Action songs for kids join words, tune and movement, which is why children remember them for years. This page has five classic action songs: If You're Happy and You Know It, Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, The Wheels on the Bus, Row, Row, Row Your Boat and Looby Loo. Tap a song and the page plays a short xylophone tune for each line, shows a picture of the action (clap, stamp, touch your nose, row) and speaks the words in English with a Hindi meaning. Your child sings, moves and copies the action.
Why action songs work so well for toddlers and preschoolers
An action song gives a child three ways into the same words: hearing them, seeing a gesture and doing it with their own body. That is why a two-year-old who cannot yet say "shoulders" will still touch them at the right moment. Action rhymes and fingerplays are part of early-years teaching in India, the UK, Germany, Japan and the US for good reasons:
- Vocabulary: body parts, verbs (clap, stamp, shake, turn) and feelings (happy) are learned in context.
- Listening and following instructions: the song tells you what to do next, one step at a time.
- Rhythm and phonological awareness: clapping along with the beat helps children hear syllables and rhymes, a foundation for reading.
- Gross motor skills and coordination: touching knees then toes quickly, or turning around, trains balance.
- Confidence: singing in a group at circle time is a gentle first step to speaking in front of others.
The five action songs on this page
| Song | Actions | Best from age |
|---|---|---|
| If You're Happy and You Know It | Clap hands, stamp feet, smile, shout hooray | 2 |
| Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes | Touch each body part, then eyes, ears, mouth and nose | 2 |
| The Wheels on the Bus | Roll arms round, press the horn, rock the baby, finger on lips | 2 |
| Row, Row, Row Your Boat | Sit facing a partner, hold hands and rock to and fro | 2-3 |
| Looby Loo | Put your right hand in and out, shake it, turn around; then your left foot | 3-4 |
The words shown on screen are the traditional lyrics. The Hindi line under each one gives the meaning in simple Hindi so a child in a Hindi-speaking home understands what they are singing; it is a translation, not a sung version.
Why Looby Loo instead of the Hokey Pokey?
Many parents search for the Hokey Pokey ("you put your right foot in..."). The popular Hokey Pokey and Hokey Cokey versions were written in the 1940s and are still under copyright. Looby Loo is the much older folk song with the same actions, putting a hand or foot in, shaking it and turning around, and it is free for everyone to share. Children enjoy it just as much.
Are these songs public domain?
Yes. We checked each one before adding it. If You're Happy and You Know It, Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes and Looby Loo are traditional folk songs. Row, Row, Row Your Boat was first published in 1852. The Wheels on the Bus was written by Verna Hills and printed in 1939; its copyright was not renewed, and it is sung as a traditional song around the world. The short tunes on this page are our own simple arrangements, played by a xylophone made inside your browser.
How to use this page
- Tap a song picture. The first line's tune plays, then the words are spoken, and the picture shows the action.
- The song moves line by line on its own. Sing along and do each action. Tap 🔊 to hear the current line again.
- At the end, a marble drops into the Goli Jar and your child gets a real-world mission: sing it with a grown-up.
- Tap Songs at any time to pick another song.
The अ+A button changes the order of languages. For a Hindi-first home, the Hindi meaning is spoken first; choose English only if you want just the English lyrics.
How to teach action songs at home or in class
- Do the actions yourself first. Children copy your body before they copy your words. Exaggerate every move.
- Slow, then fast. Sing Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes slowly, then a little faster each time. The giggles are part of the learning, and it quietly teaches fast and slow, which you can explore more in our music games for kids.
- Make new verses. "If you're happy and you know it, touch your nose." "The cows on the bus go moo, moo, moo." Your child's own verses build language and imagination.
- Swap in Hindi. Sing the same tune with Hindi words, for example अगर तुम खुश हो तो ताली बजाओ. Explore more Hindi rhymes and English nursery rhymes on this site.
- Use songs for routines. "This is the way we wash our hands" or a quick Looby Loo to put on shoes makes transitions easier.
- Circle time in nursery, LKG and UKG: start with one song everyone knows, then add a new one each week. Five songs are plenty for a term.
Action songs by age
Age 2-3: children join in with actions before words, and often sing only the last word of each line. That is a great start. Age 3-4: most children sing whole lines and love songs with animal noises. Age 4-5: they remember several verses and can lead a verse. Age 5-6: they can make up new verses, sing in rounds (try Row, Row, Row Your Boat as a round with two groups) and clap the beat.
Inclusive and gentle tips
- Speech delay: action songs are low pressure. Pause before the last word and wait; any sound or gesture is a win.
- Autism and sensory needs: some children prefer to watch before joining. That is participation too. Calm sound in Settings makes everything quieter.
- Physical differences: every action can be adapted: clap on a table, nod for stamp, wave a hand to turn around.
- Screen time: use the page to learn a song, then put the phone away and sing it together. Under 2s learn songs best from your face and voice, not a screen.
Want more movement? Try movement games for kids for freeze dance, and learn the names of the parts you touched in body parts name.
