For generations, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles have passed on their favourite childhood songs to their children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces. They in turn have passed them on to the next generation, and so on. Most of these songs were written anonymously by poets, who may have had a flair for how children learn, as many of these songs have an educational value as well as being a lot of fun to sing.

Most of these are sung with young children at home or at playgroups and schools or out-of-school activities, such as play schemes across the country, often with slight regional differences. Whichever version they use, these are among the first verses children learn, and which they will rarely forget. It is also their first step into the world of literature, which they will hopefully embrace.

Alphabet Songs

Who could forget the classic 'Alphabet Song'? This song is very popular, maybe because it is the only traditional song that includes the whole alphabet. This is a popular song in the US, thanks to the children's education show Sesame Street, which has been transmitted in other countries across the world since 1969.

'The Alphabet Song'

A - B - C - D - E - F - G
H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P
Q - R - S - T - U and V,
W - X - Y and Z¹
Now I know my A - B - Cs
Next time you can sing with me².

Counting Songs

There are numerous songs and rhymes to help children learn to count. The following are some of the popular counting songs.

'Five Currant Buns'

This song encourages discussion and compromise, as the children get to choose the name of who goes to the baker's shop, before singing the song.

Five currant buns in a baker's shop,
Round and fat with a cherry on the top,
Along came (insert name) with a penny one day
Bought a currant bun and took it away

Four currant buns in a baker's shop,
Round and fat with a cherry on the top,
Along came (insert name} with a penny one day.
Bought a currant bun and took it away.

Continue the same with three, two and one currant bun

'One, Two, Buckle My Shoe'

One, two, buckle my shoe,
Three, four, open the door,
Five, six, pick up sticks,
Seven, eight, lay them straight (or 'Garden Gate'),
Nine, ten, the big fat hen,
Eleven, twelve, dig and delve,
Thirteen, fourteen, maids a-courting,
Fifteen, sixteen, maids in the kitchen,
Seventeen, eighteen, ladies waiting,
Nineteen, twenty, my plate's empty.

'One, Two, Three, Four, Five'

Also known as 'Once I Caught A Fish Alive', this was written in the 19th Century as an educational rhyme, intended to help children learn to count.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
Once I caught a fish alive,
6, 7, 8, 9, 10,
Then I let it go again.
Why did you let it go?
Because it bit my finger so,
Which finger did it bite?
This little finger on the right.

'This Old Man' (Knick-Knack Paddywhack)

Also known as the children's marching song

This old man, he played one,
He played knick-knack on my thumb;
With a knick-knack paddywhack,
Give a dog a bone,
This old man came rolling home.

This old man, he played two,
He played knick-knack on my shoe;
With a knick-knack paddywhack,
Give a dog a bone,
This old man came rolling home.

This old man, he played three,
He played knick-knack on my knee...etc.

This old man, he played four,
He played knick-knack on my door...etc.

This old man, he played five,
He played knick-knack on my hive...etc.

This old man, he played six,
He played knick-knack on my sticks...etc.

This old man, he played seven,
He played knick-knack up in Heaven...etc.

This old man, he played eight,
He played knick-knack on my gate...etc.

This old man, he played nine,
He played knick-knack on my spine...etc.

This old man, he played ten,
He played knick-knack once again...etc.

'One Man Went to Mow'

One man went to mow,
Went to mow a meadow,
One man and his dog,
Went to mow a meadow.

Two men went to mow,
Went to mow a meadow,
Two men, one man and his dog,
Went to mow a meadow.

Three men went to mow.
Went to mow a meadow,
Three men,
Two men,
One man and his dog,
Went to mow a meadow.

It is customary to end this song at 'Ten men went to mow', but it could continue indefinitely.

Other versions include

'One man, his dog Spot, a sausage roll, a bottle of pop'...etc.

'One man, his dog Spot, woof, woof'...etc.

'Ten Green Bottles'

Children learn through repetition, something the following two songs have in common, as well as counting from 10 downwards.

Although this is traditionally sung as '10 Green Bottles' you could replace it with '10 Bottles of Pop' or, if with a very young child, '10 Teddy Bears'. The options are endless.

Ten green bottles
Hanging on the wall
Ten green bottles
Hanging on the wall
And if one green bottle
Should accidentally fall
There'll be nine green bottles
Hanging on the wall

This continues with:

Nine green bottles
Hanging on the wall...etc.

And finishes with:

One green bottle
Hanging on the wall
One green bottle
Hanging on the wall
If that one green bottle
Should accidentally fall
There'll be no green bottles
Hanging on the wall

'Ten In A Bed'

There were ten in a bed
And the little one said
'Roll over, roll over'
So they all rolled over
And one fell out

This continues with:

There were nine in a bed
And the little one said...etc

And finishes with:

There was one in a bed
And the little one said
'Good night!'

There are regional variations to this song. The following can be sung between the verses, so if you have just sung the 'There were seven in bed' verse it would be:

Bumped his head,
And gave a shout.
Please remember,
To tie a knot in your pyjamas,
Single beds are only made for (then shouted) Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, six in the bed and...

Another version is:

Bumped his head,
And gave a shout,
Please remember,
To tie a knot in your pyjamas,
Single beds are only made for (then shouted) One, two, three, four, five, six in the bed and...

Animal Songs

Probably one of the best loved animal songs is 'How Much Is That Doggy in the Window?', which was a number one hit in the British singles charts in 1953 for Lita Rosa. Another favourite is 'The Animals Went in Two by Two'.

'Horsey, Horsey'

Horsey, Horsey introduces children to words that imitate the sound they denote³, like 'swish' and 'clippetty-clop', which when pronounced convey the sounds a horse might make when trotting along.

Although there is a full version of 'Horsey, Horsey', it is the chorus (below) which is best known.

Horsey, horsey, don't you stop,
Just let your feet go clippetty-clop,
Your tail goes swish,
And the wheels go round,
Giddy up, we're homeward bound.

'Five Little Ducks'

Some incorporate both animals and counting. There is a message in this song about a mother's sadness and worry when her little ones go astray.

Five little ducks went swimming one day,
Over the hills and far away.
Mother duck said
'Quack, quack, quack,'
But only four little ducks came back.

Continues with:

Four little ducks went swimming one day,
Over the hills and far away...etc.

The last verse being:

No little ducks went swimming one day,
Over the hills and far away
Mother duck said
'Quack, quack, quack,'
And five little ducks came swimming back.

'There Was An Old Woman'

This next one is a nonsense song; but it is fun and entertaining.

There was an old woman who swallowed a fly,
I don't know why she swallowed a fly,
Perhaps she'll die.

There was an old woman who swallowed a spider,
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her,
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,
I don't know why she swallowed the fly,
Perhaps she'll die.

There was an old woman who swallowed a bird,
How absurd! to swallow a bird,
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her,
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,
I don't know why she swallowed the fly,
Perhaps she'll die.

There was an old woman who swallowed a cat,
Imagine that! to swallow a cat... etc.

There was an old woman who swallowed a dog,
What a hog! to swallow a dog... etc.

There was an old woman who swallowed a goat,
Just opened her throat! to swallow a goat... etc.

There was an old woman who swallowed a cow,
I don't know how she swallowed a cow!... etc.

There was an old woman who swallowed a horse,
She's dead—of course!

'Old MacDonald Had A Farm'

This popular farm song can have as many verses as your knowledge of farm animals and their sounds: eg sheep, pigs, ducks, dogs or even mechanical objects like tractors.

Old MacDonald had a farm,
Eee eye eee eye oh!
And on his farm he had some chicks,
Eee eye eee eye oh!
With a cluck-cluck here,
And a cluck-cluck there
Here a cluck, there a cluck,
Everywhere a cluck-cluck
Old MacDonald had a farm
Eee eye eee eye oh!

Old MacDonald had a farm,
Eee eye eee eye oh!
And on his farm he had some cows,
Eee eye eee eye oh!
With a moo-moo here,
And a moo-moo there
Here a moo, there a moo,
Everywhere a moo-moo

With a cluck-cluck here,
And a cluck-cluck there
Here a cluck, there a cluck,
Everywhere a cluck-cluck
Old MacDonald had a farm,
Eee eye eee eye oh!

Old MacDonald had a farm,
Eee eye eee eye oh!
And on his farm he had some pigs,
Eee eye eee eye oh!
With an oink-oink here,
And an oink-oink there
Here an oink, there an oink,
Everywhere an oink-oink

With a moo-moo here,
And a moo-moo there
Here a moo, there a moo,
Everywhere a moo-moo
With a cluck-cluck here,
And a cluck-cluck there
Here a cluck, there a cluck,
Everywhere a cluck-cluck
Old MacDonald had a farm
Eee eye eee eye oh!

'Gee Up Neddy'

Gee up Neddy to the fair,
What shall we buy when we get there,
Halfpenny apple or a penny pear,
Gee up Neddy to the fair.

Action Songs

These songs have recognised actions for them. Like the songs themselves, there may be slight regional differences.

'I'm a Little Teapot'

I'm a little teapot
Short and stout,
Here's my handle (Bend right arm, and place on hip, to make a handle)
Here's my spout. (Hold left arm out, in the shape of spout)
When the tea is ready,
Hear me shout,
Tip me up and pour me out. (Lean to left as if pouring tea)

'Row, Row, Row Your Boat'

Children sit in pairs opposite each other, join both hands and sway back and forth in time to the song.

Row, row, row your boat,
Gently down the stream,
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.

Alternative for the last two lines:

If you see a crocodile,
Don't forget to scream!

'If You're Happy And You Know It'

Ideal for group singing around a camp fire, or at school, Cubs, Brownies, Guides, etc.

If you're happy and you know it,
Clap your hands, (clap, clap)
If you're happy and you know it,
Clap your hands, (clap, clap)
If you're happy and you know it,
And you really want to show it,
If you're happy and you know it,
Clap your hands. (clap, clap)

If you're happy and you know it,
Stamp your feet, (stamp, stamp)...etc.

If you're happy and you know it,
Shout 'We are!' ('We are!')...etc.

If you're happy and you know it,
Do all three, (clap, clap, stamp, stamp, 'we are')...etc.

Travelling Songs

Singing any songs will make a long journey seem shorter, especially if you are in stuck in a traffic jam. A particular favourite travelling song is 'The Runaway Train'. If you're travelling with children prone to travel-sickness, singing may help to alleviate symptoms.

'The Wheels On The Bus'

An all-round entertaining song for a bus journey:

The wheels on the bus go round and round,
round and round, round and round.
The wheels on the bus go round and round,
all day long.

The wipers on the bus go Swish, swish, swish;
Swish, swish, swish; Swish, swish, swish.
The wipers on the bus go Swish, swish, swish,
all day long.

The horn on the bus goes Beep, beep, beep;
Beep, beep, beep; ...etc.

The money on the bus goes, Chink, chink, chink;
Chink, chink, chink; ...etc.

The bell on the bus goes ding-ding-ding
ding-ding-ding; ...etc.

The babies on the bus go 'Wah, wah, wah;
Wah, wah, wah' ...etc.

The people on the bus go 'chatter, chatter, chatter;
Chatter, chatter, chatter' ...etc.

Playground Songs

Playground songs are a great way for children to interact and make friends.

'The Farmer's In His Den'

A group of children, already having selected a 'farmer', form a circle around him, hold hands and dance round singing the song. At the end of the wife verse the farmer chooses his 'wife' from the circled group, who then joins him in the middle, and the song continues with the last one chosen choosing the next from the verse, it being the 'wife' who will choose a 'child', the 'child' then choosing a 'dog', and so on. The child who is the 'bone' is the farmer for the next round.

The choices can be different, depending on the amount of children playing. For example a 'nurse' can be chosen after 'child', and then the 'nurse' could choose the 'dog'.

The farmer's in his den
The farmer's in his den
Eee eye addy-oh
The farmer's in his den

The farmer wants a wife
The farmer wants a wife
Eee eye addy-oh
The farmer wants a wife

The wife wants a child...

The child wants a dog...

The dog wants a bone...

We all pat the dog...

All participating children pat the 'dog'.

Miscellaneous

'Puff, the Magic Dragon' and 'Teddy Bears' Picnic' are also popular children's songs.

'My Grandfather's Clock'

This song was written by American musician Henry Clay Work. It was not written for a young audience, but it became a popular children's song, both in America and the UK. The popularity of 'My Grandfather’s Clock' was such that it achieved the changing of the name of the previously known cabinet clock, to 'grandfather clock', and the smaller cabinet clock to 'grandmother clock'.

My grandfather's clock was too large for the shelf,
So it stood ninety years on the floor;
It was taller by half than the old man himself,
Though it weighed not a pennyweight more.
It was bought on the morn of the day that he was born,
And was always his treasure and pride;
But it stopp'd short - never to go again!
When the old man died.

Chorus
Ninety years without slumbering (tick, tick, tick, tick),
His life seconds numbering (tick, tick, tick, tick),
It stopp'd short - never to go again!
When the old man died.

In watching its pendulum swing to and fro,
Many hours had he spent while a boy;
And its childhood and manhood the clock seemed to know
And to share both his grief and his joy.
For it struck twenty-four when he entered at the door,
With a blooming and beautiful bride;
But it stopp'd short - never to go again!
When the old man died.

(Repeat chorus)

'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star'

'The Star', as it was originally titled, was written in 1806 by poet Jane Taylor. The first verse consisted of just the first four lines, the repeating of the first two lines at the end being added over time. There are five verses, but only the first verse is well-known.

Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are,
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are.

'Rock a Bye Baby'

Many a baby has been rocked to sleep with this lullaby, which appears to have its origins in American history. Apparently, a young pilgrim boy had watched Native American women bend and fasten birch tree branches, to make a cradle.

Rock a bye baby on the tree top,
When the wind blows the cradle will rock,
When the bough breaks the cradle will fall,
And down will come baby, cradle and all.

'See-Saw, Margery Daw'

The suggested origin for this song is that it was sung by muscle-bound men, to keep time while sawing large logs, using a two-handled saw. Margery was apparently a name used by poor country folk in the 18th and 19th century, and the meaning of Daw is believed to be 'an untidy person'.

See-saw, Margery Daw,
Jack shall have a new master,
He shall have but a penny a day,
Because he won't work any faster.

'We are Redmen'

An old song, which used to be popular at Brownie and Cub meetings. More recently, this has fallen out of favour owing to concerns over its potentially politically incorrect lyrics - we've kept the song here as a historical record of a once-popular song.

We are the red men, tall and quaint
in our feathers and war paint,
Pow wow, pow wow.

Chorus:
We're the men of the Old Dun Cow,
All of us are red men, feathers in our head men
down among the dead men,
Pow wow, pow wow.

We come home from hunts and wars
greeted by our long-nosed squaws⁴,
Pow wow, pow wow.

(Chorus)

We can fight with sticks and stones,
bows and arrows, bricks and bones,
Pow wow, pow wow.

(Chorus)

'Frère Jacques'

Probably the first French words most children learnt, without knowing that the song was French or what it meant. 'Brother John', the English version, follows.

Frère Jacques,
Frère Jacques,
Dormez vous?
Dormez vous?
Sonnez les matines,
Sonnez les matines,
Din, din, don! Din, din, don!

Are you sleeping,
Are you sleeping?
Brother John?
Brother John?
Morning bells are ringing,
Morning bells are ringing,
Ding ding dong, Ding ding dong.

Other Childhood-Themed Entries

• 'Oranges and Lemons' - The Nursery Rhyme
• Playground Games
• Foxy - A playground game
• How to Play Red Letter
• Children's Party Games
• Classic Children's Toys
• How to Play the Recorder
• Rainbow Guides
• Marbles
• Conkers