Rain Rain Go Away

This was a sweet little one.

Rain rain, go away
Come again , another day
Little Johnny
wants to play!

Teddy bear, teddy bear

This was the rhyme to which I used to dress my school for nursery!

Teddy bear, teddy bear,
Turn around.
Teddy bear, teddy bear,
Touch the ground.
Teddy bear, teddy bear,
Polish your shoes.
Teddy bear, teddy bear,
Off to school.

Rock-a-bye, baby

I always found it depressing that the baby would have a fall.

Rock-a-bye, baby, in the tree top
When the wind blows the cradle will rock
When the bough breaks the cradle will fall
Down will come baby, cradle and all

Mary, Mary, quite contrary

I still don't know what cockleshells are!

Mary, Mary, quite contrary
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockleshells
And pretty maids all in a row.

Mary had a little lamb

This tune is so versatile I use it for any rhyme that I don't know the tune to. 

Mary had a little lamb,
Little lamb, little lamb,
Mary had a little lamb,
Its fleece was white as snow

Everywhere that Mary went,
Mary went, Mary went,
Everywhere that Mary went
The lamb was sure to go

It followed her to school one day
School one day, school one day
It followed her to school one day
Which was against the rules.

It made the children laugh and play,
Laugh and play, laugh and play,
It made the children laugh and play
To see a lamb at school

Pat-a-cake

I used to personalize this with the first letter of my son's name!

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake,
Baker's man!
Bake us a cake
As fast as you can,

Mix it and prick it
And mark it with B,
And put it in the oven
For baby and me.

The Owl and the Pussycat

I think this one is super sweet.

The owl and the pussycat went to sea
In a beautiful peagreen boat
They took some honey and plenty of money
Wrapped up in a five-pound note.

The owl looked up to the stars above
And sang to a small guitar,
"O, lovely pussy, o pussy my love,
What a beautiful pussy you are, you are
What a beautiful pussy you are!"

Pussy said to the owl, "You elegant fowl,
How charmingly sweet you sing.
O, let us be married, too long we have tarried,
But what shall we do for a ring?"

They sailed away for a year and a day
To the land where the Bongtree grows.
And there in a wood a Piggywig stood
With a ring at the end of his nose,
His nose, his nose,
With a ring at the end of his nose.

"Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling
Your ring?" Said the Piggy, "I will."
So they took it away and were married next day
By the turkey who lives on the hill.

They dined on mince and slices of quince
Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And hand in hand on the edge of the sand
They danced by the light of the moon,
The moon, the moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe

Another simple action poem for the kids.

One, two,
Buckle my shoe

Three, four,
Shut the door

Five, six,
Pick up sticks

Seven eight,
Lay them straight

Nine, ten,
A big fat hen!

Little Bo Peep

I dressed as Bo Peep in school once!

Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep
And doesn’t know where to find them
Leave them alone
And they'll come home
Wagging their tails behind them

Lavender's blue

This one was used by Nora Roberts in her In The Garden series.

Lavender's blue, dilly dilly,
Lavender's green
When you are King, dilly dilly,
I shall be Queen

Jack and Jill

The simplest action poem ever.

Jack and Jill went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down and broke his crown,

And Jill came tumbling after.

Humpty Dumpty

This was the first rhyme that I taught my baby!

Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's horses
And all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty Dumpty
Together again.