Lullabies from many places

Ages 0 to 2 A grown-up reads and plays along · about 10 minutes

Read together

Rock, rock, rock. It is time to rest.

People sing lullabies all over the world.

Do it

1. At bedtime, hold your child and rock gently.
2. Sing or hum one lullaby, with soft, slow breaths. Some well-known ones: “Rock-a-bye Baby” (English), “Arrorró mi niño” (Latin America), “Sa Ugoy ng Duyan” (Philippines), Brahms's Lullaby (Germany).
3. Use any tune you know. Make up your own words, such as your child's name.
4. End with a prayer: “Good night, God. Good night, baby.”

Talk about it

• Which lullaby does your child like?
• What did your family sing to you?

For the grown-up

Lullabies are found in every culture. Brahms's Lullaby was written in 1868. “Sa Ugoy ng Duyan” was written in the 1950s by Lucio San Pedro and Levi Celerio. Many lullabies have no known author. Your own voice is the best one.

Mark as done

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Where this comes from

• Iona and Peter Opie, The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes (Oxford University Press, 1951; 2nd ed. 1997)
• Cultural Center of the Philippines Encyclopedia of Philippine Art, entries on Philippine music and the composers Lucio San Pedro and Levi Celerio

Written with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed. Please read it before sharing it with a child.