How Many Nursery Rhymes Should a 2-Year-Old Know?

A 2-year-old should know 8 different nursery rhymes off by heart or at least be on their way so that they know 8 by the time they are 4-years-old. A study carried out in the US* found that children, who know eight nursery rhymes off by heart by age 4, were usually among the best readers in their class by the time they were eight.

What are Nursery Rhymes?

Nursery Rhymes are traditional songs and rhymes which are taught to small children from birth. They are a great way for older generations to connect with the younger generation as the same songs may have been sung to them when they were little.

Nursery rhymes are a great way of teaching new vocabulary to children in a fun and enjoyable way using well-known tunes and actions.

Why are Nursery Rhymes Important?

Nursery rhymes introduce a vast array of new words to young ears in an enjoyable way. Babies and children love to sing and move and nursery rhymes are perfect for allowing this.

They allow children opportunities to practise movement and social skills as often rhymes are accompanied by actions or collaborative movements such as ‘Row, Row, Row Your Boat’.

Some nursery rhymes also incorporate counting and other mathematical vocabulary. “Once I Caught A Fish Alive” for example.

What Nursery Rhymes Should I Teach My Child?

Here are our family’s favourite nursery rhymes:

• Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
• The Wheels on the Bus
• Wind the Bobbin Up
• 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Once I Caught A Fish Alive
• 3 Little Ducks
• Row, Row, Row Your Boat
• Old McDonald
• Incy-Wincy Spider
• Baa Baa Black Sheep
• Hickory Dickory Dock
• The Grand Old Duke of York
• Ring-a-Ring-a-Roses
• I’m A Dingle-Dangle Scarecrow
• This Little Piggy

Here’s a video of some of our favourites on Youtube:

What Activities Can I Do Linked to Nursery Rhymes?

We use a nursery rhyme bag. I sewed some fabric and made a little bag with a drawstring. I, then, found images relating to each nursery rhyme and printed out the images and laminated them. My daughter can then pick a picture out of the bag and we get to sing that nursery rhyme.

We also attend a playgroup where the leader has a bag of soft toys and the children pick one out. Each one relates to a nursery rhyme and we get to sing those songs.

Tuff Trays – Why not create some activities based around a nursery rhyme?

Humpty Dumpty – Using toy eggs, recreate humpty dumpty breaking.

Incy Wincey Spider – Using pipe cleaners, make a spider and have your little one thread beads onto the spider’s legs.

* Fox, Mem – Why Reading Aloud To Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever (2001)