Nursery Rhyme Games for Preschool
Learning and singing nursery rhymes is a popular activity in most preschool classrooms. These traditional songs not only entertain children but can also be used as the basis for other learning and enrichment games and activities. Whether it's early literacy skills, role-playing or a relay, nursery rhymes offer teachers and parents much more than a sing-along.
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Alphabet
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Nursery rhymes can be used as a fun and simple introduction to the alphabet. Gather children and sing together "Jack and Jill." Practice sounding out the letter J together and tracing in the air with a finger. Ask children to call out examples of other words they know that include the J sound. Introduce new letters using other nursery rhymes; the letter H from "Humpty Dumpty," for example, and the letter B from "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep."
Candlestick
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This game features the nursery rhyme, "Jack Be Nimble." Start by singing the rhyme together and help children to learn the words by heart. Next, distribute a paper towel tube to each child and explain that you are going to make a candlestick similar to Jack's. Encourage children to decorate the candlestick. Next, explain to children that they are going to pretend to be Jack and jump over the candlestick. The first child to successfully jump over the candlestick 20 times is the winner.
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Role-Play
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Teachers and parents can easily develop preschool drama skills with this role-playing game using the rhyme "Little Miss Muffet." Play this game outside and gather students next to the fence. Explain to students that they are the Little Miss and Mr. Muffets and the teacher will be the spider. The teacher should stand a distance away from the children and begin reciting the rhyme. When the teacher says the line "and frightened Miss and Mr Muffets away," the children all run away. Let the children take turns in playing the spider, too.
Relay
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With this game, preschoolers get physical with the "Humpty Dumpty" egg relay race. Start by giving each child a spoon and a plastic or hard-boiled egg. The aim of the game is to walk from one end of the classroom to another while balancing the egg on the spoon. Any child that drops the egg must go back to the start line and start again. The winner is the first child to reach the end of the classroom.
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