Ukulele Songs for Kids: Great Repertoire to Play with Youngsters

If you’ve been following this blog for some time now, you know that I feel the ukulele is a great beginner instrument and a perfect first instrument for kids to learn. It is small in size and many of the chord shapes only require one finger, making it ideal for little hands. However, perhaps lesser known is that the ukulele has grown in popularity with adult beginners in recent years. One great reason to learn to play the ukulele is to accompany yourself when singing songs with children. Preschool and elementary school teachers use ukulele songs for kids in the classroom frequently to supplement and enrich their music lessons. 

As a mother of four, I know how music can bring joy to a household and to the faces of children. My three-year-old in particular loves when I play the ukulele to accompany the songs he sings and he will frequently request that I play a particular song while he sings and dances. Currently, his favorites are “The Wheels on the Bus” “Itsy Bitsy Spider” and, unsurprisingly to the parents reading this blog, “Baby Shark.”  

I also know how repetitive it is to sing the same songs over and over and over again. (And over, and over…) Why not play the ukulele to make singing songs more interesting? (not to mention to encourage your children to sing along with you, or even sing them *instead of* you. *wink*) 

Don’t worry, you won’t have to practice for years (or even months) to be able to play these songs. The most important thing to remember is to have FUN. Your children will thank you for it, and you will hopefully inspire a lifelong love of music in them. Keep reading to learn how to play some great children’s songs on the ukulele.

Ukulele Songs for Kids (That Are Fun for You, Too!)

The Wheels on the Bus

Let’s take a look at “The Wheels on the Bus.” This is a very simple song that only uses two chords – C and G. If you need a refresher on how to play these chords, you can check out my blog post here.

       C

The wheels on the bus go round and round

G                            C

Round and Round, round and round

C

The wheels on the bus go round and round

G                    C

All through the town

And that’s it. No matter how many verses you play, they are all the same chords and strumming pattern. A childhood favorite!

Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes

Another really great song to play is Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes! This is a simple song, but it does contain a D7 chord, which can be a bit tricky for beginners. If you struggle with playing the standard D7, which is a barre chord, try some alternative voicings! Before we look at the whole song, here are two different ways to play the D7 chord. Although the barre chord is the most common way to play the D7, you can choose which one works best for you! 

G

Heads, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes

G                                             D

Heads, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes

G                                           C

And eyes and ears and mouth and nose

D7                                           G

Heads, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes

Baby Shark

Up next is a modern childhood favorite: Baby Shark. This song can be played in multiple ways, but the simplest uses just three chords: F, C, and G.

          C

Baby Shark doo doo doo

         F                                   

Baby Shark doo doo doo

          C                               

Baby Shark doo doo doo

                     G

Baby Shark

You then repeat that pattern for all the rest of the verses.

Itsy Bitsy Spider

Itsy Bitsy Spider is another crowd pleaser! A familiar nursery rhyme that practically everyone knows, it uses just four chords: C, G7, G, and F.

       C                                    G7                 C

The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the water spout

C                                      G7                        C

Down came the rain and washed the spider out

F                    C                     G                    F