Best Baby Songs with Ms Rachel - Nursery Rhymes for Babies - Open Shut Them + More
Ms Rachel - Toddler Learning Videos · 2026-10-30
💡 Quick Take
1. Ms Rachel uses classic nursery rhymes and physical gestures to help infants and toddlers learn core language and motor skills.
2. Songs like "Icky Sticky Bubble Gum" teach body parts by prompting children to place their hands on their head, elbows, and tummy.
3. Movement games like "Sleeping Bunnies" teach self-regulation (impulse control) by alternating between active hopping and freezing on cue.
4. In the snail and mouse rhyme, the host contrasts slow and fast tempos to teach basic physical and linguistic opposites.
5. The host targets early speech sounds by modeling simple functional words like "mama," "dada," and "uh-oh" with clear mouth pauses.
📊 Detailed Explanation
Ms Rachel uses targeted vocal modeling to build foundational speech. In songs like "Old MacDonald," she emphasizes clear, isolated animal sounds such as "moo," "oink," and "cluck." She also repeats essential first words like "mama" and "dada." When a prop falls, she sings the "Uh-Oh" song, showing that accidental drops are chances to practice two-syllable phrases. She faces the camera directly and exaggerates her mouth shapes. This allows babies to watch how lips and tongues produce speech sounds. Parents often think complex talking is necessary early on, but simple, repeated syllables build speech much faster.
Body awareness forms another central pillar of the video. Through songs like "These are Baby's Fingers" and the interactive game "Where is your nose?", Ms Rachel points directly to features and prompts children to find their own eyes, ears, mouth, and hair. In the rhyme "Icky Sticky Bubble Gum," she asks children to stick their hands to their knees, tummy, head, and grown-up, then pull them away. Later, during the "Pizza Baby" massage routine, physical touch reinforces spatial awareness on the baby's body. These concrete sensory prompts teach children where their limbs are in space while tying physical sensations to vocabulary words.
Motor skill development is woven directly into every musical activity. For fine motor skills (small hand movements), Ms Rachel demonstrates finger isolation in "Where is Thumbkin?" and fingers walking up the arm in "Itsy Bitsy Spider." In "Open Shut Them," she teaches hand extension and closing before clapping. For gross motor skills (large body movements), she models hopping, jumping, and swaying in songs like "Looby Loo" and "Walking at the Zoo." These actions show toddlers how to mimic coordinated physical actions to rhythm.
Early cognitive concepts and contrasts are introduced through rhythm and play. In "One Little Blue Fish," she counts forward from one to five while naming colors like red, yellow, and green. In "Three Hungry Ants," she models counting down from three to one. She demonstrates opposites with a shaker, pairing sound and movement to show high versus low, fast versus slow, and stop versus go. The snail and mouse poem contrasts slow creeping with fast scurrying. These concrete examples turn abstract comparative concepts into physical experiences that young learners can feel and mimic.
Emotional bonding and impulse control anchor the social learning in the session. In "Sleeping Bunnies," children lie still and pretend to sleep until the alarm rings, training their ability to stop and start their physical movement on command. Interactive lap songs like "Acka Backa Soda Cracker" and "Trot Trot to Boston" involve tickles, bounces, and hugs with a caregiver. Songs such as "Skinnamarink" and the closing friendship song reinforce love, connection, and social warmth, demonstrating that learning happens best inside loving relationships.
🎯 Education Expert Opinion
Ms Rachel's instructional method is exceptionally well-aligned with developmental research in infant-toddler language acquisition. She relies on the principles of social referencing, deliberate pacing, and melodic repetition. By keeping the visual background clean and focusing tightly on clear facial expressions, she reduces cognitive overload. Young brains struggle to filter out excess background noise and rapid cuts. Her deliberate pauses after questions give pre-verbal children the necessary processing time to attempt vocal or physical responses.
The progression of activities provides a practical roadmap for caregivers. The sequence moves naturally from quiet fingerplays to whole-body motion, and finishes with soothing, relational routines. Caregivers should use this video as an interactive toolkit rather than passive entertainment. Start by singing one song together, such as "Open Shut Them," while sitting face-to-face. Next, use props like kitchen shakers or scarves to replicate the tempo and sensory games. Finally, transfer the songs into daily tasks, singing the bubble song during bathtime or the "Uh-Oh" song whenever a toy drops.
The primary caveat lies in how screen media is used with children under two years old. Medical and developmental guidelines caution against solitary screen time for infants. Children do not transfer two-dimensional screen learning into real life without an adult mediating the experience. If a child simply sits alone watching the screen, the linguistic benefit drops significantly. This video works best when a parent or caregiver sits beside the child, physically plays the games, provides real touch, and mirrors the vocal prompts.
The most valuable lesson from this session is that early language blooms through joyful, shared imitation. Babies do not need expensive flashcards or high-tech educational tools to master speech and motor control. Simple folk rhymes, clear eye contact, and physical play provide all the stimulation a developing brain needs. When caregivers embed these rhythmic, playful routines into normal daily activities, they build a strong foundation for communication and emotional security.