Toddlers and preschoolers love nursery rhymes, and they’ll love these crafty, sensory play ideas even more! From Incy Wincy Spider to Hickory Dickory Dock, plus plenty more in between, here are fun nursery rhyme activities for toddlers and preschoolers to get stuck into.
Clapping, singing and repetition are all fun for little ones, and these art and craft projects are perfect things to make and do alongside some favourite nursery rhymes. Little Bo Peep has never had such cute sheep!
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Jump to a rhyme:
- Incy Wincy Spider
- Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
- Old MacDonald Had a Farm
- Humpty Dumpty
- Hickory Dickory Dock
- Little Bo Peep / Baa Baa Black Sheep
Nursery Rhyme Activities: Incy Wincy Spider
Act Out Incy Wincy Craft
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Make the lyrics come to life on a rainy day indoors! This act out Incy Wincy Craft from CrafTea Classes uses toilet paper tubes and paint, and is fun for toddlers to make and then act out.
Incy Wincy Handprint Keepsake
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This Incy Wincy Handprint Keepsake from Learning and Exploring Through Play is perfect messy paint fun that needs just paper, black paint and googly eyes.
Itsy Bitsy Spider Story Box
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Isn’t this Spider Story Box we found on Pinterest so cute? Make your spider from an egg carton and pipe cleaners, then decorate a box for fun story time you can reuse again and again.
Egg Box Incy Wincy Spider
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Enjoy making Incy Wincy, the rain and a drainpipe with this egg box spider craft from Messy Little Monster.
Playdough Incy Wincy Spider
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Learn how to make your own playdough, then transform it into this fun playdough spider from Crafty Kids at Home.
Nursery Rhyme Activities: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
Star Wands
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Make these cute star wands, then sing Twinkle Twinkle — full instructions over at Learning and Exploring Through Play. Keep your wands for playing wizards, fairies, witches and more!
Star Lantern
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This star lantern idea from Teach Me Mommy is a lovely star craft to make with young kids while singing “Twinkle, twinkle, little star.” Once it’s complete, add a battery-operated tea light to see it glow.
Sensory Star Oobleck
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Learn how to make your own frozen oobleck with this sensory star oobleck activity from Learning and Exploring Through Play — easy to do and super fun.
Rhyming Stars
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This idea for rhyming stars from Fun-A-Day is simple but effective. This Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star activity uses free printable rhyming cards to engage children in a fun spin-off of the favourite rhyme.
Star Busy Bag
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Try this star sensory bag activity from Learning and Exploring Through Play — perfect for mess-free, sensory fun.
Star Box
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Looking for simple sensory play for infants and toddlers? This easy sensory star box from Where Imagination Grows is an activity your kids will love. Based on the idea of a mini planetarium, all you need is a large box, some string lights and something to make holes with. Try the real constellations, or just poke a random pattern of holes and thread a light through each one — an instant sensory activity to lie under and enjoy.
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Nursery Rhyme Activities: Old MacDonald Had a Farm
Old MacDonald Story Stones
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Aren’t these Old MacDonald Story Stones from Messy Little Monster adorable? Print off the free printable farm animals, stick them to stones and use them to help toddlers and preschoolers choose which animal to sing about, or make up simple farmyard stories.
Wooden Peg Farm Animals
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This idea from Danya Banya for wooden peg farm animal toys is super cute and great for telling the story of all the animals on the farm. All that peg squeezing also builds finger and hand strength, so it doubles as a fun fine motor exercise.
Animal Spoon Puppets
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Teach Me Mommy’s idea for farmyard animal spoon puppets is fun to make, engaging to play with, and a very portable activity for road trips.
Farm Animal Wind Socks
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These farm animal windsocks (including a pig, sheep, chicken and cow) are perfect for practising cutting and gluing skills — and they turn out adorable.
Fingerprint Sheep Painting
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Crafty Morning’s idea to make some fingerprint sheep is a really basic craft any child can do — all you need is coloured craft paper for the background, black paper for the head and legs, white paint and googly eyes.
Sensory Tuff Tray
This Sensory Tuff Tray from Adventures of Adam Play is amazing — toddlers will love it.
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Nursery Rhyme Activities: Humpty Dumpty
Humpty Dumpty Collage
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Texture and creativity come into play with this fun Humpty Dumpty collage idea from Here Come the Girls, which uses broken egg shells to bring Humpty to life.
Humpty Dumpty Egg Decorating
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This project from Red Ted Art for Humpty Dumpty Egg Decorating is perfect for preschoolers, and using real eggs is a great way to teach them about handling things with care.
Humpty Dumpty 3D Craft
This 3D Humpty Dumpty Craft project from Teach Me Mommy really brings Humpty to life.
Humpty Dumpty Weeble
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Humpty wobbles but he won’t fall down! Make your own Humpty Dumpty Weeble with instructions from Messy Little Monster. These egg weebles are a quick and fun accompaniment to the rhyme — will you be able to knock your Humpty Dumpty weeble off his wall, or will he stand back up again?
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Nursery Rhyme Activities: Hickory Dickory Dock
Number Matching Clock Game
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A great idea from Best Toys for Toddlers for this Number Matching Clock Game. Hickory Dickory Dock is a great little rhyme that helps little ones learn their numbers and time in an easy, fun way. Clothespins reinforce fine motor skills while matching numbers, colours and learning to tell time.
Mouse Stick Puppets
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These mouse puppets from Craft Ideas are so cute, and simple to make from pipe cleaners.
Learning the Time
This Hickory, Dickory Dock felt learning clock from Crafty Kids at Home will help teach your preschooler how to tell the time.
Candy Cane Mice
Make these adorable Candy Cane Mice, with instructions on the Martha Stewart website.
Hickory Dickory Dock Rock Clock
This Rock Clock idea from Danya Banya is simple but effective.
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Nursery Rhyme Activities: Little Bo Peep / Baa Baa Black Sheep
Little Bo Peep Toilet Roll Characters
Make these fun Toilet Roll Characters to play Little Bo Peep and her sheep — find the instructions on the Danya Banya blog.
Paper Plate Sheep Craft
Housing a Forest has instructions for this cute Paper Plate Sheep craft.
Cork Painting Sheep
Save a wine cork for your toddler to make this Cork Painting Sheep Craft from Crafty Morning.
Yarn Sheep Craft
These cute sheep from Teach Me Mommy are lovely — check out the instructions for this fun Yarn Sheep Craft.
Sheep Stick Puppets
You’ll need a couple of cotton pads to make this cute Sheep Stick Puppet, a nice craft idea from Best Toys for Toddlers.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What age are these nursery rhyme activities suitable for?
Most of these crafts and sensory activities work well for toddlers and preschoolers, roughly ages 2 to 5. Some, like the fine motor peg toys or clothespin clock, are also great for building skills as children get closer to school age. Simplify any step that’s too fiddly for younger hands, or let older siblings help.
Why are nursery rhymes good for toddlers and preschoolers?
Nursery rhymes combine rhythm, repetition and simple storytelling, which helps young children with language development, memory and early listening skills. Acting a rhyme out with a craft or sensory activity gives children another way to engage with the story and makes the rhyme even more memorable.
Do I need special supplies for these crafts?
No — most of these activities use everyday items you’ll already have at home, such as paper plates, egg cartons, pipe cleaners, cotton pads and paint. A few use things like wine corks or clothespins, which are easy to pick up cheaply if you don’t have them to hand.
Can these activities be used in a playgroup or classroom?
Yes. Many of these ideas, especially the story stones, puppets and sensory boxes, work really well in small groups and can be set up as stations so children rotate between a few different rhymes in one session.
Related Articles
If you enjoyed these nursery rhyme activities, you might also like:
- 21 Creative and Quirky Dr Seuss Crafts and Activities
- Mess-Free Fun with These 10 No-Glue Crafts for Preschoolers
- 25 Cute & Easy Paper Plate Crafts, Perfect for Preschoolers
- 10 Fun Ideas for Entertaining Preschoolers at Home
- From Nursery Rhymes to Sonnets: Why Poetry for Kids is Important
- 12 Super Simple Art Projects for Toddlers and Preschoolers
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