A nursery rhyme is a traditional song or poem to young children, originally in the nursery. Many cultures feature children’s songs and verses that are passed down by oral tradition from one generation to the next.
Learning nursery rhymes assists in the development of vocabulary, and several examples deal with rudimentary counting skills. It also encourages children to enjoy music.
About the origin of nursery rhymes, don’t miss this site: Nursery Rhymes – Lyrics and Origins. You can find a long list of traditional nursery rhymes with a thorough explanation (when possible) of their origin and their corresponding lyrics. Most of them reflect events in history; for instance the famous “Jack and Jill went up the Hill” takes us to France and Jack and Jill are said to be King Louis XVI – who was beheaded (lost his crown) followed by his Queen Marie Antoinette (who came tumbling after).
