Learning Hindi Through Nursery Rhymes

By Shailee Butalia

I am a first generation South Asian Indian that was born and raised in America. This basically means that I learned Gujarati from my parents who moved from India in the 70s. This also means that English is my first language and Gujarati is my second. Unfortunately, this drops Hindi to my third language.

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Hindi is one of the most spoken languages in the world. I want my child to be able to both understand and speak it, especially since it will keep her connected to our culture. It will be so useful for her when she travels to the country her family is from as well as being able to participate in so many of the great cultural traditions that India has.

The challenge lies in how I can teach her a language that I am not fluent in and that I’ve learned after the first ten years of my life. Luckily, with all of the technology and information that is available now, I have help. There are some people who have taken the opportunity to create wonderful Hindi nursery rhyme videos that I can show my baby. An ideal way for her to pick up a new language at such a young age is through song.

I wanted to share 5 of the Hindi nursery rhymes that I love showing her because they encourage her to not only learn Hindi but also teach her other things at the same time.

Dhobi Aaya

This nursery rhyme teaches children how to count in Hindi. She can learn how to sing her numbers in Hindi with this song.

Machli Jal Ki Rani Hai

This is a timeless classic Hindi nursery rhyme that really takes our children on a great adventure through the sea.

Ek Bandar Ne Kholi Dukan

I like this particular nursery rhyme because it’s not only fun but also teaches children a variety of animal names in Hindi.

Aloo Bole Mujhko Kalo

What’s a better way to learn about vegetables than to sing about them? This adorable nursery rhyme teaches the names of different vegetables and also why it’s good for a child to eat them.

Gol Gol

Shapes and different items of that shape are introduced in this nursery rhyme. This song is another great way for my child to learn something different in Hindi.

With these 5 nursery rhymes, my child has the opportunity to learn so much without feeling that something is being forced upon her. This gives her the chance to absorb a new language. I am grateful that these songs exist because they help in passing down our culture to our future generations in an easy and fun way.

About the Author: Shailee Butalia is a second generation Indian mother of a gorgeous daughter living in the USA. Ghotu Motu Ki Toli is a way to teach our children our culture and language using 2 minute Indian nursery rhyme videos available on Youtube and through free mobile apps. Subscribe to our mailing list and our Youtube channel.

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