Children’s first years of life have been proven to be the best for teaching them all about the world around them, as their brains are like sponges that absorb what they are taught . This is why we must take advantage of the early stages of childhood if we want our children to use a language.
The easiest way to introduce the little ones in the house to learning different languages is through the use of songs and cartoons . For this reason, Bekia has collected in this article the most famous children’s songs in English, French, Italian and German , so that parents and children can learn while having fun.
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Songs in English
‘Incy Wincy Spider’
This funny song tells the story of a little spider who falls down a pipe in the rain and has to climb back up. Children from three years of age will be able to understand this song with ease , and its repetitive and rhyming lyrics will make it easy for children to memorize it.
- Itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again
The teeny tiny spider went up the water spout
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
And the teeny tiny spider went up the spout again
The big humongous spider went up the water spout
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
And the big humongous spider went up the spout again
Itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again
Itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain
And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again
‘Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes’
With this song the children will learn the parts of the body in English while learning to dance to the rhythm of the music. It is a very simple song with little lyrics perfect for the smallest of the family.
- Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes.
Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes.
And eyes and ears and mouth and mouth and nose.
Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes, knees and toes.
March, March, March.
Let us all march.
March, March, March.
Get your body charge!
Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes.
Head, shoulders, knees and toes.
And eyes and ears and mouth and nose.
Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes.
Jump, jump, jump.
Let’s all jump.
Jump, jump, jump
(Fragment)
‘Twinckle, twinckle’
This famous lullaby may be very well known to you the first time you listen to it, since it is the original version of the song ‘Estrellita donde eres’ . The simplicity of the lyrics of this song allows babies to become familiar with the language from its earliest stages of development. In addition, its sweet melody is perfect for cradling infants and helping them sleep.
- Twinkle, twinkle, little star
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle, twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are
When the blazing sun is gone
When he nothing shines upon
Then you show your little light
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night
Twinkle, twinkle, little star
How I wonder what you are
Songs in French
‘Alouette, gentille alouette’
Perhaps par excellence this is the most famous French-speaking children’s song. The melody teaches the various parts of the bird’s body through repetitive lyrics that are very easy to follow. Children can spend hours repeating the chorus of the song just by listening to it a couple of times.
- Alouette, gentille alouette,
Alouette, je te plumerai.
Je te plumerai le bec,
Je te plumerai le bec,
Et le bec, et le bec,
Alouette, Alouette!
Ah! ah! ah! ah!
Je te plumerai les yeux,
Je te plumerai les yeux,
Et les yeux, et les yeux,
Et le bec, et le bec,
Alouette, Alouette!
Ah! ah! ah! ah!
(Fragment)
‘Frère Jacques’
If we said that the previous song was the best known in the French world, this is not far behind. ‘Frère Jacques’ is a lullaby that has been translated into many languages , including Spanish. Does ‘Martinillo’ sound familiar to you? It is the Spanish translation of this simple melody that will help children and babies sleep.
- Frère Jacques, Frère Jacques,
Dormez-vous? Dormez-vous?
Sonnez les matines! Sonnez les matines!
Din, dan, don. Din, give, gift
Frère Jacques, Frère Jacques,
Dormez-vous? Dormez-vous?
Sonnez les matines! Sonnez les matines!
Din, dan, don. Din, give, gift
‘Au clair de la lune’
This beautiful song is another lullaby that the French sing to children to help them sleep. It tells the story of Lubin, a boy who looks for a pen to write a letter by moonlight . It is a somewhat more complicated song, dedicated to children who already know a few basic notions of French. Being composed of a slow and catchy melody the children will soon be singing all its verses to perfection.
- Au clair de la lune
Mon ami Pierrot
Prête-moi ta plume
Pour écrire un mot
Ma chandelle est morte
Je n’ai plus de feu
Ouvre-moi ta porte
Pour l’amour de Dieu
Au clair de la lune
Pierrot replied
Je n’ai pas de plume
Je suis dans mon lit
Go chez la voisine
Je crois qu’elle and est
Car dans sa cuisine
On bat le briquet
(Fragment)
Songs in Italian
‘Ci vuole un fiore’
This song is composed by one of the most important writers of Italian children’s literature, Gianni Rodari. Talk about the cycle of trees and flowers, from seeds to bouquets and furniture . The lyrics are repetitive and made up of numerous rhymes, which will make it easy for children to learn the song.
- Sew by ogni giorno raccontano segreti
A chi le sa guardare ed ascoltare
Per fare un tavolo ci vuole il legno
Per fare il legno ci vuole l’albero
Per fare l’albero ci vuole il seme
Per fare il seme ci vuole il frutto
Per fare il frutto ci vuole il fiore
Ci vuole un fiore, ci vuole un fiore
Per fare un tavolo ci vuole un fiore
Per fare un tavolo ci vuole il legno
Per fare il legno ci vuole l’albero
Per fare l’albero ci vuole il seme
Per fare il seme ci vuole il frutto
Per fare il frutto ci vuole il fiore
Ci vuole un fiore, ci vuole un fiore
Per fare un tavolo ci vuole un fiore
(Fragment)
‘Cinque Scimmiette’
This song is perfect to sing to children of one and two years old , since its structure is catchy and simple , perfect for introducing children to Italian. The song tells of five little monkeys that jump on the bed and make a bump on their heads. In Italy this song is used to teach children not to disobey their parents.
- Cinque scimmiette saltavano sul letto
A cadde giù e si ruppe il cervelletto
La mamma chiama il dottore, il dottore has detto
Niente più scimmiette che saltano sul letto
Quattro scimmiette saltavano sul letto
A cadde giù e si ruppe il cervelletto
La mamma chiama il dottore, il dottore has detto
Niente più scimmiette che saltano sul letto
Tre scimmiette saltavano sul letto
A cadde giù e si ruppe il cervelletto
La mamma chiama il dottore, il dottore has detto
Niente più scimmiette che saltano sul letto
Due scimmiette saltavano sul letto
A cadde giù e si ruppe il cervelletto
La mamma chiama il dottore, il dottore has detto
Niente più scimmiette che saltano sul letto
A scimmietta saltava sopra il letto
A cadde giù e si ruppe il cervelletto
La mamma chiama il dottore, il dottore has detto
Niente più scimmiette che saltano sul letto
‘Il ballo del qua qua’
This famous Swiss song, which has been translated into a lot of languages, is one of the most sung by Italian children. In Spain it is known as ‘The dance of the little birds’ and as its name indicates, it speaks of how the birds have to move before taking flight. Between the repetitive and fun lyrics and the funny dance, the little ones in the house will have a blast while learning Italian.
- Questo è il ballo del qua qua
and I gave a paper that sa
fare just qua qua qua
più qua qua qua;
mamma papera and papà
with the mani fan qua qua
and a piuma vola già
say qua e di là.
Le ginocchia piega a po ‘
poi scodinzola così,
batti forte le tue mani
e fai qua qua;
with a vai più in là jump,
with him ali turns qua,
ma che grande novità
è il qua qua qua.
Prendi sotto braccio
congratulate her,
enough to see coraggio,
all’arrembaggio
col qua qua qua
(Fragment)
Songs in German
‘Hoppe, hoppe Reiter’
That funny German song talks about how horses trot while competing in races. The parents put the children on their knees and imitate the movements of a horse with their legs while singing the song together. Like the famous ‘caballito’ in Spain. Children will enjoy this simple song while playing with their parents.
- Hoppe, hoppe Reiter
Wenn er fällt dann schreit er
Fällt er in das grüne Gras
Macht er sich die Hosen nass
Fällt er in den Graben
Fressen ihn die Raben
Fällt er in die Hecken
Fressen ihn die Schnecken
Fressen ihn die Müllermücken
Die ihn vorn und hinten zwicken
Fällt er in den Sumpf
Dann macht der Reiter plumps
‘Der Mond Ist Aufgegangen’
It is a German lullaby, perhaps one of the most famous in the country’s culture. This lullaby has been passed down from generation to generation since the 18th century and children love to listen to it to sleep. This lullaby is perfect to start teaching babies the language while transporting them to a peaceful sleep with its calm melody.
- Der mond ist aufgegangen
Die goldnen sternlein prangen
Am himmel hell und klar
Der wald steht schwarz und schweiget
Und aus den wiesen steiget
Der weiße nebel wunderbar
Wie ist die welt so stille
Und in der dämm’rung hülle
So traulich und so hold
Als eine stille kammer
Wo ihr des tages jammer
Verschlafen und vergessen sollt
Seht ihr den mond dort stehen
Er ist nur halb zu sehen
Und ist doch rund und schön
So sind wohl manche sachen
Die wir getrost belachen
Weil unsre augen sie nicht sehn
(Fragment)
‘Summ Summ Summ’
It is one of the most famous children’s songs in Germany. His lyrics speak of bees and their way of buzzing around flowers to produce honey. The simplicity of the melody is perfect for children of two and three years who are introducing themselves to the language.
- Summ, summ, summ! Bienchen summ herum!
Ei, wir tun dir nichts zuleide,
Flieg nur aus in Wald und Heide!
Summ, summ, summ! Bienchen summ herum!
Summ, summ, summ! Bienchen summ herum!
Such in Blumen, such in Blümchen
Dir ein Tröpfchen, dir ein Krümchen!
Summ, summ, summ! Bienchen summ herum!
Summ, summ, summ! Bienchen summ herum!
Kehre heim mit reicher Habe,
Bau uns manche volle Wabe!
Summ, summ, summ! Bienchen summ herum!