A nursery rhyme is a traditional poem or song that originates from the UK and is also used in various countries. Though the term only dates back to the late 18th/early 19th century, nursery rhymes’ history spans much further. Nursery rhymes began to be recorded in English plays during the mid-16th century, and many of the most popular nursery rhymes originated from the 17th/18th century.
Many old nursery rhymes were first published in editions of Mother Goose’s Melody in 1780. Surprisingly, many nursery rhymes weren’t originally written for children; some have a dark history. Since many of these traditional tales stretch back to the 14th century, they have some very curious beginnings.
Given how old nursery rhymes are and how long they’ve been around, some traditional rhymes have lost all meaning to modern audiences, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the rhythmic pleasure and nostalgia that comes with passing favorite nursery rhymes from generation to generation. It also helps that nursery rhymes are super catchy; once you learn them, they’re difficult to forget! You probably haven’t heard Humpty Dumpty since you were a kid, but we bet you remember every word.
The benefits of learning nursery rhymes
Not only are nursery rhymes hugely entertaining, but they also offer many benefits for you and your class. Children are soaking up information like sponges from a young age, and everything they do adds to their physical and cognitive development. Here are just a few of the ways children benefit from learning nursery rhymes:
- Babies and young children will improve their pronunciation and develop auditory skills when singing nursery rhymes. They also might develop an ear for music and set a course for a creative musical career, all because of a love of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. In addition, singing rhymes will help little ones articulate and enunciate words and practice pitch, tone, and volume.
- Miming the actions from nursery rhymes is another great way to build on the educational capabilities of these songs and verses. Children learn to associate speaking words with physical activities and strengthen their muscle memory and brain cognition.
- Fine motor skills are developed with continual practice. So whether children are miming actions to their favorite rhymes, coloring in pictures of Incy Wincy Spider, or writing out verses, they’re always building important skills.
