What is the first thing you think of when you see a child you know crying? Yes! You break into a nursery rhyme! Nursery rhymes are the pattern into which the fabric of most of our childhoods has been woven into. There is the one we sing during a meal, another one that we sing when we are happy and the age old one every family sings as a lullaby.
There is a host of nursery rhymes which we pass on to our children for every mood or occasion. These rhymes have lots of simple words that sometimes rhyme and carry a lot of imagination within their simple lines. They are set to simple catchy tunes that are easy to sing and fun to follow. But these nursery rhymes do more than just provide valuable entertainment to children. There are many other benefits they carry. Let us discuss each of these benefits one by one.
Nursery rhymes teach children language like no other source can. They teach them of the birds, bees, animals, the stars, and the world they belong to. Your child learning the names of various animals from the rhyme ‘Old MacDonald’, and making animal calls is better than any farm you may visit with them. The star that twinkles in the sky is aptly captured by the rhyme ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’.
Most rhymes make use of phonics to teach children the different sounds that go together. Nursery rhymes enrich the vocabulary of your children and serve as a wonderful early introduction to poetry. They expose kids to language constructs like metaphors, similes and pave the way for the love of books in their later life.
The patterns and sequences employed in nursery rhymes serve as tools to improve the cognitive memory of children. The memory capabilities thus built can be applied to all sort of other activities by the children.
Rhymes are also a basic introduction to maths as they involve counting. Concepts like big and small, loud and quiet, and first and last are introduced to your children through rhymes and help them comprehend these ideas effectively.
The simple interaction between a mother and her child through rhymes forges a strong connection between them. This also prepares your child for further social interactions to come when they start going to school. Your child will remember these rhymes when they hear them in school which helps as an induction point to be comfortable in new environments.
Nursery rhymes are excellent social tools with which children can relate to one another. They serve as a common point for toddlers to bond with each other and are commonly used ice breakers. The rhymes also typically deal with themes that are designed to help children tackle with the stressful situations in their life.
Most toddlers also become comfortable in new places if they get to hear their favourite songs. In this digital era, nursery rhymes have become the new comfort factor replacement for the legendary soft toy and many children become easily accustomed to their surroundings if they hear their favourite rhymes.
There are rhymes that target the physical development of children by asking them to move their body parts in tandem with the song. For example, the rhyme ‘Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes’ helps children identify the different body parts and move them according to the song.
Another rhyme that provides children simple instructions to move in tandem with the song is ‘If You’re Happy And You Know It’ which guides children to move according to the song thereby helping them develop better control over their bodies. Such activities not only help their cognitive development but also improve their reflexes based on different actions listed in the song.
Some rhymes use repetitive sounds in them. The tongue and mouth muscles get developed well and strengthened by singing the repetitive sounds available in such rhymes.
Expand the imagination
Children whose language is developed also develop visualization skills from the nursery rhymes. They are rich in imagination and are peppered with metaphors which stretch the limits of your child’s mind. Songs of four and twenty black birds baked in a pie, black sheep that gives wool and gardens with silver bells and cockle shells are a few sequences off our heads.
Nursery rhymes follow a linear sequence of events which are set to tune. This helps hold the attention of the child while the rhyme meanders through the details of a story through familiar words and lilting tune. This helps the child develop the ability to hold their attention through a sequence of events which is crucial for them to understand concepts and other academic constructs later in life.
Fun group activity
Singing and dancing to nursery rhymes are many a time considered a shared ritual that brings children of all age groups together, resulting in a fun group activity full of song, movement and lyric. The lyrics are repetitive and fun and result in a wonderful group activity for children and adults.
Link to the past
Nursery rhymes that are learnt by our kids become time capsules that link them back to their happy pasts. We adults are often amazed at how many nursery rhymes from our childhood come back to us when we try to sing to our children. We also experience strong emotional feelings linked to these memories as music is a very powerful way to store memories.
As parents, it is very joyful to retell these wonderful lyrical notes to our children. These rhymes then become a legacy that is passed down from generation to generation in the family. They are powerful links to our past that fill us with nostalgia about the good old days.
If you do not remember too many nursery rhymes from your childhood to sing to your children, do not fret. There are loads of nursery rhymes with hundreds of songs to choose from at CHUCHU TV. So create a playlist of your favourite rhymes for your little one and enjoy singing along.
Do you read Nursery Rhymes to your little one? Which ones are their favorite? Tell us in the comments below!