Rub-a-dub-dub,Three men in a tub, 
And who do you think they were? 
The butcher, the baker, 
The candlestick-maker, 
They all sailed out to sea, 
'Twas enough to make a man stare. 

Alternative Lyrics: 

Hey! rub-a-dub, ho! rub-a-dub, three maids in a tub, 
And who do you think were there? 
The butcher, the baker, the candlestick-maker, 
And all of them gone to the fair. 

Alternative Lyrics: 

Rub a dub dub,
Three fools in a tub,And who do you think they be?
The butcher, the baker,
The candlestick maker.
Turn them out, knaves all three.

Hints and Tips:

• Poster for this nursery rhyme can be found in the Printables section on this site. See: Rhymes Posters

Row, row, row your boat, 
Gently down the stream. 
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, 
Life is but a dream. 

Alternative Lyrics: 

Row, row, row your boat, 
Gently down the stream. 
If you see an alligator, 
Don't forget to scream. 

Alternative Lyrics: 

Row, row, row your boat, 
Gently down the stream. 
Throw your teacher overboard 
And listen to her scream. 

Alternative Lyrics:

Row, row, row your boat,
Gently down the stream.
Verily, verily, verily, verily,
Life is but a dream.

Hints and Tips:

• To use as an action song - to children sit across from each other, hold hands and rock backwards and forwards while singing this rhyme
• Poster for this nursery rhyme can be found in the Printables section on this site. See: Rhymes Posters

Round and round the garden 
Like a teddy bear. 
One step, two step, 
Tickle you under there. 

Alternative Lyrics: 

Round about there 
Sat a little hare 
The bow-wows came and chased him 
Right up there. 

Hints and Tips: 

• The nursery rhyme is accompanied by various actions, by the adult on the child or the child on the adult. The child/adult first lightly strokes his or her index finger in slow circles around the child/adult's upturned palm, then with each "step", walks their index and middle finger up the arm, firstly to the elbow and then to the shoulder. Finally after a short pause before the "tickle", they launch a (not unexpected) tickle under the arm.
• Poster for this nursery rhyme can be found in the Printables section on this site. See: Rhymes Posters

Rock-a-bye baby, on the treetop, 
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock, 
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall, 
And down will come baby, cradle and all. 

Alternative Lyrics: 

Hush-a-by baby 
On the tree top, 
When the wind blows 
The cradle will rock. 
When the bough breaks,
The cradle will fall,
And down will fall baby
Cradle and all.

Alternative Lyrics:

Rock-a-bye, baby, thy cradle is green;
Father's a nobleman, mother's a queen;
And Betty's a lady, and wears a gold ring;
And Johnny's a drummer, and drums for the king.

Hints and Tips:

• Poster for this nursery rhyme can be found in the Printables section on this site. See: Rhymes Posters

Rain rain go away, 
Come again another day. 

Alternative Lyrics: 

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

Alternative Lyrics: 

Rain, Rain, 
Go away; 
Come again, 
April day; 
Little Johnny wants to play 

Hints and Tips:

• Poster for this nursery rhyme can be found in the Printables section on this site. See: Rhymes Posters

Polly put the kettle on, 
Polly put the kettle on, 
Polly put the kettle on, 
We'll all have tea. 

Sukey take it off again, 
Sukey take it off again, 
Sukey take it off again, 
They've all gone away. 

Hints and Tips: 

• Poster of this nursery rhyme can be found in the Printables section on this site. See: Rhymes Posters

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man. 
Bake me a cake as fast as you can; 

Roll it, Pat it and mark it with B, 
Put it in the oven for baby and me. 

Alternative Lyrics: 

Patty cake, patty cake, baker's man. 
Bake me a cake as fast as you can; 

Roll it up, roll it up; 
And throw it in a pan! 

Patty cake, patty cake, baker's man. 

Alternative Lyrics: 

Patty cake, patty cake, baker's man.
Bake me a cake as fast as you can;

Roll it up, roll it up;
Put it in a pan;
And toss it in the oven as fast as you can!

Alternative Lyrics:

Patty Cake, Patty Cake,
Baker's Man;
That I will Master,
As fast as I can;

Prick it and prick it,
And mark it with a T,
And there will be enough for Tommy and me.

Hints and Tips:

• If told by a parent to a child, the "B" and "baby" in the last two lines are sometimes replaced by the child's first initial and first name.
• The rhyme is often accompanied by hand-clapping between two people, a clapping game. It alternates between a normal individual clap with two-handed claps with the other person. The hands may be crossed as well.
• Poster of this nursery rhyme can be found in the Printables section on this site. See: Rhymes Posters

One, two, 
Buckle my shoe; 

Three, four, 
Open the door; 

Five, six, 
Pick up sticks; 

Seven, eight, 
Lay them straight: 

Nine, ten, 
A big, fat hen; 

Eleven, twelve, 
Dig and delve; 

Thirteen, fourteen, 
Maids a-courting; 

Fifteen, sixteen, 
Maids in the kitchen; 

Seventeen, eighteen, 
Maids a-waiting 

Nineteen, twenty, 
My plate's empty 

Alternative Lyrics:

Thirteen, fourteen,
draw the curtain,

Fifteen sixteen,
the maid's in the kitchen,

Seventeen, eighteen,
she's in waiting,

Nineteen, twenty,
my stomach's empty

Alternative Lyrics:

Three, four,
Lay down lower

Eleven twelve,
Who will delve

Fifteen, sixteen,
Maidsa-kissing...

Nineteen, twenty,
My Belly's empty

Hints and Tips:

• Poster of this nursery rhyme can be found in the Printables section on this site. See: Rhymes Posters

Old Mother Hubbard 
Went to the cupboard, 
To give the poor dog a bone; 
When she came there, 
The cupboard was bare, 
And so the poor dog had none. 

She went to the baker's 
To buy him some bread; 
When she came back 
The dog was dead! 

She went to the undertaker's
To buy him a coffin;
When she came back
The dog was laughing.

She took a clean dish
to get him some tripe;
When she came back
He was smoking his pipe.

She went to the alehouse
To get him some beer;
When she came back
The dog sat in a chair.

She went to the tavern
For white wine and red;
When she came back
The dog stood on his head.

She went to the fruiterer's
To buy him some fruit;
When she came back
He was playing the flute.

She went to the tailor's
To buy him a coat;
When she came back
He was riding a goat.

She went to the hatter's
To buy him a hat;
When she came back
He was feeding her cat.

She went to the barber's
To buy him a wig
When she came back
He was dancing a jig.

She went to the cobbler's
To buy him some shoes;
When she came back
He was reading the news.

She went to the sempstress
To buy him some linen;
When she came back
The dog was spinning.

She went to the hosier's
To buy him some hose;
When she came back
He was dressed in his clothes.

The Dame made a curtsy,
The dog made a bow;
The Dame said, Your servant;
The dog said, Bow-wow.

This wonderful dog
Was Dame Hubbard's delight,
He could read, he could dance,
He could sing, he could write;

She gave him rich dainties
Whenever he fed,
And erected this monument
When he was dead.

Alternative Lyrics:

Old Dame trot,
Some cold fish had got,
Which for pussy,
She kept in Store,

When she looked there was none
The cold fish had gone,
For puss had been there before.

Hints and Tips:

• Poster of this nursery rhyme can be found in the Printables section on this site. See: Rhymes Posters

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

Alternative Lyrics: 

Mistress Mary, Quite contrary, 
How does your garden grow? 
With Silver Bells, And Cockle Shells, 
And so my garden grows. 

Alternative Lyrics:

Mistress Mary, Quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With Silver Bells, And Cockle Shells,
Sing cuckolds all in a row.

Hints and Tips:

• Poster for this nursery rhyme can be found in the Printables section on this site. See: Rhymes Posters