English songs for kids starting from zero: 32 songs in order

For a child starting English from zero, songs are the best first step. The tunes are easy to remember, the lines repeat a lot, and many songs come with actions, so the child does not need to know every word. The actions show what the words mean.

But songs need an order too. Start with a long list of traditional rhymes, and the child only remembers the tunes. A steadier order is this: action songs first, to match sounds with movements; then songs about things done every day; then numbers, colors, and animals; and last, songs with questions and answers, to get ready for cartoons.

This post lists 32 songs in that order. It fits children about 2 to 6 years old who are starting English from zero. School-age children starting from zero can use it too, and simply move through each stage faster.

Where to find these songs

• Super Simple Songs: a channel made for early English, with slow speed, clear pronunciation, and simple actions. Most of the songs below are here. The first choice.
• Mother Goose Club: traditional rhymes sung by real people, with simple visuals.
• Little Baby Bum: animated traditional rhymes, with a very full catalog.
• Cocomelon and Pinkfong: lots of songs, but busy visuals and a faster pace. Better as an extra once the child already knows some songs.

Different channels sometimes use slightly different lyrics for the same song. Pick one version and stick with it instead of switching back and forth.

Stage one: actions and the body

Start with songs the child can act out. The goal of this stage is for the child to want to move as soon as English starts.

1. Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes: body parts. Touch each part as you sing it, and speed up once it is familiar.
2. If You're Happy and You Know It: actions like clap your hands and stomp your feet. Each verse changes the action.
3. Open Shut Them: opposites like open, shut, big, and small, all done with the hands.
4. Walking Walking: walk, run, jump, and stop. Good for walking, running, and stopping around the living room.
5. The Hokey Pokey: left, right, in, out, and body parts.
6. Baby Shark: family words, with a repeating rhythm and hand movements that children pick up easily.

Stage two: greetings and daily routines

The songs in this stage are about things the child does every day. Once they are familiar, parents can use the lines directly in daily life.

1. Hello!: greetings. Good for every morning, or before English time starts.
2. Bye Bye Goodbye: saying goodbye. Good for the end.
3. Clean Up!: sing it while tidying toys. The child soon links the song with tidying up.
4. Put On Your Shoes: words for getting dressed. Sing it before going out.
5. This Is the Way: daily actions like washing hands, brushing teeth, and combing hair. Change the words to match what you are doing.
6. Are You Hungry?: yes, no, and food words. Good before meals.

Stage three: numbers, letters, and colors

Once action and routine songs are familiar, add numbers, letters, and colors. Do not start with only this kind. These songs work better once the child already has a feel for understanding some English.

1. The Alphabet Song (ABC Song): the order of the 26 letters. Get used to the sounds first. There is no need to recognize letters yet.
2. One Little Finger: numbers 1 to 3, plus up, down, and body parts.
3. Seven Steps: numbers 1 to 7, counted while walking.
4. Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed: counting down from 5 to 1, with a story children love.
5. Five Little Ducks: counting down, plus phrases like over the hills and far away.
6. I See Something Blue: colors. Find and point to things of each color at home.

Stage four: animals, transport, and nature

The lyrics in this stage are a bit longer, and simple stories start to appear.

1. Old MacDonald Had a Farm: farm animals and their sounds. The easiest song for a child to join in.
2. Walking in the Jungle: jungle animals, plus actions like walking and jumping.
3. Baa Baa Black Sheep: a traditional rhyme with simple question and answer, like yes sir and three bags full.
4. The Itsy Bitsy Spider: a little story about a spider, with finger actions and weather words like rain and sun.
5. How's the Weather?: sunny, rainy, cloudy, and snowy. Sing it once a day while looking out the window.
6. Row, Row, Row Your Boat: a slow rhythm. Good for two people facing each other, holding hands and rocking.
7. The Wheels on the Bus: what the people and parts of a bus do, with sound words like round and round and beep beep.

Stage five: question-and-answer songs

The songs in this stage have questions and answers. They are the bridge from songs to cartoons, getting the child used to dialogue where one person asks and another answers.

1. Do You Like Broccoli Ice Cream?: Do you like ...? Yes, I do. No, I don't. The best song for simple questions and answers.
2. Who Took the Cookie?: Who took the cookie? Not me! Then who? The whole family can take turns.
3. Where Is Thumbkin?: Where is ...? Here I am. How are you today? Act it out with fingers.
4. Days of the Week: the names of the seven days. Sing it once a day and say what day it is.

Bedtime: slower songs

Fast songs do not suit bedtime. These can be part of bedtime from stage one onward.

1. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star: the classic English lullaby, with a tune most children already know.
2. Rock-a-bye Baby: a traditional lullaby, sung slowly.
3. You Are My Sunshine: warm lyrics that parents can also sing themselves.

How to listen each day

• 5 to 15 minutes a day is enough. It can be split into one session in the morning and one at bedtime.
• Add only one or two new songs a week, and keep the old ones going. If the child asks for a repeat, let them.
• For action songs, parents join in. A child moves along when they see an adult moving.
• Do not ask the child to sing along or to pronounce things correctly. Doing the actions and humming the tune already means they are taking it in.
• Do not ask the child what a word means. Using it in daily life works better, such as singing Clean Up! while tidying, or asking Are you hungry? before a meal.

When to move to the next stage

• The child knows the song from the first notes and can do most of the actions: start the next stage.
• The child shows no reaction at all to new songs: go back one stage and spend a few more days on familiar songs.
• There is no need to master every song in a stage before moving on. Songs from the previous stage can alternate with new ones.

When to move from songs to cartoons

When the child can sit through a three- or four-minute song video and responds to the question-and-answer songs in stage five, start adding short cartoons such as Peppa Pig, Pocoyo, or Maisy Mouse. Songs can stay as a warm-up, with one or two before each cartoon.

For the order of cartoons, see our post "Best cartoons for kids starting English, in order".

FAQ

Should songs have subtitles or lyrics on screen?

Not at the zero stage. The child cannot read yet, and the point is to match sounds with actions and pictures. Parents who want the lyrics can read them first on their own.

Is audio only OK, without video?

Yes, and it works well in the car, at meals, or at bedtime. But when a song is new, watch the video a few times first so the child knows which action goes with each line, then switch to audio only.

What if the child only wants one song?

That is normal. Asking for the same song again and again means the child is taking it in. Let them have it, then follow it with a new song of the same kind to widen the range slowly.

Can parents with weak English sing along?

Yes. The lines in children's songs are very short, and a few listens with the video are enough to sing them. Pronunciation does not need to be perfect. The child's pronunciation mainly comes from the original audio.

Next step

Today, pick two songs from stage one, Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes and If You're Happy and You Know It, and sing them with the child while doing the actions. After a week, see how the child responds, then add Hello! and Clean Up! from stage two.