Have you ever wondered when to start reciting nursery rhymes to a baby? If yes, then the answer is – from birth. Yes, science says that babies develop the ability to hear in the womb itself and most of their brain development happens in the first five years. In such a situation, if you make them listen to lullabies, songs and nursery rhymes from the beginning, then it strengthens the foundation of their language learning and mental development.
Although newborn babies do not understand the meaning of these poems, they start feeling the tune, rhythm, expressions and the ups and downs of the voice. These are the initial signs that develop the ability to understand and express language in the baby.
Major benefits of nursery rhymes for babies
Strong start to language development
Nursery rhymes are considered to be the simplest and most effective way to teach language. With repetition and rhythm, babies start recognizing words, sentences and their sounds. As you sing songs like “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” or “Nani Teri Morni”, the child begins to internalize the voice patterns and pronunciation.
Through rhymes, the child learns new vocabulary, understands sentence structure and develops a listening habit. The ability to listen is the first step in language development, because it is on this basis that he learns to speak.
Cognitive development
Experts believe that nursery rhymes stimulate the child’s brain and strengthen their ability to understand and remember. Children have the highest grasping power at the age of 1 to 5 years, and listening to songs or poems at this age makes their brain work faster.
Repetition of poems improves the memory of children, they easily remember the same song by listening to it again and again. It also helps in school education later on.
Emotional and social development
When you hum a poem or sing a lullaby to your baby while rocking him in your arms, it is not just a form of entertainment but also a form of deep emotional bonding between parents and the child.
Such activities make the baby feel secure and develop social emotions such as responding, smiling, making eye contact, etc.
Development of creativity
Many nursery rhymes are based on a story. As the child grows up and starts understanding the meaning, he creates a world of imagination in his mind – like the hill in “Jack and Jill” or the water world in “Machhli Jal Ki Rani Hai”.
Such imaginations activate his creative thinking from an early age and he starts thinking of new stories on his own.
Development of Motor Skills
Many nursery rhymes involve actions — like “If You’re Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands” or “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”. These songs teach children to clap, jump, move their hands and feet.
This helps in hand-eye coordination and physical balance, which develops their motor skills. Through small movements, the child learns to control his body.
Effective ways to teach nursery rhymes
The most common question parents have is — how to teach nursery rhymes to a child? The answer is simple: when the child is nearby, whether in a swing or on their lap, you start humming a small song slowly. It is not necessary to sing long and difficult songs. Start in the language spoken at home — like Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, etc.
After some time, when the child starts recognizing rhythm and sound, you can gradually add poems in other languages.
It is also very important to do actions with songs. For example, when you sing “Clap your hands”, clap yourself, so that the child can understand its meaning. If you want, you can also take the help of animated nursery rhyme videos available on the Internet. Also, soft toys or small puppets of the characters of the rhymes also attract the child.
An early foundation that becomes the foundation of the future
Whatever is done in the development of the child, later becomes a part of his personality and intellectual abilities. Listening to nursery rhymes is not just entertainment, it is a process of shaping the child’s future language skills, memory, self-confidence, and sociability.
Through this, the child not only learns to recognize words and sounds, but also learns to express emotions, respond to others, and use his imagination.
Conclusion
So the next time you hold your newborn, don’t forget to sing a cute rhyme. He may smile, blink or move his arms and legs — these are the seeds of new possibilities in his mind. Nursery rhymes are not just sounds, they are the first language through which a baby begins to connect with this world. Sing rhymes, tell stories — and start the most beautiful journey of his life with your baby.
