on to a new generation of children. The book is filled with Beatrix Potter’s classic artwork.

Incy wincy spider: a lift-the-flap, sing-along book
illustrated by Richard Merritt

‘Incy Wincy Spider’ combines lively pictures with a classic rhyme that’s easy for parents and carers to recognise and recite. Young children will adore searching the page for flaps to open while singing along. The spotting game at the end is a great incentive to go through the pages once again until each tiny thing is found.

Nursery rhymes
by Roger Hargreaves

Mr Bump sat on a wall, Mr Bump had a great fall. It’s time for some nursery rhymes with the Mr Men! This fun book includes lots of popular nursery rhymes with their own Mr Men twist! The Mr Men and Little Miss have been delighting children for generations with their charming and funny antics.