Favorite Songs & Rhymes for Baby Storytime

In four years of presenting my baby storytimes, I have used at least 100 different songs, rhymes, and bounces. (Yes, I counted once.) Here are my greatest hits! These are the ones that I use over and over again (a couple of them every week), because they seem to work so well for the babies.

Why do these work? Many of them are old standards, so even families who are new to my storytime can join in right away. And because I like them, I repeat them, so even if they aren’t familiar at first, my families learn them quickly.

But another reason they are successful is that these are the songs *I* love to sing and the bounces and rhymes that make *me* laugh. By all means start here if you’re looking for ideas, just remember YOUR top twenty list will look different than mine!

Mel’s Top Twenty Songs, Rhymes, and Bounces for Baby Storytime

Songs

I’ve included links to storytime posts on this blog where the words are written out. If there’s no link, you will be able to find the words easily on the web.

Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes
The Wheels on the Bus
Itsy Bitsy Spider
Where Is Thumbkin?
Roll Roll Sugar Babies
Over In the Meadow
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
If You’re Happy and You Know It
Down Around the Corner
Bumping Up and Down In My Little Red Wagon

Fingerplays

I like these rhymes for the babies (12-24 months) because they don’t require TOO much super fine motor control. If they move their hands and arms a little bit, they can participate successfully!

Big Round Sun
This Little Train
Two Little Blackbirds
Here Is the Beehive
This is Big, Big, Big

Bounces

Nothing puts me in a better mood than seeing a circle of babies get lifted up in the air all in the same time. Wheee!

A Hunting We Will Go
I’m A Little Beetle
Trot Trot To Boston
I’m a Little Cuckoo Clock
The Royal Duke of York

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