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Halloween is coming up fast, and we know that means plenty of kids all over the country are getting ready for a night of ghouls, ghosts, and the oh-so-delicious ritual of trick-or-treating. Even for kids who aren’t old enough for trick-or-treating, Halloween is an exciting time of the year, and there are plenty of ways to participate in the holiday without gorging on candy. If your little one isn’t quite ready to go door-to-door, these Halloween nursery rhymes are a great way to get in the spirit and celebrate the holiday!
Set this to the tune of “12 Days of Christmas”:
On the first day of Halloween my true love gave to me,
An owl in an old oak tree.
On the second day of Halloween my true love gave to me,
Two black cats and an owl in an old oak tree.
On the third day of Halloween my true love gave to me,
Three pumpkins glowing, two black cats and an owl in an old oak tree.
On the fourth day of Halloween my true love gave to me,
Four witches brewing, three pumpkins glowing, two black cats and an owl in an old oak tree.
On the fifth day of Halloween my true love gave to me,
Five scary ghouls, four witches brewing, three pumpkins glowing, two black cats and an owl in an old oak tree.
On the six day of Halloween my true love gave to me,
Six goblins gobbling, five scary ghouls, four witches brewing, three pumpkins glowing, two black cats and an owl in an old oak tree.
On the seventh day of Halloween my true love gave to me,
Seven treaters treating, six goblins gobbling, five scary ghouls, four witches brewing, three pumpkins glowing, two black cats and an owl in an old oak tree.
On the eighth day of Halloween my true love gave to me,
Eight spiders webbing, seven treaters treating, six goblins gobbling, five scary ghouls, four witches brewing, three pumpkins glowing, two black cats and an owl in an old oak tree.
On the ninth day of Halloween my true love gave to me,
Nine ghosts a’booing, eight spiders webbing, seven treaters treating, six goblins gobbling, five scary ghouls, four witches brewing, three pumpkins glowing, two black cats and an owl in an old oak tree.
On the tenth day of Halloween my true love gave to me,
Ten scarecrows scaring, nine ghosts a’booing, eight spiders webbing, seven treaters treating, six goblins gobbling, five scary ghouls, four witches brewing, three pumpkins glowing, two black cats and an owl in an old oak tree.
One the eleventh day of Halloween my true love gave to me,
Eleven werewolves howling, ten scarecrows scaring, nine ghosts a’booing, eight spiders webbing, seven treaters treating, six goblins gobbling, five scary ghouls, four witches brewing, three pumpkins glowing, two black cats and an owl in an old oak tree.
On the twelfth day of Halloween my true love gave to me,
Twelve bats a flying, eleven werewolves howling, ten scarecrows scaring, nine ghosts a’booing, eight spiders webbing, seven treaters treating, six goblins gobbling, five scary ghouls, four witches brewing, three pumpkins glowing, two black cats and an owl in an old oak tree.
There’s no tune to this one, but the words tend to give a rhythm to speaking it that’s great for kids:
Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate,
The first one said, “Oh, my it’s getting late!”
The second one said, “There are witches in the air!”
The third one said, “Well, I don’t care!”
The fourth one said, “Let’s run and run and run!”
The fifth one said, “I’m ready for some fun!”
OOH went the wind, and out went the lights,
and the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight!
This one doesn’t have a melody either, but again, you’ll find the words tend to take on a rhythm and a life of their own:
Peter, Peter pumpkin eater,
Had a wife but couldn’t keep her,
He put her in a pumpkin shell,
And there he kept her very well.
Peter, Peter pumpkin eater,
Had another and didn’t love her,
Peter learned to read and spell,
And then he loved her very well.
We hope these Halloween-themed nursery rhymes bring a bit of frightful joy to your home this Halloween – we’ll sure be singing them all month long! As always, if you have any questions on fun ways to celebrate Halloween with your children, parenting in general, or you’re interested in finding out more about early childhood education, we’re always here to help. Our research-based curriculum has helped hundreds of little learners develop into mature, well-rounded adults, and your loved one could be the next! If you have questions or are interested in joining The Blue Elephant family, we encourage you to call our Frisco learning center at 469.287.0332 or reach out to us at our contact page. We can’t wait to hear from you, and we wish you some spooky fun this Halloween!