Creative Kids Activities To Build Fine Motor Skills

Let's dig into the fun kids' activities that can help in strengthening muscles in hands and wrist and promote fine motor skills. These activities will keep them engaged and open the doors to a creative world.  There are plenty of ways strengthen their hands and fingers of young children, improve hand and eye coordination and other required skills.

Imaginations of young minds dig deep as they play in a sandbox.  Colorful shells, rocks, scoops, shovel and sand provide the little ones with real play experience. Children will use these awesome tools to build a small pond, sand castle and lots more joyful activities to enjoy. They will try scooping and pouring the sand using the scoops. Moreover, you can also hide some small toys in a sand and let your child dig for them. Isn't it a creative fun?

Kids will play and learn by joining the blocks! Boost their imagination power by encouraging your little ones to play with colorful block and join them to make some creative objects. It is truly a fun-filled way to play and learn!

Let the kids go creative and use the Play-Doh to make some delightful crafts and art. This will not boost their motor skills but also open the doors for little minds to the creative world. Let them roll, twist, fold and build crafts of their choice.

It's time for kids to get messy with finger painting. Provide your little ones finger paints and an easel and let them draw some funny pictures. This will be very beneficial in boosting hand-eye coordination.

These creative, fun-filled and engaging activities will definitely help on in building fine motor skills! Moreover, it will cater their your child's interest as they are involved in lots of craft making activities. 

Origin And Meaning of Wee Willie Winkie

“Wee Willie Winkie” is one of the best known Scottish nursery rhymes, sung all over the world. It was written by a famous poet, William Miller, title “Willie Winkie” and was first printed in 1841 in Whistle-binkie: Stories for the Fireside.  The titular figure in the song has become popular as personification of sleep across the globe.

Origin and meaning
Written by William Miller, “Wee Willie Winkie” was first published in 1841 and later it was re-printed in 1873 in Whistle-Binkie; a Collection of Songs for the Social Circle. Willie Winkie was referred to King William III of England in Jacobite songs.

Popular bedtime entity
Wee Willie Winkie was so popular that the character was counted among the well-known sleeping entities including Ole Lukøje of Scandinavia, Dormette of France[7], Klaas Vaak of the Netherlands, the Sandman and Billy Winker in Lancashire.

Enjoy watching Wee Willie Winkie video and learn all about this adorable character!!!

King And Queen Songs For Kids To Enjoy

A number of king and queen songs, which describes about various kings and their dreams, interest and lots more. Let's learn about some popular songs that have been entertaining the little ones from ages.

The Grand Old Duke of York
“The Grand Old Duke of York”, also sung as “The Noble Duke of York” is a popular children's song, often accompanied by a set of actions. There is much speculation about the Duke of the title, it unlikely to various holders of that office, including Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany (1763-1827).

Old King Cole
“Old King Cole” is a well-known British song for preschoolers The King Cole of the title is unlikely identified as any historical figure. The poem tells about a merry king who called for his pipe, bowl, and fiddlers, with the details varying among versions.

Good King Arthur
“Good King Arthur” is a fun nursery rhyme about a king, who stoles three pecks of barley and wheat to make a bag pudding.

King Boggen
“King Boggen” describes about a king who builds a new hall using delightful desserts such as pie crust, black pudding, pancakes and more.

King Kokem
“King Kokem” is a joyful song for children. It tells about a king, who while sleeping dreams about a magical land full of surprises.

The King of France  
Another popular king and queen song is “The King of France” which is favorite among kids in English speaking world. It is single verse rhyme, which is easy for kids to memorize.  

Finger Family Nursery Rhymes For Children

Finger Family, also popularly known as Daddy Finger is one of the well-known nursery rhymes, sung all around the world. The song features Daddy Finger as the thumb, Mommy Finger as the index finger, Brother Finger as the middle finger, Sister Finger as the ring finger and Baby Finger as the pinky finger.

At Baby Hazel Nursery Rhymes, we have created exciting versions of Finger Family song that will keep the kids entertained while they learn lyrics to their favorite rhyme. The Finger Family Song, Stars Finger Family and Ducks Finger Family!!! The kids' songs incorporate mesmerizing visuals, playful music and compelling storytelling so the little ones will love to sing and dance to the melodious tunes.

The Finger Family Song
The Finger Family song is kids' favorite nursery rhyme, which is sung in preschools as well as at home. It is accompanied by a set of hand movements or gestures to keep the kids engaged.

Stars Finger Family
Stars Finger Family features a cute family of stars, twinkling bright in the sky. Enjoy watching adorable stars playing and hiding in clouds, having lots of fun. The dark night is brightened up by these brightly twinkling stars family and has made the ambiance lively.

Ducks Finger Family
Ducks Finger Family is a fun song, featuring a duck family, Daddy duck, Mommy duck, Brother duck, Sister duck and Baby duck. Parents duck and their ducklings enjoy a fun time near the waterfall and enjoy lots of mischievous activities.

Amazing Benefits Of Reading Short Stories And Fairy Tales

Reading stories and fairy tales play an essential role in developing kid's overall personality and building confidence. It is an age-old tradition, which is followed by next generation since the time immemorial. Indeed it was a part of most of our own childhood.

You will be surprised to know that story-telling is not only to entertain the kids but it has innumerable benefits for kids. It is a stepping stone for academic learning. Moreover, regular reading and listening can make kids better orators too. So keep an age-old tradition of reading stories fairy tales to your little ones. Let's read about some benefits of reading short stories to kids!

Enhanced imagination skills
In this digital time, visual stimulation is served up via various devices including iPad, television, Xbox and more. The little ones rarely get to cultivate their imaginations. Listening and reading tales allow kids to tap into their imaginations and they will be able to visualize in a better way.

Build strong vocabulary
Encourage your kids to read short stories and simultaneously their vocabulary will become strong as they come across numerous new words. Reading out stories to your children helps in making them acquainted with the language as well as in learning new words and phrases. This is also a great way to teach your child new words and pronunciation on a regular basis

Enhance reading skills
Reading skills of children will improve dramatically. As they listen to stories narrated by their parents, grandparents or caretakers, it will an interest of reading stories in kids, thus enhancing their reading skills.

Build a bond
Nothing is cozier than to listen to fairy tales read by our parents or grandparents. It allows the kids and parents to spend time together and helps in building a strong bond.

Improves listening skills
Listening to stories help in developing better listening skills. Few kids have a habit of memorizing their lesson without understanding the subject. And the children who listen and read stories and fairy tales, enjoy and understand what they are reading. This helps the little learners in learning their subjects faster and better.

Fun Nursery Rhymes To Act Out

Learning nursery rhyme becomes easy and fun-filled if accompanied by a set of actions. It adds a magical touch to the rhyme for little learners. Moreover, it keeps kids entertained and they can memorize their favorite rhymes.  As an introduction and to make the learning session joyful, perform some actions as your sing or recite a rhyme. The children will enjoy and sing along with you.

Some of the popular rhyme to act out:
Head Shoulders Knees and Toes
Sing “Head Shoulder Knees and Toes” to learn to identify body parts. It is a fun exercise song as kids might dance and touch their body parts in a sequence while singing each word. Thus, helping the little ones to identify head, shoulders, knees, toes, eyes, ears, mouth and nose.  

If You're Happy 
Act out “If You're Happy” rhyme to help reinforce learning lyrics to the rhyme. Dance and sing to this classic children's rhyme, popularly sung all over the world. Clap the hands, stomp the feet, nod the head and more fun actions to enjoy while singing the rhyme.

Two Little Hands Go Clap Clap Clap 
“Two Little Hands Go Clap Clap” is a joyful nursery rhyme. While reciting a poem, kids can perform the actions imitating the lyrics. And little ones will enjoy learning lyrics to their favorite rhyme as they will act it out.

Chubby Cheeks
Chubby Cheeks is a joyful rhyme, popularly sung in English-speaking world. Little ones love to learn rhyme, especially action rhymes. So enjoy singing Chubby Cheeks rhyme followed by a set of  actions while singing each word. 

Jack and Jill Nursery Rhyme Origin And Meaning

“Jack and Jill" is a well-known traditional nursery rhyme. It is listed in the Roud Folk Song Index as no. 10266. Popularly sung in English-speaking world, Jack and Jill nursery rhyme dates back to 18th century and is printed in different numbers of verses, with variations in lyrics. It is made up of quatrains and various theories have been advanced to explain the meaning of lyrics.

Origin and meaning of rhyme
The rhyme has been traditionally observed as a nonsense verse, as Jack and Jill climbed up a hill to find the water, though the water is often to be found at the bottom of hills.

“Jack and Jill” in the lyrics usually referred to a boy and a girl in England. Moreover, a comedy, titled Jack and Jill was performed at the Elizabethan court in 1567-68. The phrase was used twice by Shakespeare. First was in “A Midsummer Night;s Dream”, in which a line as “Jack shall have Jill; Nought shall go ill” is used. The second time, the phrase as “Our wooing doth not end like an old play; Jack hath not Jill” was used in “Love's Labour's Lost”.

Till 18th century, Jack was commonly used in English-language rhymes and represented  an archetypal Everyman hero. While Jill was indicated as a young girl or a sweetheart by the end of the Middle Ages.

However, the wood engraving that contains the first recorded version of the nursery rhyme showed that two boys and not a girl and a boy. Moreover, the word “Gill” was used instead of “Jill”. This earliest printed version of the rhyme particularly comes from a reprint of John Newbery's Mother Goose's Melody, which is believed to first published in London in the year 1765. 

Baa Baa Black Sheep Origin and Meaning

“Baa, Baa, Black Sheep”, is one of the well-known traditional nursery rhymes. It is a single stanza rhyme, thus making it for kids to memorize easily. The earliest surviving version of the poem dates from 1731 and is sung in a French melody Ah! vous dirai-je, maman. Several theories are associated with the origin of this rhyme. One of the theories advanced to explain the meaning of a song is that it is a  resentment at Medical English taxes on wool.

Origin and meaning
Several theories have been explained to the meaning of “Baa Baa Black Sheep” rhyme. But these theories doesn't have any corroborating evidence. Katherine Elwes Thomas believes and has suggested in The Real Personaged of Mother Goose (1930) that it is a complaint against the heavy taxation on wool, which was levied till fifteenth century.

One of the theories includes that it is a slave trade, particularly in the southern United States. Even this theory has no supporting historical evidence.

Original version
“Baa, Baa Black Sheep” was first printed in Tommy Thum's Pretty Song Book with the lyrics as follows :
Bah, Bah, a black Sheep,
Have you any Wool?
Yes merry I Have,
Three Bags full,
One for my Master,
One for my Dame,
One for the Little Boy
That lives down the lane.

Popular Learning Nursery Rhymes For Kids

Let's sing and enjoy a popular collection of learning nursery rhymes to alphabet, numbers, body parts and more. Various kids songs help the little learners to learn basic preschools lessons in a fun way.

Develop early literacy skills of kids with nursery rhymes! Learning through singing rhymes is fun that will keep the kids entertained while they learn. So all our cute tiny tots and kids, enjoy you preschool session that is full of joy, happiness and entertainment.

One Two Buckle My Shoe 
One Two Buckle My Shoe is one of the popular counting-out rhymes among the children. This fun rhyme is sometimes accompanied by a set of actions and kids can learn numbers from 1 to 20 in a most entertaining way while singing the song.

Old Mac Donald Had a Farm
Old Mac Donald Had a Farm is a popular rhyme among kids which help them to learn the names of different animals including cat, dog, cow, sheep and more. Further, they learn to identify the sound that each animal make. So introduce your little ones to the world of animals with Old Mac Donald Had a Farm, a song dedicated to the farm animals.

Alphabet Song or ABC song
Looking for a way to teach your kid the ABC's? Alphabet Song also popularly known as ABC song is a well-known nursery rhyme, sung to teach letters from A to Z in a fun way. Add some melody to your voice and sing ABC song along with the kids to introduce ABC's in a musical way.

Head Shoulders Knees and Toes
Teaching the names of body parts is fun now! Sing along to Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes rhyme video to help the little ones learn names and identify body parts. It a joyful poem for preschoolers and children and they enjoy dancing while singing the rhyme and touch their body parts as per the words in lyrics.

Number Song
Learning numbers is fun with number song! If teaching involves some fun activities, kids will definitely enjoy their learning their lesson. So instead of simply writing on note-books, sing the number song and help children and preschoolers to learn to count from 1 to 10. 

Tongue Twisters For Kids

Tongue Twisters are a complex phrases that give humorous results when mispronounced. These are great source of amusement and laughter when a speaker gets confused and does recite phrase properly and make mistakes.

For kids, tongue twister is an excellent way to enhance pronunciation and fluency. Moreover, reciting tongue twisters  also improves accent by using alliteration, which is the repetition of one sound. Thus, it help the children to sound clear while speaking. And if kids practices the tongue twisters and are able to master them, they will definitely become a confident and good speaker.

There are different types of tongue twisters. Some these are based in quick alternation between similar but distinct phonemes, combining two different alternation patterns so that it is difficult to articulate. Few tongue twisters are a blend of rhyme and alliteration. It uses two sequences of sounds so it requires repositioning of tongue between syllables and then the same sounds are repeated in a different sequence. And some of tongue twisters are the short phrases that become tongue twisters when said rapidly.

Some of the popular tongue twisters for kids includes “A Lame Tame Crane”, “Light A Night Light”, “I Thought A Thought”, “One Doctor Doctors Another Doctor”, “She Sells Seashells”, “Peter Piper”, “Need Not Your Needles”, “Silly Sally”, “Twister A Twisting” and lots more. The series of words in the phrase are designed so well and smartly that it is really challenging to articulate them properly. So are ready to take up the challenge and have some fun!

Tongue twisters not only create an amusement value but also help the kids to be a better speaker. So don't miss to introduce your kids to the fun-filled world of tongue twister.

What Can Children Learn From Rhymes

Nursery rhymes are a great source of learning when it comes to kids and preschoolers. Through these songs, kids can learn about different preschool lessons and help them develop early literacy skills. So let's read about what young children can learn from rhymes!

Letters, Spelling and phonics
When it come to letters, the most popular rhyme is Alphabet song, also popularly known as ABC song. The song makes easier for young minds to memorize their ABC's in a musical way which is often difficult for preschoolers to learn. To teach vowels to the little ones, Apples and Bananas is the best song. Apart from these, there are different versions of alphabet nursery rhymes to teach letters to kids.

Body Parts
Studies have shown teaching kids to identify their body parts boosts their self-confidence. Most of the rhymes dedicated to body parts incorporate actions and movements and thus making these songs fun to sing. So enjoy dancing to the melodious tunes of Hokey Cokey, Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, Chubby Cheeks, Thumbkin, If You're Happy and Your Know It and learn to identify body parts in an entertaining way.

Numbers and counting
Looking for an easy and entertaining way to teach numbers and counting to your kids? Don't worry there are many songs and rhymes that are dedicated to numbers. Sing the numbers and you will be surprised to see that children are much more able to memorize the numbers. A repertoire of songs involve counting and numbers such as Five Little Monkeys, One Two Three Four Five, One Two Buckle My Shoe, Five Little Ducks, Ten Little Indians, Ten Green Bottles, Five Speckled Frogs, The Ants Go Marching and lots more.

Learning can be really fun with nursery rhymes! So encourage young children to sing rhymes along with you. Moreover, it can be an important step in creating a joy of learning in them.

Kids Fun Activities To Learn Vegetables

Learning vegetables can be fun for kids if some interesting and engaging activities and games are involved in teaching. Children will recognize and learn about different vegetables and how they grow. So teach all about these healthy foods through crafts and fun-filled activities.

There are plenty of exciting vegetable-themed activities for toddlers and preschoolers to learn vegetables. Below are some of the most interesting ways:

Sing vegetable songs
Kids love music! So why not teach about vegetables in a musical way. Enjoy and sing some popular vegetable songs “One Potato Two Potatoes”, “Vegetable Song”, “Oats, Peas, Beans, and Barley Grow”

Dramatic farmers market
Add some fun to vegetable learning session by creating a dramatic farmers' market. Get some baskets and place different vegetable in each basket. Now give the kids fake money and ask your kids to buy a particular vegetables only. It is a fun way to learn the name of different veggies.

Sorting the veggies
Provide a bucket full of vegetables. Now let the kids sort out them by size or color. While sorting, introduce the name of each vegetable. Isn't it a fun?

Visit farmers market 
Learning outdoors can be fun and interesting! Take your child along to the farmers market and introduce different types of veggies with their names. This will help them to identify the vegetable names in a fun way.

Veggies treasure hunt
Treasure hunt is all time favorite game of kids. So why not teach the kids through this fun games. Hide some toy vegetables at easy-to-reach places and let you kid find them.

Teach while cooking
Cooking with your child allows for some great conversations. When you are peeling and chopping vegetables and making snacks or dishes, ask the name of each vegetable.

Interesting Nursery Rhymes Genres

We have grown singing nursery rhymes, some traditional, while some contemporary. These rhyme are further categorized into various genres including lullabies, funny, riddles and more. Let's learn about the exciting genres in nursery rhymes and popular rhymes of each genre.

Popular nursery rhymes genres:
Counting nursery rhymes
Counting rhymes are the number songs to teach the little learners the number count. Make the number learning session fun-filled and enjoy singing kids songs such as “One, Two, Three, Four, Five”, “Five little Ducks”, “Ten in the Bed”, “One, Two, Buckle My Shoe”, “Five Little Monkeys” and more along with your little ones. It's truly a fun way to introduce the children and preschoolers to the world of numbers.

Lullabies or cradle songs
Lullaby, also known as cradle song is a soothing piece of a song, played or sung to lull the cute baby to sleep or to pass down the cultural tradition to the child. The soothing baby songs are helpful in maintaining baby's undivided attention. Moreover, when parents sing the lullabies in a melodious voice, it gives a sense of security to the little ones. Some of the well-known lullabies in English-speaking world are “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”, “Hush Little Baby”, “Sleep Baby Sleep” and lots more.

Traditional song for kids
The traditional nursery rhymes have stood the test of time and was sung by our grandparents and grandparents. As a kid, we have enjoyed reciting the traditional songs along with our parents. The rhymes such as “Baa Baa Black Sheep”, “Bingo Song”, “A Tisket A Tasket”, “Hickory Dickory Dock” etc. are all time favorite kids songs that child remembers from their childhood.

Fingerplay songs
Fingerplay is a hand movement or action performed while singing a nursery rhyme to engage the kid's interest. To sustain little ones' interest and to keep them entertained, songs are accompanied by hand movements, which are coordinated with the words. Some of the popular fingerplay songs are “Incy Wincy Spider”, “This Little Piggy” and lots more.  

Riddle songs
Riddle song is a question which is phrased to as to require ingenuity in ascertaining its answer. Some of the famous riddle songs among kids are “As I Was Going To St Ives”, “In Marble Walls”, “Riddle Me Riddle Me Ree”, “A Needle and A Thread”, “A Plum Pudding” and more.

Importance Of Introducing Riddles To Kids

Riddles are the questions, which are framed so as to require ingenuity in order to find its answers. Share the riddles with your kids and teach them the logic behind these questioning phrases. The riddles are beneficial for children in number of ways such making their brain sharper, enhancing their thinking skills and creativity, improve their comprehension and lots more. So, let's discuss about some more amazing benefits of introducing riddles to your kids.

Improved problem solving abilities
Riddles improves the problem solving abilities and thinking skills, and these two skills are very important and sought after abilities in today's world. Most of the entrance exams for college or any other professional course, are probably based on problem solving and smart thinking. And if kids have been good at solving riddles from childhood, they will easily pass the test. As kids scratch their head to find answers to the riddles, it can help their brain work more actively and smartly.

Reinforce kids understanding
Riddle is very beneficial in building a strong vocabulary of the little learners. When kids encounter some new words, they try to figure out them through context. And riddles offers a context to words, thus making the little ones to learn, memorize and use these new words.

Relax, laughter and happiness
Riddles are great to get rid of boredom and serves as a great stress busters. Some funny riddles for kids are great way to relax their brain and keep it working at the same time. So next time if your child is feeling bored, share some exciting riddles with them and have fun solving them.

Bond with your child
Lastly, riddles are great way to bond with your adorable kid. During the leisure hours, expose your child to a good number of riddles and spend a blissful time with them solving these phrases. 

Fun Of Playing Easter Egg Hunt Game

Easter is around the corner. All young and old are excited o celebrate this festival. And our little ones are most excited as they will enjoy playing their favorite game, Easter Egg Hunt. It is truly a fun-filled holiday activity for children of all ages. Let's learn about how to play the games, make Easter eggs and know about some popular nursery rhymes for kids to sing and enjoy during festive season.

Easter Egg Hunt
Easter Egg Hunt is a fun game organized for kids,  during which they hunt for Easter eggs or decorated. These eggs the real eggs which are decorated using colors or the artificial eggs, filled with chocolate candies or foil-wrapped egg-shaped chocolates, which are hidden in different easy-to-reach places for the little ones to find. Kids can play Easter Egg Hunt both indoors and outdoors. They collect the eggs in a basket. Once the game is over, kids are awarded for various achievements such as collecting largest number of Easter eggs, grabbing the most eggs of a particular color and consolation prizes.

How to make Easter Eggs?
Boil the eggs until the white and the yolk becomes solid. Fill the bowls with water and vinegar. Now add different food color to each bowl. Place one egg in each bowl and keep it in the bowl for five minutes. After that, carefully remove the eggs and set aside to dry. Now paint these eggs with the color if your choice and make awesome designs using different shades.

Easter nursery rhymes for kids
Easter is one of the important celebration in the Christian calendar. Egg Hunt is the most favorite Easter game enjoyed by kids all around the world. Little ones can some melody to the celebration by singing sweet and joyful Easter nursery rhymes such as Bunnies are Brown, Sleeping Bunnies, Hurray, it's Easter Day and lots more. 

Joy Of Celebrating Harvest Festival

"Harvest Festival brings together family fun, folk music, local products and yummy food in one place"

Harvest is the time of year when ripened crops are gathered from the fields. Harvesting season falls at different times of the year, which depends on climate, region and crop. In a majority of Southern Hemisphere, harvesting occurs in February to April, while in Northern Hemisphere, it occurs in the months of August and October.

Harvest Festival reminds the people of all the good things God has given to them. They are thankful to almighty for a bountiful harvest and prays to the god for recurrence of the process. They share the food with other who are poor and not so fortunate. At some places, people bring food to a Harvest Festival Service, which is held at Churches. Then these food parcels are distributed among the people in need.

Celebrating Harvest Festival
Harvest festival is a celebration of crops grown in the fields by farmers. All their hard work is paid off and crops are ripened during the harvest season. So, it's a great time to celebrate. People celebrate the occasion by singing harvest songs, praying and involving in folk dances and religious activities. At some places, fairs are organized, where cultural performances are enjoyed by the visitors.

Popular Harvest Songs and rhymes
There are many songs enjoyed by people all around the world during the Harvest season such as “Bountiful Harvest”, “Sing to the Lord of Harvest”, “On Thanksgiving Day”, “Thanksgiving Song” and many more. One of the popular songs, “Harvest Time is here Again” is a simple and sweet song that is perfect for the little kids to sing and enjoy.  

Fun Color Learning Activities For Kids

So you are thinking about some great ways to expose your little ones to the world of colors. There are plenty of ways to teach colors, but if color learning session is boring, kid may show no or very little interest in learning colors. Children love and enjoy to learn through fun-filled games and activities, so let's make color learning session fun-filled!

Here are some excellent ideas to teach colors to kids, which they will surely enjoy:
Sing color nursery rhymes
Kids love music and if you teach colors in a musical way, they will surely enjoy their lesson. Sing some color songs along with your child and introduce them to the magical world of colors in a fun way.

Finger-painting
Finger-painting is always a fun! And all the children and preschoolers loves to paint. Apply colors to the finger of your kids and let them fill the color in a picture. This will help them to identify the colors in an easy and fun way.

Celebrate color day
Have some fun celebrating a color day with your kid. For instance, if you have planned to celebrate red day, dress up your child in a red-colored dress. You can also offer some toys or fruits of the same color to him/her. This will better help them learn and identify colors.

Color the pictures
Kids enjoy coloring the pictures. Give a particular crayon to your child and help them color the picture. Don't forget to say the name of a color.

Treasure hunt
Treasure hunt game is so exciting! Isn't it? Fill a bucket with colorful thermocol balls. Now ask your child to collect the balls of a particular color only. You can also reward your kid for completing a task!

Objects color
Kids find some objects very interesting, which they find around them and often asks about them. While introducing the name of an object, you can also tell which color object it is.

Colored-cards match
You can make some colored cards out of colored papers. Spread colored cards on a table and let your child pick the cards with matching colors.

So, introduce colors to your child in fun ways and let them enjoy learning colors!!!

Amazing Brainy Benefits Of Reading Short Stories

Short stories play a vital role in kid's development and growth. As they read different story books, it improves their reading skills and language and learning. The short stories are writer's imagination and are written for several purposes such as to educate, to entertain or to inspire the readers. So it can be said that stories have lots of benefits to all, young and old.

Let's learn about some amazing benefits of reading stories

Language and Learning
Short story is an excellent way to introduce new words and great ideas into kid's language. A picture book helps them to learn about amazing concepts including a name of object, color etc. Through stories, they also learn basic etiquette and good manners and help them to become a good and well behaved human being. The non-fiction is very beneficial in teaching the little learners about how diverse the world is and also that people’s lives are vastly different from each other.

Enhance Creative Skills
Reading short stories helps in enhancement of little learner's imaginative thinking, thus boosting their creativity. Other than that, they help in the enhancement of children's imaginative thinking which leads to creativity. Kids can learn to think imaginatively if they read or listen to stories in accordance to how the writer has described the characters, specific setting, and incidents that took place in the tale.

Learning Good Values
Some stories and fairy tales are brimming with moral lessons and messages, which young minds remember for the rest of their lives. When kids read such kind of stories, they are able to understand right conduct and great values.

Build a Strong Vocabulary
Another benefit of reading stories is that kids' vocabulary will be developed. A strong vocabulary help in enhancing children's communication skills both in oral and written communication.

Happiness and Mental Health
Funny stories are read for giggles and will have you laughing for days. Irrespective of age, these stories can be read and enjoyed during the leisure time.  A feeling of happiness and the laughter helps to maintain a good mental health. Reading funny stories help in beating the stress. So for all these reasons, encourage your kids to read stories.

From above-given benefits, it can be concluded that reading stories is really helpful to all. 

Develop Language Skills Of Kids With Nursery Rhymes

Research claims that singing traditional nursery rhymes and lullabies to tiny tots helps in developing their language skills. Most of the parents emphasize more on reading and writing and not on singing kids songs. You will be surprised to know that singing lullabies or traditional rhymes to the little ones can be very beneficial in developing language skills. So, you should sing to your  child every day to prepare their brain to language and avoid language problems developing in later life.

Many preschoolers are enrolled to the preschools without adequate language skills. This is because their parents have never spent or rarely spent a time singing songs to them. And the parents who often sang traditional nursery rhymes to their kids, are found with improved language skills and ability to communicate.

As you sing kids songs and rhymes to your little ones, it helps to understand that how language is constructed. Moreover, they will also learn about rhythm, tone and beat.

Nursery rhymes can accelerate development of child's language skills. So spend some time singing popular traditional rhymes and lullabies such as :

Baa Baa Black Sheep
"Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" is a popular traditional rhyme. The earliest surviving version of a rhyme dates from 1731.  It is very easy for kids and preschoolers to memorize the song as it is a single stanza in trochaic metre.

Little Robin Redbreast
“Little Robin Redbreast” is relatively most varied nursery rhyme because  it's earliest was crude. In most of the English speaking world, this English rhyme is accompanied by fingerplay for kids to enjoy.

Old King Cole
"Old King Cole" is a popular British nursery rhyme, which dates back to 1708. In the rhyme, identity of King Cole is still controversial and not known and is only identified as any historical figure.

Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush 
“Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush” was first composed by James Orchard Halliwell in the mid 19th century. The rhyme is used as a singing game, which involves holding hands in a circle and moving around to the first verse and to the next verses, kids break up to imitate different actions. 

Easy Ways To Teach Nursery Rhymes To Kids

Nursery rhymes are very helpful in developing early literacy skills of kids. Through rhymes, kids can not only improve their reading and writing skills but also learn to understand language. Teaching little ones can be exciting and fun but sometimes need a great effort. Some kids can grasp easily while some need a bit of effort to learn rhymes. But if teaching is accompanied by some acts, pictures and other interactive elements, children can quickly memorize lyrics to their favorite rhymes. 

Below are a few suggestions on how to introduce nursery rhymes to preschoolers and make the learning session fun-filled and engaging. 

Use the rhythm

Don't use monotone voice or else kids may not develop interest in learning their favorite rhymes. Sing the song and add rhythm to it. Give vocal variations while singing the rhyme to make it more interesting. 

Act out the rhymes

The most interesting activity that can really help children to learn nursery rhymes is to act them out. They will enjoy, have fun and develop an interest in learning the songs as they try to act them out while singing. 

Read the rhymes from book

Several nursery rhyme books are available to teach rhymes to little learners. Look for a book in which nursery rhyme lyrics are accompanied by some attractive images. Encourage your little ones to read along, while showing the pictures.  

Use puppets

Use some puppets while teaching the rhymes to the kids. For instance, use duck puppet while singing “Five Little Ducks” or monkey puppet while teaching “Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed”. 

Draw sketches or pictures

You can also draw some pictures or sketches of certain characters from the rhyme and use them while teaching the nursery rhymes to the preschoolers. 

Watch nursery rhymes videos 

You can also let your kid watch nursery rhymes videos. The videos which are accompanied by storytelling will keep the kids entertained while they learn lyrics to their favorite rhymes. Oh yes, don't forget to ask your kid to sing along. 

Develop Early Literacy Skills of Kids With Nursery Rhymes

Nursery rhymes not only keep the kids entertained but also helps a lot in developing their early literacy skills 

Evoke Nostalgic Memories Of Childhood By Singing Traditional Nursery Rhymes

Traditional nursery rhymes which have been passed down from parents to their kids for generations now seems to be unpopular now. Very few parents now sing old favorites with their kids and does not encourage the little ones to sing rhymes as often as they use to do so. As a result, kids will never enjoy and learn popular traditional songs. 

Why should you sing traditional rhymes? 

In the modern era, both mother and father have busy lives and have no time to teach the rhymes to their kids. But if children can develop an ear for language in childhood, it can be very beneficial in enhancing their reading and learning skills and build a strong vocabulary before they start school.

As per the experts, nursery rhymes play an important role in kid's language development and early literacy skills. Traditional nursery rhymes also help the little learners to enjoy and play with language and learn about its patterns and rhythms. To your surprise, singing rhymes along with kids also help in forming a strong and loving bond between parents and their child.  

So, don't let the old favorites be shunned! All you need is just spend little bit of your time singing rhymes and it will transport you to a happy time when you were a child. 

Baby Hazel Nursery Rhymes aim to encourage every child to read and learn popular traditional nursery rhymes by providing lyrics and music to hundreds of all time favorite traditional songs that have been passed through ages. Cherish the moments and be nostalgic about good childhood days by singing the traditional songs such as Hey Diddle Diddle, Old McDonald had a farm, Baa Baa Black Sheep, Humpty Dumpty, Little Miss Muffet, Wee Willie Winkie, Row Row Row Your Boat, Oranges and Lemons, The Grand Old Duke Of York and more along with your kids. 

Rediscover your love for the traditional songs and introduce them to your kids. It will be playful, fun and make your child happy!!!

Fun Alphabet Learning Activities For Kids And Preschoolers

When you begin to teach letters to your kid, you might be looking for some interesting ways of teaching. Because if learning session is fun-filled, kids will enjoy their lesson and can grasp quickly. There are plenty of ways to teach the alphabet  and letter sounds to little learners. Lets' learn about some interesting and engaging ways to teach ABCs to kids

Sing alphabet song
Kids love and enjoy musical ways! So sing the alphabet song and encourage your kids to sing along. They will learn the letters and letter sounds from A to Z in a most entertaining way and have fun singing the song.

Pop balloons 
Go shopping and buy some balloons labeled with letters. You can also label the balloons with the letters from A to Z if labeled balloons are not available. Say a name of a letter and ask your kid to pop a balloon labeled with that particular letter. You can also ask you kid to pop the balloons in an alphabetical order. Choice is yours!

Arrange blocks in alphabetic order
Kids enjoy playing with toys! Get the blocks labeled with letters from A to Z. Ask your kid to arrange the blocks in an alphabetic order.

Make accessories
Yes! Kids can learn their ABCs by making some accessories such as necklace, bracelet etc. Get some beads labeled with all the letters. Now help your kids to make a necklace or bracelet using beads in an alphabetic order.

Tracing letters with colorful beads 
Letter tracing is always a fun! Another fun activity to help kids identify the English letters is tracing them with beads. Collect some colorful beads and help you kid to trace the alphabet using beads. This will help them to easily identify and learn their ABCs. They will surely enjoy!

So engage your kids in some delightful alphabet activities to help them recognize and learn their abc's. Kid may not be able to complete the activities perfectly in beginning, so help them in completing the task. And yes, don't forget to applaud your child when he /she completes the alphabet related activities properly.

Happy learning!!!

Fingerplay Nursery Rhymes To Build Fine Motor Skills In Kids

Fine motor skills allow the kids to control and manipulate their fingers and they can do many useful activities in their day to day life. You can develop kids' fine motor skills through fingerplay nursery rhymes. It's fun, easy and entertaining! Little learners love to sing! And if singing is accompanied by hand and finger actions, they will enthusiastically join you in the song.

So introduce some fingerplay rhymes to your children, which are accompanied by a series of movements that mimic the lyrics. They are one of the best ways to teach them how to control and manipulate their hands and fingers. There are plenty of new and traditional rhymes to enjoy the fingreplay. Let's learn about the popular fingerplay songs and how to act them out.

Five Little Monkeys 
“Five little monkeys jumping on the bed” - Hold up your five fingers and rest the elbow on the other hand. And now slowly bounce your arm up and down
“One fell off and bumped his head” -  Hold up one finger and roll your hand down towards the floor
“Mama called the doctor and the doctor said” – Put your little finger to your cheek and thumb to your ear (like a phone)
“No more monkeys jumping on the bed”  - Wag your index finger
(Repeat the same with four, three, two and one little monkeys)

This Little Piggy
“This little piggy went to market” -  wiggle the big toe
“This little piggy stayed home” - wiggle the index toe
“This little piggy had roast beef” -  wiggle the middle toe
“This little piggy had none” – wiggle the fourth toe
“And this little piggy cried wee wee wee all the way home” -  wiggle the little toe and suddenly tickle sole of your kid

Pat-a-cake
“Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker’s man”  - clap hands
“Bake me a cake as fast as you can” - clap hands
“Roll it and pat it” - Pat the stomach of your little one
“And mark it with a B” - Draw a letter “B” or first letter of your kid's name on his/her palm

Five Little Ducks
“Five little ducks went out one day” - Hold up your five fingers
“Over the hills and far away” - Move your hand and arm up and down
“Mother Duck said “Quack, quack, quack, quack” - Form a beak with hands and then close and open it
“But only four little ducks came back” - Now hold up your four fingers
(Repeat the same with four, three, two and one little ducks)

Benefits of Reading Short Stories

Number of authors have pen down short stories for kids. Through these stories, they have tried to relate a message which they want their readers to grasp. Apart from entertainment, reading stories have significant numbers of benefits. The stories are written to educate and inspire the readers.

Short stories with their simple plot and series of events keep the kids entertained. It can help the kids in number of ways, thus try introducing some short stories such as The Ugly Duckling, The Little Mermaid and more to your little ones. As per the experts, reading stories enhances kids' imaginative thinking which leads to creativity. Kids can think imaginatively while reading stories as per the setting and events and character in them.

Let's understand the benefits of reading stories:
Healthy Brain
To keep oneself physically fit, exercise is important. Same way the brain also requires an exercise to keep it healthy and active. A well written short story keep the children engaged and their brain becomes active. So, if you want your kids' brain to be strong and healthy, encourage them to read stories.

Build vocabulary
Read stories to build a strong vocabulary! As the kids read more and more, they are exposed to more new words. This will help them enhance their communication and writing skills.

Moral lesson 
Some of the short stories for children are brimming with some kind of inspiration and moral lessons. Reading moral stories and fairy tales provides a bit of information, which may come in handy in future. So let your little ones read their favorite stories and gain knowledge. Moral lessons planted in their young minds can help them overcome obstacles and tackle problems. Moreover, they will also learn to treat other people with kindness and make smart decisions.

Improved concentration and focus
When kids are reading short stories online or in books, all their attention is focused on a tale. This helps in improving concentration and focus. 

Interesting Ways To Expand Kids Vocabulary

Learning new words help the kids to foster their communication and reading ability. So introduce new words to your kids in different ways to help them learn new words and build an impressive vocabulary. Let's learn about some interesting ways to help your child build a strong vocabulary.

Conversation
Improving kids vocabulary may be a bit challenging. You may think that you should only use the simple words during the conversation with your child. Try using new and big word while talking to them. And if your kid is not replying that means he/she hasn't understood what are you are trying to say. So encourage your kids to ask for clarification, when they are unable to understand. Teach them the meaning of a word.

Reading
Kids enjoy listening to fairy tales and short stories. Narrate some fun-filled and interesting short stories to kids such as The Ugly Duckling, Cinderella, Snow White etc. Once they have developed an interest of listening to stories, encourage your kid to read a story by him/herself. As they will read, they will be introduced to new words. So sit beside them and teach them the meaning of big words, which are new to them.

Singing Nursery Rhymes
Singing nursery rhymes to kids can also help in building a strong vocabulary. Enjoy singing the rhyme and try to act it out. It will not only entertain the kids and but they will also understand the meaning of each word. By acting out a word, kid will better understand it!

Once you the kids are introduced to new words, you should repeat the words in conversation and also teach them the meaning until they have not fully grasped the concept. Don't forget to applaud your kid because they feel happy when being applauded and this makes them feel as if they have achieved something. 

Singing Games Associated To Nursery Rhymes And How To Play Them

Several nursery rhymes are accompanied by singing games. These games are enjoyed and played by kids all over the world and are one of the popular and kids' favorite outdoor games that keep them entertained during their leisure hours. Let's learn about how to play singing games to different nursery rhymes.

London Bridge
“London Bridge” is a popular English nursery rhyme and a singing game. In the game, two kids hold their hands and make an arch with their arms and sing the rhyme. The remaining children pass through in single file. At end of the song, an arch is lowered to “catch” a player.

The Muffin Man
Kids enjoy playing a game to “The Muffin Man” rhyme. In the game, the first player turns to the one standing next to him/her and sings,"Do you know the muffin man? The muffin man, the muffin man. Do you know the muffin man who lives in Drury Lane?". The person, who is addressed replies by saying "Yes, I know the muffin man. The muffin man, the muffin man. Oh, yes, I know the muffin man, who lives in Drury Lane." Upon this they both sing, "Then two of us know the muffin man, the muffin man".

Now the second person turns to the third one, repeating the same words, who then replies in the same way and so on.

The Farmer in The Dell
In the game, all the kids form a circle holding hands around one kid, who is designated as the farmer and sing the first verse of "The Farmer in The Dell" while moving around farmer. As the first ends, they stop and the player who is designated as farmer makes his choice of a wife. The wife then joins the farmer in the center for her verse and so through the verses until only one kid is left to become the last character. The last person then usually become the farmer for the next round. 

Benefits And Importance Of Singing Lullabies To Babies

We all know that lullabies are sung to the little babies to put them to sleep. From ages, parents and caretakers throughout the world have sung lullabies or baby songs to the babies, while they cuddled them in arms to lull them to sleep.

Build bond and develop communication
But you will be surprised and happy to know that there are many more benefits of singing lullaby and baby songs apart from putting them to sleep. Newborns have an ability to response to sound. So nurture your little one musically to bond with your child. As you sing lullabies, a communication will occur between you and your baby and they will respond to you by cooing. Isn't that amazing?

A sense of security
Soothing lullabies are very effective in calming the crying babies. As they listen to soft and soothing rhythmic baby songs, it brings comfort to them and also a sense of security. Research tells that babies with secure attachment in their early childhood tend to be more confident and emotionally stable.

Improved sleep
Memorize lyrics to your favorite lullabies and sing them to your kids while putting him/her to sleep or while feeding. This will soothe and relax them and also make them feel secure. As per the research, it has proved that infants who listen to lullabies sung by their parents, their sleeping and feeding have surprisingly improved.

Tips for new moms
Some tips for the new moms before you start singing the lullabies. Try not repeating the same lullaby every time because naughty cute little babies enjoy variety. So collect a repertoire of your favorite lullabies and memorize them. As you gently rock the baby or cuddle the baby in your arms while singing lullabies, smile and look at your infant's face. This will bring comfort to your baby.

So calm down your little ones by singing soothing lullabies to them!!!

Types Of Singing Games For Kids And Preschooler To Enjoy

We all love playing singing games! These games are of different types and can be enjoyed in various exciting ways. Learn about the types of singing games and how they are played so that next time when you join your friends you can play these exciting games. Just memorize nursery rhyme lyrics so that you can recite while playing the game. So get ready to have some fun by playing singing games!

Catching Rhymes
Catching rhymes are full of fun and excitement!  In the game, two players make an arch while other participants pass through iit in a single file while chanting a rhyme. At the end of the rhyme, arch is lowered to “catch” a player. Popular catching nursery rhymes among the children are “London Bridge is Falling Down”, “Oranges and Lemons ” and lots more.

Circle Dances 

Some of the singing games has their origins in circle dances. The best known circle dances are "Ring a Ring o' Roses", "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush" and "Nuts in May".

Starting Songs
There are several calling rhymes or starting songs, which are recited or sung to assemble players of a game. “Girls and Boys Come Out To Play” is traditionally a popular starting song. These rhymes are sometimes used as counting out, a medium of starting a game by choosing special role of participants, usually by eliminating all but one player as in like “One Potato, two Potato” and "Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe".

Clapping Games
A clapping game is commonly enjoyed by two players, which involves clapping as accompaniment to a nursery rhyme. Clapping games are popular all over the world and enjoyed by kids during their leisure hours. These games can be played indoors as well as outdoors. Rhymes to enjoy clapping games include "Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man", "A Sailor Went to Sea" “Pease Porridge Hot” etc.

Skipping Games
A skipping game, also popularly known as jump-rope rhyme or skipping-rope rhyme, is a type of singing game which involves chanting of a rhymes while skipping. Skipping rhymes are popular in all cultures where skipping is played. These rhymes are found in various variations. Some of the children's favorite rhymes chanted while skipping are “Pretty Little Dutch Girl”, “Charlie Chaplin went to France” etc.

So, kids enjoy your favorite singing games now!