Nursery rhyme favoritesUse books or pictures to show as you sing - or pass round little cut-out stars, doll's shoe or plastic bucket - as appropriate! - as you sing.
Baa baa black sheep
Hickory dickory dock
Humpty dumpty
Jack and Jill
Ladybird, ladybird
Mary Mary quite contrary
One, two, buckle my shoe
Polly put the kettle on
Sing a song of sixpence
Twinkle twinkle little star
Check out Shirley's Preschool Activities for more preschool songs and nursery rhymes - there are counting rhymes, tea time rhymes, and a list of nursery rhyme ideas that are ideal for adding a touch of magic to your toddler party games.
Dancing games
Using dance in your toddler party games is a must! Little tots love the combination of music and dance. With lots of adult participation, you can sing and dance "ring-o-ring-o-roses" or "here we go round the mulberry bush" with its variations of "this is the way we brush our teeth" and so on.A musical Follow My Leader will get them moving if they weren't already! Using taped music without lyrics, an enthusiastic - and fit! - adult can lead the children around the room. Reach up, reach down, touch your toes, sit on the floor, wiggle your arms in the air, crawl along a bit, roll over, stand up, sit down again, stand up, fly like a bird... certainly one to do before consuming party food!
A toddler version of musical bumps is fun to do. Play some nursery rhyme music - or disco hits! - and have a bop together. When the music stops - all sit down! You could give everybody a little prize at the end for dancing - or having a toddler tantrum! - so nicely.
Take a look at my tips on organizing toddler party games!
Story games
You might not have thought that stories play much part in toddler party games, but for children of this age, any activity where they can join in and have fun with others is a game.However, reading a story to a group of very young children can seem like a challenge! It's a good idea to have a cushion or carpet square for each child to sit on, as then they have their own special "place". Arrange them in a circle on the floor and join the circle yourself. They can choose a cuddly toy to huggle, too!
The best "stories" are nursery rhymes - they are familiar, you already know the words, and they probably know them too.
Show the book to the children as you "read" it. Read slowly, with lots of expression, looking around at each child and engaging their attention. Let them finish the end of the sentences, or let them join in the whole rhyme. Two or three such rhymes might well be enough. Stop when they start to lose concentration.
Alphabet books with a large picture for each letter can work well. They don't need to know the letters - but can they recognize the picture? A is for.... apple! Very good!
You don't need to do all 26 letters - just pick eight or ten. Make it more dramatic by closing your eyes and opening the book at a new page. You could finish this toddler party game by singing the Alphabet Song if they are familiar with it.
Using a touchy-feely book is nice too. They are usually board books with a little rhyme or question on each page. Show the book to the children and read the text. Then let the children, or a couple of them each time, feel the rabbit's ears or stroke the horse's mane.
My little boy has a "First Words" vocabulary book. The first page has a picture of a boat. Show the picture. What is it? What does it do? Sails on the sea, whoooshhhhh, up and down on the waves! Don't fall into the sea! What's this? A fish! Open and close your mouth like a fish, put your hands together and wiggle fishily!
