32 Best Educational Songs for Toddlers to Sing Together at Home

My toddler learned to count to 5 from a song about ducks long before I ever taught her numbers. That's what the best educational songs for toddlers do.

I've sung every one of these songs on the couch, in the car, and while I’m on my last bit of energy at bedtime. The learning hides inside the fun, so it never feels like a chore.

These are 32 songs that I personally love, plus the tricks I use to help my toddler pick up some skills in the process. A few of these are also playable as mini-games in CoComelon: Sing & Play with JJ on Weekend.

32 best educational songs for toddlers: At a glance

• Alphabet and phonics: The Alphabet Song, BINGO, Apples and Bananas, The Phonics Song
• Counting and early math: Five Little Ducks, Five Little Monkeys, Ten in the Bed, Five Little Speckled Frogs, The Ants Go Marching
• Colors and shapes: I Can Sing a Rainbow, The Shapes Song, Baa Baa Black Sheep
• Body and movement: Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes; If You're Happy and You Know It; The Hokey Pokey; Wheels on the Bus; Open Shut Them
• Animals and nature: Old MacDonald Had a Farm, Baby Shark, Down by the Bay, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
• Feelings and social skills: The Feelings Song, The Please and Thank You Song, The Clean Up Song, The Sharing Song
• Days, months, and weather: Days of the Week, Months of the Year, How's the Weather?, Rain Rain Go Away
• Everyday routines: This Is the Way, The Bath Song, Peek-a-Boo

How I chose the best educational songs for toddlers

I made this list based on the songs I end up singing at home, plus songs that my toddler asks for again and again. What made these different from regular nursery rhymes?

• Each song teaches something clear, like first letters, counting, colors, or naming a feeling.
• The chorus or the motion comes back, so kids can predict what's next.
• They’re short and easy to learn. Attention spans are tiny at ages 2 to 4.
• There's something to do, whether that's clapping, pointing, or acting it out.

Alphabet and phonics songs

Letters took a lot longer to click in our house than numbers did, so I lean on songs to make them feel friendly. A tune gives toddlers something to remember while all those letter sounds sort themselves out.

1. The Alphabet Song

The ABCs are usually the first time a toddler hears all 26 letters in a row. Sometimes we sing it slowly together while I run a finger along the letters in her book, so the letter shapes start matching the sounds. When she's up for it, we follow with a few alphabet games for toddlers.

2. BINGO

There's a farmer, a dog, and 5 letters you clap out one at a time. The favorite bit is the round where you clap instead of saying the letters. We spell it out together at breakfast, in the car, pretty much anywhere it comes to mind.

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3. Apples and Bananas

This one bends every vowel out of shape, so "apples and bananas" turns into "ay-ples and ba-nay-nays." It's silly on purpose, and the silliness is exactly what gets little ears tuned in to vowel sounds.

4. The Phonics Song

Every letter gets its sound and a matching word, like "A is for apple." I like leaving a beat before the word so she can shout it if she knows it, and I just carry on if she doesn't.

Counting and early math songs

I’ve seen most kids pick up counting before the alphabet. They can practice on their little fingers, which makes it a lot less intimidating and a lot more interactive. These are the favorites in our household.

5. Five Little Ducks

Five ducks wander off and come back one at a time, which makes it perfect for counting down. I hold up 5 fingers and fold one away each verse, and they watch the number get smaller.

6. Five Little Monkeys

Counting plus a big bouncy action to copy. We count the monkeys, then act out each one bonking their head, which she finds hilarious every single time.

7. Ten in the Bed

This one counts down from 10 as the little ones roll out. It stretches counting a bit higher, and the "roll over" gives everyone something to do with their whole body.

8. Five Little Speckled Frogs

Frogs jump into the pool one by one, so we count down from 5 with a splash. I set out 5 green blocks and take one away each verse, so the math is right there to see.

9. The Ants Go Marching

The ants march in growing numbers over a steady beat. We stomp around the room and shout the number as each verse starts, then hit the "boom, boom, boom" at the end. It burns a surprising amount of energy.

Colors and shapes songs

Naming colors and shapes out loud is a big early step, and these make it feel like a game.

10. I Can Sing a Rainbow

A gentle song that names the colors as if you're painting them. I hold up a crayon for each one as we sing, so the word lands on something she can see.

11. The Shapes Song

Circles, squares, and triangles, each with a quick description. When it ends, we go hunting for those shapes around the room, and honestly, the hunt is her favorite part.

You can play that same hunt in Tiny Clues on CoComelon: Sing & Play with JJ, where you look for shapes and colors hiding around JJ's house and say what you spot out loud.

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12. Baa Baa Black Sheep

This one is an old favorite that sneaks in colors and a bit of counting with those 3 bags of wool. We say the color out loud and count the bags on our fingers.

In CoComelon: Sing & Play with JJ, it becomes a color-chase mini-game. The sheep turns blue, then pink, then purple as you chase it, so the kids can name each color while you gather the wool.

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Body and movement songs

Some days a toddler just needs to move, and these songs give all that energy somewhere to go. They're learning body parts and how to follow directions without ever sitting still for it.

13. Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

This one names all the main body parts, then speeds up round after round until everyone's laughing and out of breath. We touch each part as we sing, and once my toddler has the order down, we race through a fast version that always falls apart halfway.

14. If You're Happy and You Know It

Every verse pairs a feeling with an action, so the kids have to listen closely for the cue before clapping or stomping. We make up our own verses too, like "give a big hug" or "spin around," which keeps it going long after the usual ones run out.

15. The Hokey Pokey

This one's a group favorite in our house. It works best with everyone standing in a circle together. Between all the arms and legs going in and out, the kids will soon be picking up left from right and learning to follow steps in order.

16. Wheels on the Bus

This one comes up constantly, mostly because there are so many opportunities to sing it. Every time we spot an actual bus around town, my toddler lights up and starts with the hand motions.

The wipers, the doors, the beeping horn all give them something to act out, and after enough repeats she starts guessing which verse comes next.

CoComelon: Sing & Play with JJ turns it into a mini-game: your voice spins the wheels, opens the doors, and lights the way across 5 stops.

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17. Open Shut Them

Opposites like open and shut, big and small, fast and slow, loud and quiet. I save this one to reset the room rather than for winding down, since the actions can get slower and then suddenly faster. 

Animal and nature songs

Ask a toddler to make a lion sound and watch their whole face light up. Under all the roaring and quacking, they're picking up new words and soaking in how the world around them works.

18. Old MacDonald Had a Farm

An animal and its sound, one verse at a time. We take turns picking the next animal, so she gets to steer where the whole thing goes.

19. Baby Shark

You either love it or you've made peace with it. Either way, it teaches family words, like mommy, daddy, grandma, with a chomp for each one.

20. Down by the Bay

This one's stuffed with goofy rhymes, like "a whale with a polka dot tail." Rhyming helps toddlers hear the little sounds inside words, which sets up reading later.

21. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

This is our wind-down song. It's calm and short and easy to hum, so it helps them settle in and calm those nerves before sleep.

It's also a mini-game in CoComelon: Sing & Play with JJ, where the Moon and stars melt into a dream. Some nights we help JJ get sleepy right before we do our own bedtime.

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Feelings and social skills songs

Big feelings are hard when you're 2 years old and don't have the words yet. These songs hand toddlers those words, along with a gentle nudge toward sharing, taking turns, and helping clean up.

22. The Feelings Song

It runs through happy, sad, angry, and scared, usually with a face to match each one. Giving my toddler the words ahead of time has softened more than one meltdown, since she can name what's wrong or point to the face that matches.

23. The Please and Thank You Song

A catchy little tune that drops "please" and "thank you" into the moments they belong. We sing it right before snack, and now a "please" shows up on its own way more than it used to.

24. The Clean Up Song

Honestly, this one cracks me up now. Once your kids get used to the song, you’ll see how fast it becomes autopilot. As soon as I start singing, the toys start moving, and the playroom gets cleared out.

25. The Sharing Song

Taking turns, set to music. We practice with one beloved toy while it plays, passing it back and forth on cue, so sharing turns into something my toddler practices during low-pressure situations.

Days, months, and weather songs

Time means nothing to a toddler, so I start with the pieces they can actually notice, like today, tomorrow, and whether it's raining. These songs turn all of that information into something they can sing back.

26. Days of the Week

Set to the "Clementine" tune, so it clicks fast. We sing it at breakfast and add "and today is ..." at the end, and that little link is what finally made the days feel real to my toddler.

27. Months of the Year

Twelve months is a lot to hold onto, so I don't push it. We sing it when a birthday or holiday is coming up, and I've noticed it helps her start to grasp that "later" and "soon" actually mean something.

28. How's the Weather?

My favorite one to sing with the curtains open. We look outside, decide together if it's sunny or rainy, and suddenly getting dressed for the day has a reason behind it.

29. Rain Rain Go Away

The one that saves us when we're stuck inside, and everyone's a little restless. It's short enough to memorize in a day, and we swap in each person's name so everyone gets a turn to send the rain off.

Everyday routine songs

The tricky moments in our day are usually the in-between ones like leaving the park, getting dressed, or winding down. A familiar song smooths those over and slips in a little independence while we're at it.

30. This Is the Way

Set to the “Mulberry Bush” tune, it walks through brushing teeth, washing hands, and getting dressed. Doing the actions along with the words turns the boring routines into something my toddler actually wants to join in on.

31. The Bath Song

It moves through washing one body part at a time, so my toddler always knows what's coming next. That bit of predictability is what takes the fuss out of bath night for us.

32. Peek-a-Boo

This is the one I love handing to my toddler when there's a baby around. She gets to be the "big kid," covering her eyes and popping back out, and the baby is instantly hooked. It's sweet to watch, and it gives kids a simple way to play together.

It's a JJ mini-game in CoComelon: Sing & Play with JJ, too, with the same hide-and-reveal moments that keep little ones coming back.

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Keep the song going after the last verse

The songs do the most when they spill into whatever we do next. After "Five Little Ducks" we count her toys, and after "The Shapes Song" we go looking for circles.

If you want ideas that are ready to go, our list of music games for kids at home is full of them. 

When her older cousins are over, we switch to Song Quiz and see who can shout out the title and artist first. On days that start with a show, I use the same trick. One movement song right after a favorite show, while the beat's still in her body.

Sing along all day with the Weekend app

Weekend’s app puts the best educational songs for toddlers on the same TV you already use, with the characters and tunes your child loves. No prep or playlist-building. Just pick a song and play CoComelon: Sing & Play with JJ together.

Your toddler sings with JJ and practices letters, colors, and first words, while you're right there for every clap, shout, and "again!" The CoComelon games run on Fire TV, Samsung, and LG.

Once the little ones are in bed, the same app has plenty for older kids and grown-ups:

• Jeopardy! for settling who actually knows the most random trivia.
• Song Quiz for guessing the song and artist before anyone else.
• Wheel of Fortune for calling out letters and solving the puzzle together.
• Guess the Emoji for a quick visual puzzle game that anyone can pick up in seconds.​
• Wit's End for building a fun fantasy story that changes based on everyone's choices.
• Karaoke (on Roku) for whoever's ready to take over the mic.
• 20 Questions (on Roku) for one more round of yes-or-no question guessing before bed.
• Sketchy AF for fast doodles and even faster guesses.
• Spot On for a guessing game that takes you around the world.

You'll find the Weekend Games app on Roku, Fire TV, Samsung, and LG, and the CoComelon games on Fire TV, Samsung, and LG. 

Start with a 7-day free trial, and you can play any of the games right away. Let your toddler have their time with JJ, then when the kids are done, the trivia, music, and party games are ready for you.

FAQs

What are the best educational songs for toddlers?

The best educational songs for toddlers include The Wheels on the Bus, The Alphabet Song, Five Little Ducks, Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, and Old MacDonald Had a Farm. I look for a clear learning goal and an easy action my toddler can copy, so the song does double duty.

What songs teach toddlers the alphabet and numbers?

Songs that teach toddlers the alphabet include The Alphabet Song, BINGO, and The Phonics Song, while Five Little Ducks, Ten in the Bed, and The Ants Go Marching build counting. Pointing to letters or holding up fingers as you sing makes it click faster.

How do CoComelon songs help toddlers learn?

CoComelon songs help toddlers learn by turning tunes into short mini-games like Wheels on the Bus, BINGO, Baa Baa Black Sheep, and Peek-a-Boo, where your little one gets to move, point, and sing out loud. It helps them build basic counting along with color and pattern recognition.

How often should toddlers sing educational songs?

Toddlers do best singing educational songs a little and often, like a counting song at snack, a cleanup song before bed, and a silly one in the car. Woven through the day like that, it stays light, and it sticks.

How do I get the Weekend Games app on my smart TV?

To get the Weekend Games app on your smart TV, open your TV's app store, search "Weekend Games," and install it. Once it's on Roku, Fire TV, Samsung, or LG, you'll find every game in one place, ready to play with no extra controllers necessary.