Action songs for toddlers are a fun and fantastic way to see how quickly our not-so-little toddlers can watch and learn actions for our favourite songs.
Starting from when our babies are inside our belly, you can often read how it is beneficial to sing songs to them or even play varied styles of music.
From around the 25 week mark in pregnancy it is said that our babies can hear outside noises and respond with a little kick or some kind of movement.
This just shows how songs are an essential and enjoyable part of our little munchkin’s growth.
Have you ever played a song and seen your son/daughters face light up with joy?!
Now they are at the age where they are starting to move around and stand up on their own two feet, there is nothing better than getting them involved with some dance moves and actions to songs.
They may even pick up on some of the words and start repeating those too.
Don’t worry, you don’t need to have a good singing voice and you may look rather silly exaggerating all of the actions but only your enthusiastic toddler will be looking (and appreciating your moves).
Head Shoulders Knees And Toes
“Heads, shoulders, knees and toes
Knees and toes
Heads, shoulders, knees and toes
Knees and toes
And eyes and ears and mouth and nose
Heads, shoulders, knees and toes
Knees and toes.”
This song can be kept as simple or complex as you want. The basic song is above.
With each mention of the word, touch that part of the body.
If you would like to make the song longer, try missing out a body part and replace with a one second pause.
“(Pause), shoulders, knees and toes
Knees and toes
(Pause), shoulders, knees and toes
Knees and toes
And eyes and ears and mouth and nose
(Pause), shoulders, knees and toes
Knees and toes.”
If you would like to continue, simply add an extra pause to the next verse until you are left with a song full of silence.
“(Pause),(pause), knees and toes
Knees and toes
(Pause), (pause), knees and toes
Knees and toes
And eyes and ears and mouth and nose
(Pause), (pause), knees and toes
Knees and toes.”
Incy Wincy Spider
“Incy Wincy Spider climbed up the waterspout, Down came the rain and washed the spider out. Out came the sunshine and dried up all the rain. So Incy Wincy Spider climbed up the spout again”
This is a cute short song where we can use our fingers to imitate a spider climbing up our toddlers arm.
As the spider gets washed out, tickle their arm moving in a downwards direction to show how the spider would fall out of the waterspout.
If you are lucky, your toddler will eventually start copying this on you it will feel like a nice 5* massage (in our dreams).
I promise this isn’t child labour and they will love doing this to mummy.
We also have an Incy Wincy Spider book which we use to play the music as we are doing the actions.
Old McDonald Had A Farm
“Old McDonald had a farm e-i-e-i-o, And on that farm he had a cow e-i-e-i-o. With a moo moo here and a moo moo there. Here a moo, there a moo. Everywhere a moo moo. Old MacDonald had a farm e-i-e-i-o."
This fun song is wonderful for our toddlers to learn the animal noises.
The song is very repetitive making it all that much easier and faster to learn.
Other than making the animal sounds, you could even take it to the next level and imitate the animals such as pretending you have wings whilst singing the chick verse.
Animal sounds are very often some of the first noises that our little learners will say.
An Old Macdonald Had A Farm book is by the same publishers.
Baby Shark
“Baby shark, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo Baby shark, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo Baby shark, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo Baby shark."
Each time change “Baby shark” with the following;
- “Mommy shark”
- “Daddy shark”
- “Grandma shark”
- “Grandpa shark”
- “Let’s go hunt”
- “Run away”
- “Safe at last”
- “It’s the last”
This song is one of the most recent and undeniably slightly more annoying of the songs- especially if you find the music to play along with your singing.
However despite it being irritating for us mummies, our little ones seem to LOVE it!
Myself and my daughter have only recently started to sing this song as we were searching for car entertainment.
Within only a few times of listening to this song, she is copying the actions.
As soon as the music starts she is wiggling and jiggling around.
There are quite a few variations of this song so you can easily make your own words to add or change as you go.
Row Row Row Your Boat
“Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream, Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily life is but a dream. Row, row, row your boat gently down the brook, If you catch a little fish let it off the hook. Paddle, paddle, paddle your boat gently down the stream, If you see a crocodile don’t forget to scream! Row, row, row your boat gently up the river, If you see a penguin there don’t forget to shiver. Sail, sail, sail your boat out into the bay, If you see a pirate ship, sail the other way! Sail, sail, sail your ship safely to the shore, If you see a lion there, don’t forget to ROAR! Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream, Merrily merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.”
We love pretending that we are rowing the boat ourselves.
Put your little one on your lap and take hold of their hands.
Move backwards and forwards as singing the song. The more exaggerated the moves, the more excited the little ones become.
At the end of each verse try and make an ending noise eg. “If you see a crocodile, don’t forget to scream” and let out a big scream.
The Wheels On The Bus
“The wheels on the bus go round and round Round and round Round and round The wheels on the bus go Round and round All through the town. The wipers on the bus go Swish, swish, swish Swish, swish, swish Swish, swish, swish The wipers on the bus go Swish, swish, swish All through the town. The horn on the bus goes Beep, beep, beep Beep, beep, beep Beep, beep, The horn on the bus goes Beep, beep, beep All through the town. The doors on the bus go Open and shut Open and shut Open and shut The doors on the bus go open and shut All through the town. The driver on the bus says "Move on back Move on back Move on back" The driver on the bus says "Move on back" All through the town. The babies on the bus says "Wah, wah, wah Wah, wah, wah Wah, wah, wah" The babies on the bus says "Wah, wah, wah" All through the town. The mommies on the bus says "Shush, shush, shush Shush, shush, shush Shush, shush, shush" The mommies on the bus says "Shush, shush, shush" All through the town.”
We love The Wheels On The Bus song as it has lots of different sounds and movements which are used throughout the song.
I started singing this song when my daughter was younger and I was doing numerous laps of the house trying to get her to sleep.
This is perfect because it is a long song that can still have extra verses added to it if your imagination allows. (And believe me, many extra verses were added whilst trying to get the little one to sleep.)
If You’re Happy And You Know It
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands (Clap, clap) If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands (Clap clap) If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands (Clap clap)
In each verse change *clap your hands* to the following actions:
- Stomp your feet
- Pat your head
- Turn around
- Say Hello
We can easily change the words of this song when our toddlers are slightly older to a song expressing emotions and pulling different faces for each emotion eg. happy, sad, crazy, silly, angry.
Get your little ones on their feet and clapping, stomping and patting until their heart’s content.
They’ll be stomping around the house copying these actions in no time!
I’m A Little Teapot
"I'm a little teapot Short and stout Here is my handle Here is my spout When I get all steamed up Hear me shout Tip me over and pour me out! I'm a very special teapot Yes, it's true Here's an example of what I can do I can turn my handle into a spout Tip me over and pour me out!"
When you consider this song, it is rather odd impersonating a teapot, however it is fun bringing to life a household object. The little ones with find it highly amusing when you ‘tip’ yourself to one side pouring the contents of the teapot. They will probably end up on the floor laughing when attempting to do this themselves.
The Elephant Dance Song
This wonderful song found on Maple Leaf Learning Club on Youtube is a fun song to teach parts of the body and get our toddlers wiggling their bums and patting their belly’s.
If you put this video on for your little dancers to follow then it gives a great guide for them.
Seeing other children getting involved in the video and doing the actions will encourage them to start to do the same.
Fruit And Veggies Unite; Storytime Song
Ok, now, I have my fellow mummy friend Svitlana to thank for introducing this Youtube profile to us.
These two librarian-style ladies on Jbrary sing lots of fantastically interactive songs for younger babies upto older toddlers.
Yes, for us adults these songs can be a little tiring to listen to after a while but WOW our toddlers are fascinated by the songs.
The Fruit And Veggies Unite song shows different actions you can use with these fruit and veggies.
As soon as the introduction music comes on for this Youtube profile, my little girl’s eyes light up.
Some more of our favourites are:
Tick Tock Goes The Clock: Rhythm Sticks Rhyme
Who’s In The Barnyard: Storytime Song With Puppets
Little Clapping Mouse: Storytime Rhyme
Take a look at our 21 Best Sound Books For Babies And Toddlers and 12 Classical Music Books For Babies And Toddlers to get their little hips moving.
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