UK songs/rhymes for children...help!

I'm so glad I don't have little ones anymore because I couldn't handle all of my beloved baby songs being different. I wouldn't mind learing a few new ones for my Grandson though. My husband taught me a different version of Happy Birthday that we use to this day. Don't know if it makes a difference that he's Scottish or not.
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
bread and butter in the gutter
Happy Birthday to you

I'm so glad I don't have little ones anymore because I couldn't handle all of my beloved baby songs being different. I wouldn't mind learing a few new ones for my Grandson though. My husband taught me a different version of Happy Birthday that we use to this day. Don't know if it makes a difference that he's Scottish or not.
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
bread and butter in the gutter
Happy Birthday to you

My son is 5 and this week he is singing:
Happy Birthday to you
Squashed Tomatoes and poo...

I am a librarian with a local authority and used to run rhymetimes at least a few times a week, every week.  Ask the person running the session to write down the titles for you and either post them on here (I'm happy to help!) or google them and add in Youtube and you will find the tune/song.

If it's any consolation, I did two sessions in the first week of June for National Bookstart Week and none of the British mums there knew any of the songs, so don't feel bad! It's OKAY not to know them, the more times you go, the easier it'll get.  I ran sessions at the a library for three years, every Friday, and had mums/parents joining early on or late in the three years.  It's all about repetition!

Anyone know one that mentions a can of mushy peas- years ago we had the window open and some kids were playing outside singing and that was the only line I heard- It has been driving me nuts wondering what it was.

I'll ask my son if he remembers that one. Sounds like something he would have liked 

Our local library hands out a sheet to borrow each session for all the parents to follow along with the kids.  Try seeing if they have the handouts or are willing to make a copy for you.

I'm from the states and learned it as Eensy Weensy Spider not Itsy Bitsy.

Hokey Kokey (Hokey Pokey)
Ring a Ring a Roses has different lyrics to the US

You can also do "Round and Round the Garden" on your child's stomach.  My kids love it like that.

Grand Old Duke of York is a fun one for kids and great for interaction.  If your child's a baby you can lift them up and "drop" them at low, or get your toddler / preschooler to march around and stand up / crouch low to the song.


Here's a good list of Nursery Rhymes and their history in the UK:  http://www.rhymes.org.uk/.

Unfortunately a lot of songs can have various sets of lyrics to fit them, so it's not a precise science.  The way my MIL sings "Bicycle Made for Two (Daisy Bell)" is different to anything I've ever seen online.  It's possibly just a regional version of how the song was sung.

Hang in there.  If anything it gives you a focal point to talk to your child about your childhood.  My daughter likes hearing what I was like as a little girl and at the same time my MIL tells her about what her Dad & Aunty (whom she's nearly the spitting image of) were like as children.

My children's songs at playgroup are in English and Welsh, so I have new songs in two languages to learn.    Don't despair though.  Others are right that it's really just about repetition and you will likely have them mostly down after a handful of weeks.  I even sing the Welsh with confidence now.  You'll get there too.  I actually love many of the different ones now--DDs love rocking to row your boat and roaring at the lion.  They wind the bobbin up like it's goin' out of style, and Heno, Heno, Hen Blant Back is a favourite bedtime song.  We do, however, sing both versions of Hickory Dickory Dock because the American version makes DD1 giggle.

I'll ask my son if he remembers that one. Sounds like something he would have liked 

Nope, he doesn't remember "mushy peas"!

I can only think of Pease porridge hot.  This link has a poem with mushy peas in it about 14 pages in.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions and encouragement!! I've tackled Grand Old Duke of York this week since that is sung at the library AND baby massage class and I'm having fun singing that at home. I think we'll try rhymetime again tomorrow...it will help to have at least read through some of the words beforehand, I think. I was totally thrown for a loop last time with all of those animal variations in Row, Row, Row Your Boat!

We had two songs/games in our family that I've never heard anywhere else, the first one for obvious reasons perhaps. They are both baby-on-lap games.

"Trot trot to Boston
Trot trot to Lynn
Trot trot to Salem
Home home again" [bouncing baby on knee throughout]

"This is the way the baby rides:
Pace and pace and pace ... [holding tot on lap and gently bouncing both legs]

This is the way the lady rides:
Trot and trot and trot ... [a little more up and down motion]

This is the way the gentleman rides:
Gallop and gallop and gallop ... [even more vigorous]

This is the way the farmer rides:
Jiggity jog jiggity jog jiggity jog" [gripping child firmly alternate legs up and down
                                                 and sideways!]

Usually ends with child in hysterical giggles.

Very cute, BostonDiner! Our made up family songs so far include lines like..."She is full of poops and wees". We should probably come up with something a bit less embarrassing before she gets much older! 

We had two songs/games in our family that I've never heard anywhere else, the first one for obvious reasons perhaps. They are both baby-on-lap games.

"Trot trot to Boston
Trot trot to Lynn
Trot trot to Salem
Home home again" [bouncing baby on knee throughout]

"This is the way the baby rides:
Pace and pace and pace ... [holding tot on lap and gently bouncing both legs]

This is the way the lady rides:
Trot and trot and trot ... [a little more up and down motion]

This is the way the gentleman rides:
Gallop and gallop and gallop ... [even more vigorous]

This is the way the farmer rides:
Jiggity jog jiggity jog jiggity jog" [gripping child firmly alternate legs up and down
                                                 and sideways!]

Usually ends with child in hysterical giggles.

When my cousin was tiny (she's now 22) I heard something similar to the first one but it was "trot trot to Gloucester, trot trot to Lynn, Watch out (child's name) you don't fall in!" (knees go apart at end so child falls between your knees)

The second one I've done similar at baby groups here but ending with "down into the ditch".

Very cute, BostonDiner! Our made up family songs so far include lines like..."She is full of poops and wees". We should probably come up with something a bit less embarrassing before she gets much older! 

We sing "Mary had a sausage roll, sausage roll, sausage roll. Mary had a sausage roll, it tasted very yummy" LOL

"She is full of poops and wees". We should probably come up with something a bit less embarrassing before she gets much older! 

Indeed! 

I'm sure there's a lot of research been done on the origins of the traditional rhymes but interesting to see how different versions or totally unique ones came about.

Anyone know one that mentions a can of mushy peas- years ago we had the window open and some kids were playing outside singing and that was the only line I heard- It has been driving me nuts wondering what it was.

It's possible they were just messing about and making up their own lyrics.  It's astounding how creative they can be with song lyrics when they want to be, but when it comes to schoolwork....