I understand that there can be value in the rhythm of Mother Goose and other “traditional” nursery rhymes–but frankly, I grew up only learning a handful of these, and I don’t think I lost much of my childhood from not growing up with the Mother Goose canon. Please comment below, and I’m happy to add and adjust. I’m sure there are more popular tunes I have missed too. Goosey Goosey Gander made me pause when I first heard it in a Mother Goose on the Loose storytime–and the suggested origins of that rhyme don’t make me want to teach it to babies and toddlers.īefore I get further into this conversation, check out this wonderful document with many sources cited regarding the history of some of the songs and rhymes mentioned above and more. You may think differently of Shoo Fly Don’t Bother Me when you read Urban Dictionary’s definition of “fly in the buttermilk.”īeyond the songs that had racial slurs in their origins–stop and think for a minute about the words in Baa Baa Black Sheep or I’ve Been Working on the Railroad. I don’t regularly see Eeny Meeny Miny Moe used in storytimes but, just in case you do use that tune, know that some of the original words were racial slurs. The problems with Five Little Monkeys (which derives from Shortin Bread) and Ten Little Indians are talked about fairly frequently. You won’t find many nursery rhymes on this list.

Rhymes with Problematic and Racist Origins I separated Baby Bounce Rhymes, designed for babies in arms or in laps, into a different post. They often develop fine and gross motor skills, practice following directions, and can also connect to any number of other concepts like counting, letter sounds, animal sounds, and more. Rhymes are often (but not always) shorter than a song, as they are often used as short breaks to get some wiggles out between longer material.

Sometimes they can include Flannel or Magnet pieces. These aren’t quite Fingerplays (but there may be a lot of overlap). Rhymes designed to get kids up and moving are a staple of any storytime.

Peek a boo i see you rhyme