99 nursery rhymes

Nursery Rhyme Drawing Game Words

One guest draws the rhyme, the room names it: old rhymes for a baby shower or a playgroup.

Humpty Dumpty

Ladybug, Ladybug

Three Blind Mice

Lavender's Blue

Frog Went a-Courting

Three Little Kittens

Goosey Goosey Gander

Three Wise Men of Gotham

The Lion and the Unicorn

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod

Hark, Hark! The Dogs Do Bark

All the Pretty Little Horses

Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater

Oh Dear! What Can the Matter Be?

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Girls and Boys Come Out to Play

Where, O Where Has My Little Dog Gone?

Diddle, Diddle, Dumpling, My Son John

Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush

There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe

If Wishes Were Horses, Beggars Would Ride

One for Sorrow

Tinker, Tailor

Monday's Child

Next step Finish the nursery rhyme A word from the big deck

All 99 nursery rhymes

People 49

As I Was Going to St Ives A traveler meeting a man with a line of wives, sacks and cats.
Billy Boy A young man visiting a girl who holds up a cherry pie.
Bingo A farmer pointing proudly at his dog.
Diddle, Diddle, Dumpling, My Son John A boy asleep in bed with one shoe still on.
Doctor Foster A man with a doctor's bag standing in a puddle up to his middle, in the rain.
The Farmer in the Dell A farmer inside a ring of people, and a piece of cheese standing alone.
Frère Jacques A friar asleep in bed while the morning bells go unrung.
Georgie Porgie A boy with pudding and pie, running away from other children.
Girls and Boys Come Out to Play Children running out of their houses to play under a bright moon.
The Grand Old Duke of York A duke leading rows of soldiers up a hill and down again.
Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes A stick figure with arrows pointing to its head, shoulders, knees and toes.
Hokey Pokey A ring of dancers, each putting one foot into the circle.

Show all 99 nursery rhymes (87 more)

People, continued

Humpty Dumpty An egg with a face, sitting on a brick wall.
I've Been Working on the Railroad A worker on a railroad track, and someone in a kitchen playing a banjo.
It's Raining, It's Pouring An old man snoring in bed while rain pours on the roof.
Jack and Jill Two children carrying a pail up a hill.
Jack Be Nimble A boy jumping over a candlestick.
Jack Sprat A thin man and his wife at a table, with a platter licked clean.
Lavender's Blue A sprig of lavender between a king and a queen.
Little Bo-Peep A girl with a shepherd's crook looking around, and sheep hiding behind her.
Little Boy Blue A boy asleep under a haystack with a horn, while sheep wander off.
Little Jack Horner A boy in a corner with a pie, holding up a plum on his thumb.
Little Miss Muffet A girl on a low seat with a bowl and spoon, and a spider beside her.
Little Tommy Tucker A boy singing with his mouth wide open, beside bread and butter.
Mary Had a Little Lamb A girl walking to school with a lamb close behind her.
Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary A girl in a garden where bells and shells grow in a row.
Monday's Child A week on a wall calendar, with a different child drawn under each day.
The Muffin Man A man carrying a tray of muffins down a lane of houses.
Oh Dear! What Can the Matter Be? A girl waiting at home, and a boy at a fair holding blue ribbons.
Old King Cole A merry king on a throne, with three fiddlers playing for him.
Old Mother Hubbard An old woman at an empty cupboard, with a dog waiting for a bone.
The Old Woman and Her Pig An old woman pushing a pig that will not climb over a stile.
Peter Piper A man picking peppers and dropping them into a pickling jar.
Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater A man beside a huge pumpkin shell, with his wife looking out of it.
Polly Put the Kettle On A girl setting a kettle on a stove, with teacups waiting on a table.
The Queen of Hearts A queen with a tray of tarts, and a young man sneaking off with them.
Ring Around the Rosie Children holding hands in a ring, then all falling down.
Rub-a-Dub-Dub Three men squeezed into one tub.
See Saw Margery Daw Two children riding a seesaw.
Simple Simon A boy stopping a man who carries a tray of pies to a fair.
There Was a Crooked Man A bent man with a bent cat, beside a house that leans to one side.
There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe A giant shoe with a door and windows, and children all over it.
This Old Man An old man rolling home down a hill, and a dog getting a bone.
Three Wise Men of Gotham Three men at sea in a big bowl.
Tinker, Tailor Four workers in a row: one mending a pot, one sewing, one in uniform, one on a ship.
Tom, Tom, the Piper's Son A boy running down a street with a pig under his arm.
Tweedledum and Tweedledee Two look-alike boys squaring up over a broken rattle.
Wee Willie Winkie A boy in a nightgown running through a town at night, tapping at a window.
Yankee Doodle A man riding a pony, with a feather stuck in his cap.

Animals 31

A Wise Old Owl An owl sitting quietly in an oak tree, listening.
All the Pretty Little Horses A sleeping baby dreaming of a row of little horses.
Animal Fair A fairground full of animals, with a baboon combing its hair under the moon.
Baa, Baa, Black Sheep A black sheep beside three full bags of wool.
Bye, Baby Bunting A baby wrapped in a rabbit skin, and a father walking home from a hunt.
Christmas Is Coming A fat goose, and a hat held out for a penny.
Cock-a-Doodle Doo A crowing rooster, and a woman hopping with one shoe missing.
Ding Dong Bell A bell ringing while a boy lifts a cat out of a well.
Frog Went a-Courting A frog in fine clothes on his way to visit a mouse.
Goosey Goosey Gander A goose walking up a staircase.
Hark, Hark! The Dogs Do Bark Dogs barking at a line of ragged travelers walking into a town.
Hey Diddle Diddle A cow jumping over the moon, and a cat with a fiddle.
Hickory Dickory Dock A mouse running up a tall clock.
Hush, Little Baby A parent rocking a baby, with a mockingbird and a diamond ring.
If Wishes Were Horses, Beggars Would Ride A ragged traveler picturing himself on a fine horse, in a thought bubble.
Itsy Bitsy Spider A spider climbing a water spout, with rain falling above it.
Ladybug, Ladybug A ladybug flying toward a small house.
The Lion and the Unicorn A lion and a unicorn fighting over a crown.
Little Robin Redbreast A robin on a tree branch, and a cat climbing up after it.
Old MacDonald Had a Farm A farmer in front of a barn, with farm animals all around him.
Once I Caught a Fish Alive A child holding up a wriggling fish, then letting it go.
One for Sorrow A child counting magpies on a fence.
Pop Goes the Weasel A monkey chasing a weasel, and the weasel jumping up in surprise.
Sing a Song of Sixpence A pie cut open with blackbirds flying out, in front of a king.
This Is the House That Jack Built A house with a rat, a cat, a dog and a cow lined up at its door.
This Little Piggy Five toes in a row, each with a pig's face, and a plate of roast beef.
Three Blind Mice Three mice in dark glasses running after a farmer's wife.
Three Little Kittens Three crying kittens holding up bare paws, with mittens lying far away.
To Market, to Market A person walking home from a market stall, leading a fat pig.
Two Little Dickie Birds Two small birds on a wall, one of them flying away.
Where, O Where Has My Little Dog Gone? A child searching with one hand over their eyes, and a small dog hiding behind them.

Hills, houses and things 11

A-Tisket, A-Tasket A child with a green and yellow basket, and a letter dropped on the path behind.
Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush Children holding hands in a circle around a bush.
How Many Miles to Babylon? A traveler holding a candle, walking toward a far-off city.
I Had a Little Nut Tree A small tree bearing one nutmeg and one pear, and a princess coming to see it.
London Bridge Is Falling Down A bridge cracking in the middle, with pieces dropping into the river.
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe A hand fastening a shoe buckle, then knocking at a door.
Oranges and Lemons An orange and a lemon under a row of church bells.
Rock-a-bye Baby A cradle on a tree branch, with wind lines blowing past it.
Roses Are Red A red rose next to a small violet, with a heart between them.
Row, Row, Row Your Boat One person rowing a small boat down a stream.
Wynken, Blynken, and Nod Three little sailors in a wooden shoe, fishing among the stars.

Food and the kitchen 5

Aiken Drum A man in the moon with a hat made of cheese, playing on a ladle.
Apple Pie ABC An apple pie with one bite taken out and one slice cut.
Hot Cross Buns A round bun with a cross on top, and a penny beside it.
Pat-a-Cake A baker patting a cake, with an oven behind him.
Pease Porridge Hot A steaming pot next to the same pot with icicles on it.

Bedtime, weather and sky 3

Rain Rain Go Away A child at a window, waving a rain cloud away.
Star Light, Star Bright A child pointing at the first star of the evening and making a wish.
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star One star with lines of shine around it, high above a rooftop.

How this list was compiled: Written for this page on 2026-10-15: the titles of 99 traditional nursery rhymes and children's songs to draw, each with one suggested drawing in our own words. No verse is quoted. Every title stands on English Wikipedia's List of nursery rhymes, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_nursery_rhymes (read 2026-10-15), which gives 97 of them a first record of 1918 or earlier; the newest is Hush, Little Baby (1918) and the oldest Frog Went a-Courting (1549). The list leaves two undated, and their own articles date them: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itsy_Bitsy_Spider (published in a book of 1910) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Light,_Star_Bright (in works dating to at least 1866). Works first published before 1931 are out of copyright in the United States as of 2026 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain_in_the_United_States, read the same day). Who is in each rhyme and what happens, which the suggested drawings show, was checked the same day against the rhyme's own Wikipedia article, for example https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humpty_Dumpty, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hey_Diddle_Diddle and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aiken_Drum. A card uses the title most used in the United States where the list gives one: Ring Around the Rosie, Ladybug, Ladybug and Once I Caught a Fish Alive. The three levels are our judgment: Easy is a rhyme most guests know that one picture gives away, Medium needs a small scene, Hard is a rhyme fewer guests know. Licence: own work

How it works

Each card in these nursery rhyme drawing game words is the title of an old rhyme, such as Humpty Dumpty or Three Blind Mice. One guest draws and the room names the rhyme, in the style of the game sold as Pictionary.

Read the full guide

Three levels, from one picture to a tiebreak

Press Topic and pick Easy for 25 rhymes that one picture gives away, such as Jack and Jill and Itsy Bitsy Spider. Medium has 39 that need a small scene, such as Little Jack Horner. Hard has 35 that fewer guests know, such as Aiken Drum and Tweedledum and Tweedledee, for a tiebreak between two tables.

Old rhymes only

Every title has a first record of 1918 or earlier, so the deck holds rhymes that were handed down, not songs from a recent show. The list under the deck suggests a drawing for each rhyme and quotes no verse.

For a long title, draw the picture people remember: the pie and the blackbirds for Sing a Song of Sixpence.
Give a bonus point to the table that can sing the next line.
At a playgroup, let the grown-ups draw and the children guess from Easy.

Questions and answers

Which nursery rhymes are easiest to draw?

The ones that are one picture. Humpty Dumpty is an egg on a wall, Hickory Dickory Dock a mouse on a clock, Jack Be Nimble a boy over a candlestick, and Baa, Baa, Black Sheep a sheep beside three bags of wool.

How do you play the nursery rhyme drawing game at a baby shower?

Split the guests into two tables with a pad and a marker each. One guest reads the card and draws without speaking or writing words, and their table calls out rhymes until the minute ends. The table that names more rhymes wins.

Is there a nursery rhyme emoji game to print instead?

Yes. The baby shower emoji game has a round of nursery rhymes written in emoji, and the nursery rhyme baby shower game asks guests to finish the line. Both can be played on a phone or printed.