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49 nursery rhymes with their first lines

A plain list of 49 traditional rhymes to sing with a toddler, each with its opening line. These are the 49 rhymes in our printable coloring book, in the same order.

#RhymeFirst line
1Twinkle, Twinkle, Little StarTwinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are!
2Humpty DumptyHumpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
3Baa, Baa, Black SheepBaa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool?
4Mary Had a Little LambMary had a little lamb, its fleece was white as snow.
5Hey Diddle DiddleHey diddle diddle, the cat and the fiddle, the cow jumped over the moon.
6Itsy Bitsy SpiderThe itsy bitsy spider climbed up the water spout.
7Jack and JillJack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water.
8Hickory Dickory DockHickory dickory dock, the mouse ran up the clock.
9Old MacDonald Had a FarmOld MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O!
10Little Bo PeepLittle Bo Peep has lost her sheep.
11Row, Row, Row Your BoatRow, row, row your boat, gently down the stream.
12Three Blind MiceThree blind mice, see how they run!
13Hot Cross BunsHot cross buns! One a penny, two a penny.
14Pat-a-CakePat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man.
15Little Miss MuffetLittle Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet, eating her curds and whey.
16Old King ColeOld King Cole was a merry old soul.
17Rock-a-Bye BabyRock-a-bye baby, on the treetop.
18Mary, Mary, Quite ContraryMary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?
19Little Boy BlueLittle Boy Blue, come blow your horn.
20Sing a Song of SixpenceSing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of rye.
21Pop Goes the WeaselAll around the mulberry bush, the monkey chased the weasel.
22London BridgeLondon Bridge is falling down, my fair lady.
23This Little PiggyThis little piggy went to market.
24Polly Put the Kettle OnPolly, put the kettle on, we'll all have tea.
25The Muffin ManDo you know the muffin man who lives on Drury Lane?
26Little Jack HornerLittle Jack Horner sat in a corner, eating his pie.
27Jack Be NimbleJack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack jump over the candlestick.
28Old Mother HubbardOld Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard to give her poor dog a bone.
29Peter PiperPeter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
30Ladybug, LadybugLadybug, ladybug, fly away home.
31One, Two, Buckle My ShoeOne, two, buckle my shoe; three, four, knock at the door.
32Hush, Little BabyHush, little baby, don't say a word.
33Diddle, Diddle, DumplingDiddle, diddle, dumpling, my son John went to bed with his stockings on.
34Here We Go Round the Mulberry BushHere we go round the mulberry bush on a cold and frosty morning.
35Pease Porridge HotPease porridge hot, pease porridge cold.
36Rain, Rain, Go AwayRain, rain, go away, come again another day.
37Star Light, Star BrightStar light, star bright, first star I see tonight.
38Wee Willie WinkieWee Willie Winkie runs through the town.
39The Farmer in the DellThe farmer in the dell, hi-ho, the derry-o!
40Little Robin RedbreastLittle Robin Redbreast sat upon a tree.
41Hark, Hark, the Dogs Do BarkHark, hark, the dogs do bark.
42Ride a Cock-HorseRide a cock-horse to Banbury Cross.
43The Owl and the PussycatThe Owl and the Pussycat went to sea in a beautiful pea-green boat.
44Goosey, Goosey GanderGoosey, goosey gander, whither shall I wander?
45Tom, Tom, the Piper's SonTom, Tom, the piper's son, learned to play when he was young.
46Doctor FosterDoctor Foster went to Gloucester in a shower of rain.
47Little Tommy TuckerLittle Tommy Tucker sings for his supper.
48Oranges and LemonsOranges and lemons, say the bells of St. Clement's.
49Hickety Pickety, My Black HenHickety, pickety, my black hen, she lays eggs for gentlemen.

These are traditional rhymes, long out of copyright. Wording varies from family to family; the lines here are the ones printed under the pictures in the book.

A picture for each one

My First Nursery Rhymes Coloring Book (Printable) has one big, simple picture for every rhyme on this list, with the name and first line underneath. One page, Ladybug, Ladybug, is free.

Pages to try it with

Two free full-size pages, Letter and A4, no sign-up: a pair of Christmas mittens and Ladybug, Ladybug. The full packs are Cute Christmas Coloring Pages and My First Nursery Rhymes Coloring Book (Printable), $7 each.