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German nursery rhymes and fingerplays offer short, rhythmic language to repeat together. They can introduce numbers, animals, body parts and common verbs. They also contain shortened words, older expressions and regional variants, so a recording may not use exactly the same words as the version printed here.
The English translations below explain the meaning rather than matching the German rhyme or melody. Some traditional texts contain frightening imagery; choose a version appropriate to the child. The listening links lead to named recording or educational providers, and availability can change.
1. Eins, zwei, Papagei
| German | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Eins, zwei, Papagei, | One, two, parrot, |
| drei, vier, Grenadier, | three, four, grenadier, |
| fünf, sechs, alte Hex’, | five, six, old witch, |
| sieben, acht, Kaffee gemacht, | seven, eight, coffee made, |
| neun, zehn, weiter geh’n. | nine, ten, keep going. |
This counting rhyme has many variants. The words are chosen partly for their sounds, rather than to tell a continuous story. Hex’ shortens Hexe; geh’n shortens gehen. Use the normal full spellings in ordinary writing.
2. Hoppe, hoppe, Reiter
| German | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Hoppe, hoppe, Reiter, | Bumpety-bump, rider, |
| wenn er fällt, dann schreit er. | when he falls, he cries out. |
| Fällt er in den Graben, | If he falls into the ditch, |
| fressen ihn die Raben. | the ravens eat him. |
| Fällt er in den Sumpf, | If he falls into the swamp, |
| dann macht der Reiter: Plumps! | then the rider goes: plop! |
A traditional knee-bouncing rhyme with several versions. Some lines contain frightening images, so choose a version that suits the child. The pretend “plop” is a playful ending: keep a child supported, rather than literally dropping them. Der Reiter is a rider and der Rabe a raven.
3. Alle meine Entchen
| German | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Alle meine Entchen | All my little ducklings |
| schwimmen auf dem See, | swim on the lake, |
| Köpfchen in das Wasser, | little heads into the water, |
| Schwänzchen in die Höh’. | little tails up high. |
The diminutives Entchen, Köpfchen and Schwänzchen use -chen. Their grammatical gender is neuter: das Entchen. Schwänzchen means “little tails”, not “bottoms”. The translation expresses the picture; the German uses short, elliptical phrases. Other animal verses vary between versions. Ri-ra-rutsch, is a separate rhyme.
Listening or performance resource.
4. Himpelchen und Pimpelchen
| German | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Himpelchen und Pimpelchen | Himpelchen and Pimpelchen |
| stiegen auf einen Berg. | climbed a mountain. |
| Himpelchen war ein Heinzelmann | Himpelchen was a little household spirit |
| und Pimpelchen war ein Zwerg. | and Pimpelchen was a dwarf. |
| Sie blieben lange da oben sitzen | They stayed sitting up there for a long time |
| und wackelten mit den Zipfelmützen. | and waggled their pointed caps. |
| Doch nach fünfundsiebzig Wochen | But after seventy-five weeks |
| sind sie in den Berg gekrochen, | they crawled into the mountain, |
| schlafen da in guter Ruh’, | sleep there peacefully, |
| seid mal still und hört ihnen zu! | be quiet for a moment and listen to them! |
| Schnarch, schnarch! | Snore, snore! |
This fingerplay has variants, including different numbers of weeks. The version here describes the characters sleeping; it does not say they have died. Eine Zipfelmütze is a pointed cap, not necessarily a nightcap. Seid and hört address more than one person.
Listening or performance resource.
5. Pitsch und Patsch
The fingerplay follows rain down the head and body to the ground. Use the performance link to hear the text, then practise the body-part vocabulary below.
| Vocabulary | English |
|---|---|
| Pitsch und Patsch | Splish-splash / pitter-patter (sound words) |
| die Haare | hair |
| die Nase | nose |
| der Mund | mouth |
| das Kinn | chin |
| der Bauch | tummy/belly |
| der Regen | rain |
This rain fingerplay uses body-part vocabulary and sound words. It should not be confused with a different penguin song that has a similar-sounding title. Mit einem großen Satz means “with a great leap” here, rather than “with a long sentence”. Sich ausruhen means to rest; the rain is personified.
Listening or performance resource.
6. Fuchs, du hast die Gans gestohlen
| German | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Fuchs, du hast die Gans gestohlen, | Fox, you have stolen the goose, |
| gib sie wieder her! | give her back! |
| Sonst wird dich der Jäger holen | Otherwise the hunter will get you |
| mit dem Schießgewehr. | with his gun. |
| Seine große, lange Flinte | His big, long shotgun |
| schießt auf dich den Schrot, | fires shot at you, |
| dass dich färbt die rote Tinte, | so that the red ink colours you, |
| und dann bist du tot. | and then you are dead. |
| Liebes Füchslein, lass dir raten: | Dear little fox, take some advice: |
| Sei doch nur kein Dieb! | Do not be a thief! |
| Nimm, du brauchst nicht Gänsebraten, | You do not need roast goose; |
| mit der Maus vorlieb. | make do with the mouse. |
Repeated lines are omitted from this reading version. The song includes a threat of shooting and death; it may not suit every child. Schrot is shotgun shot/pellets, and “red ink” is figurative in this context. Mit etwas vorliebnehmen means to make do with something; the final sentence is split across the lines.
Listening or performance resource.
7. Es war einmal ein Mann
| German | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Es war einmal ein Mann, | There once was a man, |
| der hatte einen Schwamm. | who had a sponge. |
| Der Schwamm war ihm zu nass, | The sponge was too wet for him, |
| da ging er auf die Gass’. | so he went out into the street. |
| Die Gass’ war ihm zu kalt, | The street was too cold for him, |
| da ging er in den Wald. | so he went into the woods. |
| Der Wald war ihm zu grün, | The woods were too green for him, |
| da ging er nach Berlin. | so he went to Berlin. |
| Berlin war ihm zu voll, | Berlin was too crowded for him, |
| da ging er nach Tirol. | so he went to Tyrol. |
| Tirol war ihm zu klein, | Tyrol was too small for him, |
| da ging er wieder heim. | so he went back home. |
| Daheim war’s ihm zu nett, | It was too nice for him at home, |
| da legte er sich ins Bett. | so he lay down in bed. |
| Im Bett war eine Maus, | There was a mouse in the bed, |
| drum ist die Geschichte aus. | so the story is over. |
This chain rhyme repeats war ihm zu … — “was too … for him”. Gass’ is a shortened form of Gasse (street/lane); heim means home/homewards. Variants have different endings. Try inventing an extra pair of lines using a place and an adjective.
8. Ringel, Ringel, Reihe
| German | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Ringel, Ringel, Reihe, | Round and round in a circle, |
| sind wir Kinder dreie, | we are three children, |
| sitzen unterm Hollerbusch, | sitting under the elder bush, |
| schreien alle: husch, husch, husch! | all calling: shoo, shoo, shoo! |
A circle-game rhyme with regional and textual variants. It has a similar play format to English circle songs, but its words are not a translation of “Ring Around the Rosie”. Holler refers to elder; unterm is a contraction of unter dem. Dreie is a rhyming form; the ordinary number is drei. The English rendering conveys the scene rather than reproducing the rhyme.
Listening or performance resource.
Use the rhymes for language practice
- Read a short section and check the meaning before singing or reciting.
- Notice the rhyme words and listen to their vowels. Singing can alter rhythm, so also say a phrase normally.
- Choose two or three useful words and practise them in ordinary sentences.
- Use gestures for animals, movement or body parts; let the child decide whether to join in.
- Compare another version and identify what has changed.
For example, turn Alle meine Entchen into the ordinary sentence Die Enten schwimmen auf dem See. — The ducks are swimming on the lake. Rhymes are one enjoyable practice tool alongside conversation, stories and other listening.
