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Why songs with actions help children learn words

8 November 2026 · 3 min read

Your child cannot sit still for a worksheet, but can sing "Machhli jal ki rani hai" with every action, word perfect. This is not a coincidence. Songs with actions are one of the oldest and best ways young children learn.

Why it works

Think about how you learned your first rhymes. The words stuck because of three things working together:

  • Rhythm and repetition. A beat and a repeated line make words easier to remember and say.
  • Melody. Tunes give words a shape, so a child can recall the next line from the tune.
  • Movement. Clapping, jumping or miming the words connects each word with something the body feels. "Open, shut them" is easy to understand when your hands do it.

Singing slows speech down and breaks it into small sounds, which helps children hear the parts of words. That is a useful base for later reading. See why nursery rhymes matter and phonics at home.

Action songs also help with focus, listening to instructions, taking turns (in group songs) and plain fun, which matters most of all, because children learn what they enjoy.

Easy action songs for home

You know many of these already. Choose the ones your family sings.

  • "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star": open and close fingers for twinkling, hands in a star shape.
  • "Wheels on the Bus": circle your arms for the wheels, swish your hands for the wipers.
  • "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes": touch each part as you sing it. Go slow, then fast.
  • "If You're Happy and You Know It": clap, stamp, nod. Add feelings. See naming feelings.
  • "Machhli Jal Ki Rani Hai": swim hands like a fish, then "haath lagao dar jayegi".
  • "Chhoti Si Gudiya" or "Nani Teri Morni": your family's own version works best.
  • "Ek Do Teen Chaar": count on fingers as you sing. See counting 1 to 10.
  • "Aloo Kachaloo Beta Kahan Gaye The": play with a grown-up, acting each word.

How to do it well

  1. Sing and move yourself. Your child copies you. Do not worry about your voice.
  2. Repeat favourites. Children love the same song twenty times. Repetition is how words stay.
  3. Slow it down first, then speed up for fun.
  4. Pause before the last word and let your child fill it in: "Twinkle, twinkle, little ___".
  5. Change the words with your child's name or something that happened today.
  6. Use real objects. A rubber duck for "Five little ducks", fingers for counting songs.
  7. Sing at everyday moments: getting dressed, in the auto, washing hands (see handwashing).
  8. Add the languages you use at home. Singing in Hindi and English is good for both. See raising a bilingual child.

Keep it light

Do not turn songs into tests. If a child does not want to do the actions, let them listen. They are still learning. Children develop at their own pace. If you ever worry about your child's speech or hearing, see our article on when children start talking and talk to your child's doctor.

How Child Runway helps

Every Child Runway lesson is a 2 to 5 minute story with a song and a game after it, where the child answers, moves and sings along. There is Moru's Music Park (मोरू का संगीत बाग़) for songs. After each lesson there is something to try at home, such as repeating the actions together. No ads, no chat, and it works offline.