Rhyme Challenge 2025-26

It’s here! The 2025-26 Bradford Libraries Rhyme Challenge has arrived!

Get singing, rhyming, talking, and reading!

The new rhyme challenge will take place in toddler groups, school nurseries, pre-schools, and libraries!

Children that complete the challenge can take their certificates to their local library and enter a prize draw to win lots of lovely early years goodies!
For those unable to attend a group setting or library you can still complete the challenge! If you have learnt the rhymes at home and are unable to attend a group, please contact us and we will forward a signed certificate.

The Rhyme Challenge is a fun way to introduce children and families to rhymes. Rhymes may be new to families or forgotten, and they require help to build up confidence to have a go themselves.
Young children learn best through seeing someone they know well doing things, and through repetition.
Rhymes can be shared almost anywhere - in the car or bus, the bath, in the supermarket. You can use rhymes during less popular activities to encourage children, for example, tidy up time, nappy changing, going to bed. Finally, rhymes are a great way to get children started on their lifelong reading journey!

The rhymes this year are *drum roll*

• See the sleeping bunnies
• Row row row your boat
• Large old bean (Ukrainian)
• Large old bean (English)
• Twinkle twinkle little star
• Hello library, have you any books?

You can access the rhyme sheets here.

Families that complete the challenge will also be in with a chance to win a lovely Gruffalo story sack or nursery rhyme set.

So what are you waiting for! Get singing, get rhyming, get talking, get reading....

Want to watch the Rhymes? You Tube video links will be added soon.

Here is an audio clip of the Large old bean rhyme in Ukrainian (Audio, 700 Kb).

If you are a group working with families with children 0 to 6 years and want to take the challenge in your venue, please email [email protected] to order a pack. Library venues will be undertaking the challenge during January to March 2026 but you can complete the challenge anytime between September 2025 to March 2026.

Instructions

• Instructions page 1 (JPG, 2.6 Mb)
• Instructions page 2 (JPG, 2.8 Mb)

The benefits of rhymes

• Rhymes are often repetitive and make the words easier to learn, especially when they are sung.
• They are a fun way for a child to acquire language skills and great building blocks for future learning.
• Most rhymes involve some physical interaction, which adds fun, surprise and anticipation.
• They give children a sense of story with a beginning, middle and end and an awareness of sounds.
• Rhymes introduce numbers, colours, shapes, animals, parts of the body etc.
• Help develop concentration and listening skills.
• They help parents to overcome feeling shy or awkward when talking to very young children.
• Help parents and carers realise how important they are as their child’s first teacher.
• Sharing rhymes help bonding and togetherness between children and parents and carers.

Rhyme Challenge report

Bradford Libraries Rhyme Challenge Report 2024-25 (PDF)

You can watch the report here.