Learning & Development: On the web - Nicky's Nursery Rhymes

Practitioners looking for some new rhymes to add to their repertoire should be able to find what they're looking for at this site, set up by Nicola Geier, an NNEB who is studying for a BA in Early Years and works as a nursery nurse at Southville Infant and Nursery School in Feltham, Middlesex.

The rhymes can be accessed alphabetically or by theme (counting, action, playground, flowers, food and so on) and come colour-coded to indicate which ones are spoken, have musical accompaniment or come with both musical accompaniment and signing. Other sections on the site include a grandparents' page, lullabies and tongue twisters.

Parents, grandparents and practitioners are all regular visitors and contributors to the site. Nicky says, 'I think the site has something for everyone.' It is receiving over two million hits a year from visitors as far afield as India, the Philippines and Mauritius. Some 5,000 have visited the guestbook, with around 430 leaving messages plus contributions to the collection. (Click on 'Thank You' on the homepage and you'll get a list of the 193 countries currently accessing the site.)

The site is 'heavy' on traditional and 'light' on multicultural rhymes (something Nicky plans on looking into and seeking contributions for), but within the mix there is a great selection of counting and nonsense rhymes, rhymes that are funny and unfamiliar, and rhymes that are wonderfully playful in their use of language and sound.

Some short examples include:
Five sticky lollipops fixed on sticks,
Take a sticky lollipop and lick, lick, lick.
(then, 4, 3,2 and 1 sticky lollipops)
Shake my hand and I'll shake yours,
I'll shake yours, I'll shake yours
Shake my hand and I'll shake yours
And we'll be friends for ever.
(To the tune of London Bridge is falling down)
Hop a little, jump a little, One, two, three;
Run a little, skip a little, tap, tap on one knee;
Bend a little, stretch a little, nod your head;
Yawn a little, sleep a little, in your bed.
Ippy, dippy, dation,
My Operation,
How many people
At the station?
(a playground deciding game).