Pop Goes the Weasel
All around the mulberry bush
The monkey chased the weasel
The monkey thought it was all in fun
Pop! Goes the weasel.
A penny for a spool of thread
A penny for a needle
That’s the way the money goes
Pop! goes the weasel
This classic jack-in-a-box song is also fun to sing aloud. Try chasing each other in a circle, then jumping high when you yell, “Pop!” If you’re feeling crafty, you could even make simple sock puppets of a monkey and weasel to enhance your play.
Three Blind Mice
Three blind mice. Three blind mice.
See how they run. See how they run.
They all ran after the farmer’s wife,
Who cut off their tails with a carving knife
Did you ever see such a sight in your life,
As three blind mice?
The lyrics sound downright ghoulish to adults, so don’t be alarmed when minis embrace this sing-song nursery rhyme and find it funny. Oh, toddlers
Do You Know the Muffin Man?
Oh, do you know the muffin man,
The muffin man, the muffin man,
Oh, do you know the muffin man,
That lives on Drury Lane?
Oh, yes, I know the muffin man,
The muffin man, the muffin man,
Oh, yes, I know the muffin man,
That lives on Drury Lane.
This classic nursery rhyme originated in England, where Drury Lane is a real road (in London), still in use. There’s something about the silly repetition that toddlers just love, and hey, you might even be inspired to bake a batch of muffins.
This Old Man
This old man, he played one,
He played knick-knack on his drum;
With a knick-knack paddywhack,
Give the dog a bone,
This old man came rolling home.
This old man, he played two,
He played knick-knack on his shoe;
With a knick-knack paddywhack,
Give the dog a bone,
This old man came rolling home.
Continue counting to 10 with these rhymes:
he played three / on his knee
he played four / on his door
he played five / on his hive
he played six / on his sticks
he played seven / up in heaven
he played eight / on his gate
he played nine / on his spine
he played ten / once again
So your toddler is strapped into his stroller and doesn’t want to be? This long and silly song will get you where you need to go. It even teaches counting!
Ring Around the Rosy
Ring around the rosy
A pocket full of posies
Ashes, ashes
We all fall down!
Hold hands and turn in a circle while you sing, then plop down to the floor for “we all fall down!” Kids can do this a thousand times, but for the sake of mama’s knees, try to play it on the carpet, not the hard wood.
