Animal nursery rhymes are so fun, especially when it comes to helping children learn about the world around them. There are many animal songs and nursery rhymes for kids including those of farm animals and other animals from around the world.
These are great if you wish to teach toddlers, preschoolers and kids about animals and help them develop their language skills as well. Some of them can even help children to develop their counting and numeracy skills. These animal nursery rhymes are especially fun in you intend to use them in the classroom, getting everyone to sing along, or if you wish to use them at home with your child.
If you love these animal nursery rhymes, you will find them along with the lyrics and YouTube videos below. Enjoy these animal nursery rhymes and have a wonderful time singing along with them.
Animal Nursery Rhymes with Lyrics and Music
Old MacDonald Had a Farm
This animal nursery rhyme is a classic. It involves the use of animal names and animal noises to teach kids about the animals and you can also use your imagination to extend it along and have kids sing about different types of animals.
Old MacDonald had a farm
E-I-E-I-O
And on that farm,
He had a cow
E-I-E-I-O
With a MOO MOO here
And a MOO MOO there
Here a MOO, there a MOO
Everywhere a MOO MOO
Old MacDonald Had a Farm
E-I-E-I-O
After you have finished singing about a cow, how about moving on to another animal? One of our favorites is to sing about a pig going OINK OINK.
Old MacDonald had a farm
E-I-E-I-O
And on that farm,
He had a pig
E-I-E-I-O
With an OINK OINK here
And an OINK OINK there
Here an OINK, there OINK
Everywhere an OINK OINK
Old MacDonald Had a Farm
E-I-E-I-O
What other animals come to mind? Another classic animal to add on to the rhyme is about a dog.
Old MacDonald had a farm
E-I-E-I-O
And on that farm,
He had a dog
E-I-E-I-O
With a WOOF WOOF here
And a WOOF WOOF there
Here a WOOF, there a WOOF
Everywhere a WOOF WOOF
Old MacDonald Had a Farm
E-I-E-I-O
It is great fun and kids love to come up with new animals for Old MacDonald to have on his farm. Here are some other ideas:
- Cat
- Chicken
- Goose
- Sheep
- Horse
Or course, it is entirely up to the kids imagination what animals they want to come up with for this rhyme.
Mary Had a Little Lamb
This is another classic animal nursery rhyme that every child should know about. We especially like it because it conjures up such a nice scene of Mary walking around with her little lamb trailing behind her, even all the way to school. Can you imagine if that were to happen in a toddler’s classroom, where he or she comes walking in with a lamb following behind?
Mary had a little lamb
Little lamb, little lamb
Mary had a little lamb
Its fleece was white as snow
And everywhere that Mary went
Mary went, Mary went
Everywhere that Mary went
The lamb was sure to go
He followed her to school one day
School one day, school one day
He followed her to school one day
Which was against the rule
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
And so the teacher turned him out
Turned him out, turned him out
And so the teacher turned him out
But still he lingered near
And waited patiently
Patiently, patiently
And wai-aited patiently
Til Mary did appear
Mary had a little lamb
Little lamb, little lamb
Mary had a little lamb
Its fleece was white as snow
And everywhere that Mary went
Mary went, Mary went
Everywhere that Mary went
The lamb was sure to go
Baa Baa Black Sheep
Yet another classic animal nursery rhyme that every child should know if Baa Baa Black Sheep. But why stop at sheep? Howe about hens and cows too?
Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full.
One for my master, one for my dame;
And one for the little boy who lives down the lane.
Cluck, cluck, red hen, have you any eggs?
Yes sir, yes sir, as many as your legs.
One for your breakfast and one for your lunch;
Come back tomorrow and I’ll have another bunch.
Moo, moo brown cow, have you milk for me?
Yes sir, yes sir, as tasty as can be.
Churn it into butter, make it into cheese,
Freeze it into ice cream or drink it if you please.
Buzz, buzz busy bee, is your honey sweet?
Yes sir, yes sir, sweet enough to eat.
Honey on your muffin, honey on your cake,
Honey by the spoonful, as much as I can make.
Five Little Ducks
This animal nursery rhymes combines together some counting skills as well.
Five little ducks went swimming one day.
Over the hills and far away.
Mother Duck Said Quack Quack Quack Quack!
But only four little ducks came back!
Four little ducks went swimming one day.
Over the hills and far away.
Mother Duck Said Quack Quack Quack Quack!
But only three little ducks came back!
Three little ducks went swimming one day.
Over the hills and far away.
Mother Duck Said Quack Quack Quack Quack!
But only two little ducks came back!
Two little ducks went swimming one day.
Over the hills and far away.
Mother Duck Said Quack Quack Quack Quack!
But only one little duck came back!
One little duck went swimming one day.
Over the hills and far away.
Mother Duck Said Quack Quack Quack Quack!
But only no little ducks came back!
No little ducks went swimming one day.
Over the hills and far away.
Mother Duck Said Quack Quack Quack Quack!
And all five little ducks came back
More Animal Songs and Nursery Rhymes
Little Bo Peep Has Lost Her Sheep
We love this animal songs and rhymes. It is also a classic and we love the picture of sheep returning with the tails wagging behind them.
Little Bo Beep has lost her sheep,
And doesn’t know where to find them!
Leave them alone,
And they will come home!
Wagging their tails behind them!
Little Bo-peep fell fast asleep,
And dreamt she heard them bleating;
But when she awoke, she found it a joke,
For they were still a-fleeting.
Then up she took her little crook,
Determined for to find them;
She found them indeed, but it made her heart bleed,
For they’d left their tails behind them.
It happened one day, as Bo-peep did stray
Into a meadow hard by,
There she espied their tails side by side,
All hung on a tree to dry.
She heaved a sigh and wiped her eye,
And over the hillocks went rambling,
And tried what she could, as a shepherdess should,
To tack each again to its lambkin.
BINGO
This is a really fun animal song to sing. It is also fun because you can substitute out the letters of the name for a clap. Sounds easy enough, right? But it can be fun challenge for kids.
Also, while you may want to start off with Bingo, why not get everyone to use their imagination and come up with some other names for the farmer’s dog?
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-O.
B-I-N-G-O!
B-I-N-G-O!
B-I-N-G-O!
And Bingo was his name-O!
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-O.
(Clap)-I-N-G-O!
(Clap)-I-N-G-O!
(Clap)-I-N-G-O!
And Bingo was his name-O!
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-O!
(Clap – Clap)-N-G-O!
(Clap – Clap)-N-G-O!
(Clap – Clap)-N-G-O!
And Bingo was his name-O!
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-O.
(Clap – Clap – Clap)-G-O!
(Clap – Clap – Clap)-G-O!
(Clap – Clap – Clap)-G-O!
And Bingo was his name-O!
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-O.
(Clap – Clap – Clap – Clap)-O!
(Clap – Clap – Clap – Clap)-O!
(Clap – Clap – Clap – Clap)-O!
And Bingo was his name-O!
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-O.
(Clap – Clap – Clap – Clap – Clap)
(Clap – Clap – Clap – Clap – Clap)
(Clap – Clap – Clap – Clap – Clap)
And Bingo was his name-O!
Farmer in the Dell
What is it with nursery rhymes and vowels like E, I, and O? Whatever it is, we have another one here.
The farmer’s in the dell,
The farmer’s in the dell,
EE- I- A-I-O,
The farmer’s in the dell.
The farmer wants a wife
The farmer wants a wife
EE- I- A-I-O,
The farmer wants a wife
The wife wants a child
The wife wants a child
EE- I- A-I-O,
The wife wants a child
The child wants a nurse
The child wants a nurse
EE- I- A-I-O,
The child wants a nurse
The nurse wants a dog
The nurse wants a dog
EE- I- A-I-O,
The nurse wants a dog
The dog wants a bone
The dog wants a bone
EE- I- A-I-O,
The dog wants a bone
Three Blind Mice
Watch the video of Three Blind Mice.
Another classic nursery rhymes that has both animals and numbers inside it is Three Blind Mice. It is a fun one that you can together with your class or with your child.
Three blind mice,
See how they run.
They all ran after the farmer’s wife,
Who cut off their tails,
With a Carving Knife!
Did you ever see such a sight in your life,
As three blind mice!
This Little Piggy Went to Market
Watch the video of This Little Piggy Went to Market.
This is a fun little song that you can sing with your child. What makes it especially fun is that you can use your fingers to count on their toes. And you know what happens when the little piggy goes all the way home, right?
This little piggy went to market,
This little piggy stayed at home,
This little piggy had roast beef,
And this little piggy had none!
And this little piggy went weeeeee weeeee weeeeeee
All the way home!
Little Boy Blue
Watch the video of Little Boy Blue.
This little rhyme features farm animals and it also paints such a lovely picture of the little boy sleep away under the haystack.
Little Boy Blue, come blow your horn,
The sheep’s in the meadow, the cow’s in the corn.
But where is the boy, who looks after the sheep?
He’s under a haystack, he’s fast asleep.
Will you wake him? No, not I,
For if I do, he’s sure to cry.
Itsy Bitsy Spider
Watch the video of Itsy Bitsy Spider
This popular animal nursery rhyme is especially fun because you can get kids to do the actions along with it. It has the benefit of not just helping with their language skills but the fingerplay also allows them to practise their fine motor skills too.
Itsy Bitsy spider
Climbed up the water spout
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out
Out came the sunshine
and dried up all the rain
Little Miss Muffet
Watch the video of Little Miss Muffet
It’s another one about spiders! This nursery song dates back all the way to the 19th century. The fact that we are still singing it today shows just how much of a classic it is. It has such a wonderful way telling a story within the confines of an animal song. No wonder it has been around for such a long time.
Little Miss Muffet she sat on her tuffet,
Eating her curds eating and whey
Along came a spider who sat down beside her
And frightened Miss Muffet away
We remember also thinking what exactly are curds and whey as we used to sing along to this song.
Five Little Monkeys
Watch the video of Five Little Monkeys
This is a fun little song and it especially takes on new meaning if you get the kids to jump up and down on the bed!
Five little monkeys jumping on the bed,
One fell off and bumped his head,
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”
Four little monkeys jumping on the bed,
One fell off and bumped his head,
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”
Three little monkeys jumping on the bed,
One fell off and bumped her head,
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”
Two little monkeys jumping on the bed,
One fell off and bumped his head,
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”
One little monkey jumping on the bed,
He fell off and bumped his head,
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
“Put those monkeys to bed!”
Fun with Animal Nursery Rhymes and Songs
We hope you’ve enjoyed these animal nursery rhymes and songs that you can use in your class or to teach your child about animals, counting and language in a fun and interactive way.
If you have enjoyed it, we think that you will also want to view this other story on 60 classic nursery rhymes for kids.
