Hush Little Baby is a traditional lullaby that has its origins in folk music. No one is exactly sure where it came from, but it’s believed to originate in the southern USA in the early 20th century. Over the years, a variety of versions of Hush Little Baby was sung, with different melodies and lyrics. …
She Sells Seashells is a tongue twister that was made popular by Terry Sullivan in 1909. There are many claims online that the ditty is a tribute to Mary Anning, a pioneering paleontologist from the 19th century. Although this would be a delightful explanation for this rhyme, there’s no evidence at all that this was …
La Cucaracha is a traditional folk song from Spain with unclear origins. Some sources suggest that it dates back to the Middle Ages, but the song is a “corrido” which means that the lyrics were regularly changed to reflect the politics, culture, or cause of the day. Because of these many different versions, it’s impossible …
Over the River and Through the Woods has its roots in Thanksgiving, with the original version by Lydia Maria Child published in 1844. The lyrics are the author’s own recollections of visiting family during childhood at Thanksgiving. It was first written as a poem titled “The New England Boy’s Song about Thanksgiving Day” and at …
One Two Buckle My Shoe is one of the oldest nursery rhymes which is still popular today. It can be traced back to Massachusetts in around 1780, but it wasn’t until 1805 that it was published across the ocean in London. The rhyme is a counting song, created to help children learn their numbers similar …
While most nursery rhymes are designed for young children, Miss Susie Had a Steamboat is one that’s designed for older children due to the slightly saucy content. The nursery rhyme gradually grew and expanded on existing songs from the early 20th century which was more adult in nature. The tune is shared with some other …
Some nursery rhymes are thinly veiled disguises for their true meaning, but that’s not the case with The Muffin Man – it really is about a man who sold muffins! Drury Lane is a real place in London and in the 19th century, when this nursery rhyme was written there would have been many “muffin …
The Wheels on the Bus is a very popular nursery rhyme that combines simple hand gestures with repetitive verses which are easy to learn. This makes it a great pick for younger audiences and ideal for group activities such as toddler and nursery groups. Verna Hills from Massachusetts was credited as being the author in …
The Queen of Hearts is a poem and nursery rhyme with a very interesting history.According to the Baring-Goulds in The Annotated Mother Goose, “The Queen of Hearts” nursery rhyme first appeared in print in 1782, in the European Magazine. This source and the Opies in The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes concur that there were …
I Saw a Ship A-Sailing is one of the most fun nursery rhymes for kids to learn. Little is known about the origin of the song but there is substantial speculation that it is about Sir Francis Drake, an English admiral during the 16th century, who commanded slave ships and circumnavigated the world in search …
