As years pass and guitars become more accessible for everyone, more and more kids grab the guitar to learn and play. When you think that most virtuoso guitar players started playing their instruments before the age of 14, it is crucial to get familiar with the instrument in the early stages of life.
From nursery rhymes to cartoon themes, there are many amazingly easy songs for kids that children or their parents can learn to play on the guitar. Besides their easy chords and structures, these songs are all familiar to the children, and most of them are some of their favorite songs. As motivation is quite important on the journey of learning to play the guitar, it is crucial not to be bored during the learning process.
Either you teach kids how to play these tunes, or you simply just play to them to entertain or inspire them to learn to play guitar; this list is the ultimate list for beginner kids guitar songs that you can choose any song and play easily.
The Wheels On The Bus
The Wheels On The Bus is a pretty old nursery rhyme that is quite popular among children and parents. Almost every child in the world knows the song as it has versions in different languages too. It is a fun song to play and sing along with.
You can play the tune quite easily with only 2 chords and a traditional strum pattern. You will only need 3 fingers to play it, and the chord shapes are perfect for the hands of young players.
The Wheels On The Bus Guitar Chords
Baa Baa Black Sheep
Another excellent nursery rhyme that is amazingly popular is Baa Baa Black Sheep. The song is one of the most popular bedtime songs that kids love. You can play it to entertain kids or simply teach it to them as it is effortless to play.
With 3 easy chords, G, D, and C, along with a straightforward strum pattern of steady down strums, you can learn and master this tune quickly.
Baa Baa Black Sheep Guitar Chords
If you want to play some more tunes for kids, check out my other list Top 30 Easy Disney Songs To Learn On The Guitar – Tabs Included
Let It Go – Frozen
One of the most popular kids movies of the last years is undoubtedly Frozen by Disney entertainment. Kids love the story, animations, and of course, the soundtrack of the movie. The movie is about two sister ice princesses with special powers, which the song is about.
The tune features 5 different chords with easy shapes, which you can play with only 3 fingers. You can use a slow strum pattern with downstrokes. It is totally a beginner-friendly tune, great to practice essential chords.
A Thousand Years – Christina Perri
A Thousand Year is an excellent tune by Christina Perri written for The Twilight Saga in 2011. The vampire movie series was a massive trend between kids and teenagers back in the day. The song was also on the charts with great success.
You can play this slow tempo tune with 5 easy chords that have very comfortable shapes. The strumming is also relatively easy but be careful with the time signature as you should count 6 eight notes in each bar.
A Thousand Years Guitar Chords
If you like easy tunes and want to play some beginner single note melodies, you should check out my list Top 40 Famous&Easy One String Guitar Songs For Beginners – Tabs Included
Five Little Ducks
Five Little Ducks is another popular nursery rhyme for little kids. The rhyme has many versions, but the most famous one is the ducks version.
The song is played with 2 ver easy chords, G and D. You can play it with an easy strum pattern like down, down, down, up, down, up, and a moderate tempo.
Five Little Ducks Guitar Chords
Head Shoulders Knees And Toes
Heads Shoulders Knees And Toes is yet another kids song that is mainly used to make kids exercise a little and teach them body parts. It is a very old and immensely popular nursery rhyme that was also popular in the childhood times of today’s parents.
The tune can be played with 4 easy chords and a down, down, up, down, up, down, up strum pattern. If you or your kid have a hard time with the barre chord, you can play the F chord without the barring technique, as shown on the tab sheet.
Head Shoulders Knees And Toes Guitar Chords
If you feel comfortable with kids tunes and want to play some slow famous tunes, do not forget to check out my list Top 40 Famous & Easy Slow Guitar Songs For Beginners – Tabs Included
Humpty Dumpty Sat On A Wall
Humpty Dumpty Sat On A Wall is a short yet extremely fun to sing nursery rhyme that is loved by children. As it features many great rhymes in its short lines, it is a great tune to sing and play with.
You will need G, C, and D chords to play the tune along with a basic strum pattern with downstrokes.
Humpty Dumpty Sat On A Wall Guitar Chords
If You Are Happy You Know It
One of the most popular kids songs throughout the last decades is, undoubtedly, If You Are Happy You Know It. The song is well-known globally with its versions in other languages and its fun dance. It is a fantastic song to play and make a kid group dance. The dance movements are already written in the lyrics.
The song can be played with 3 chords, C, G, and F, with a basic strum pattern. If you do not want to barre the F chord, you can play it as XX3211, which means that you do not play the top two notes to avoid the barring technique.
If You Are Happy You Know It Guitar Chords
Hickory Dickory Dock
Another popular nursery rhyme is Hickory Dickory Dock. As the name shows, it is a fun song to sing thanks to the great rhymes its features.
You will need C, F, and G chords to play the tune. If you feel the barring technique is challenging for you, you can try the variations of it instead.
Hickory Dickory Dock Guitar Tabs
If you think these tunes are too easy for you, you can try playing songs from this list Top 30 Famous&Easy 4 Chord Guitar Songs For Beginners – Tabs Included
Here We Go Looby Loo
Here We Go Looby Loo is a fantastic kids song to make children dance and play. The song’s lyrics describe the movements that should be danced, which kids more than love.
With steady down strums and two of the easiest chords, C and G, this one is a perfect song to teach to a kid.
Here We Go Looby Loo Guitar Chords
Bingo
This short kids tune, Bingo, is a great one to teach kids about letters and spelling. You can adjust the song to any name and create your own versions instead of singing it as Bingo.
You will need C, F, G, and Am chords to play the tune along with a basic yet quick strum pattern. As always, if the F chord is challenging, you may use other variations of it.
A Whole New World – Aladdin
The great soundtrack of Disney’s famous animation Aladdin, A Whole New World is a great song loved by children. Although it is a relatively old movie, the iconic story of Aladdin and his princess is one of the favorite movies of the kids even today.
The song features 7 chords and a pretty easy strum pattern. But as there are many chords, this one is more suitable to play to children rather than teaching it.
A Whole New World Guitar Chords
If you also want to play some adult tunes instead of kids songs, you can start from this list 35 Easy Guitar Songs Without Barre Chords/Capo – Tabs Included
Old MacDonald Had A Farm
Another great kids song that has spread over the world is Old Macdonald Had A Farm. The song is remembered for its iconic part, where it replicates the animal sounds. Of course, almost every country has its version of this iconic kids’ song.
You can play the tune with 4 different chords, all with easy shapes. A basic strum pattern with down strums will do the trick, and remember that you can create many different versions of the song with different animals. It is a perfect song to play or teach to your kid.
Old MacDonald Had A Farm Guitar Chords
The ABC Song
The ABC Song is the song to teach the alphabet to kids. The lyrics are simply the letters in alphabetical order to make them memorize them easier.
The nursery rhyme features 4 chords, C, F, G7, and G. You can use the easier version of the F chord as shown on the tab sheet.
Itsy Bitsy Spider
Another immensely popular old-school kids song is Itsy Bitsy Spider. The tune is known not only by all children but also the adults. It is a great song to teach or play to any kid group.
You can play the tune with 3 easy chords along with a basic down, down, up pattern.
If you feel strumming chords is challenging, here is a list of songs that you can play without them Top 30 Easy Songs Without Chords For Beginners – Tabs Included
Itsy Bitsy Spider Guitar Chords
Jingle Bells
Although Jingle Bells is not a kids song, it is loved by children as they adore Christmas. Any kid would love to sing, play and listen to Jingle Bells as it reminds them of one of the best times of the year with presents.
This carol features 6 chords along with a basic triplet strum pattern. As it can be challenging for kids to learn, this one is more suitable to play them rather than teaching.
Hot Cross Buns
Hot Cross Buns is another popular nursery rhyme loved by kids. As it reminds them of the delicious buns, the kids love to sing and listen to this tune.
With only 2 chords and a basic strum pattern, this is a great tune to teach to your kid.
Don’t Know What You Got Till Its Gone – Cinderella
One of the most loved bedtime stories and movies by Disney is Cinderella. Along with the story and the Disney animation movie, the soundtrack, which is called Don’t Know What You Got Till Its Gone, is also loved by kids.
You can play the tune with 6 chords, including a Bm chord which requires the barring technique. The strum pattern is slow and easy, but as the chords can be challenging, this one is better to play with the kids instead of teaching them to play.
Don’t Know What You Got Till Its Gone Guitar Chords
If you want to learn songs with just 3 chords then check out my other article Top 45 Easy Guitar Songs With G, C, D Chords – Tabs Included
Mary Had a Little Lamb
Another perfect nursery rhyme to teach to your kids is Mary Had A Little Lamb. Although the song is long, it has a repetitive and extremely easy structure. You can play it with two of the easiest chords, A and E, along with a strum pattern with steady down strums.
Mary Had a Little Lamb Guitar Chords
We Wish You A Merry Christmas
Another Christman carol loved by kids is We Wish You A Merry Christmas. It is one of the most popular carols that kids love to sing and listen to. The best part about this one is that it has an extremely easy chord progression that kids can learn easily.
We Wish You A Merry Christmas Guitar Chords
Are You Sleeping Brother John
Another nursery rhyme that is known by almost every kid in the world is Are You Sleeping Brother John. Every culture has its own version of this short nursery rhyme which is mainly used as a bedtime song.
This is the most straightforward song on the list by far, as it features only one chord. It is the perfect song to teach to any kid.
Are You Sleeping Brother John Guitar Chords
Most children’s songs are in the 2/4 time signature, you can learn more songs in 2/4 time here Top 20 Popular & Easy Songs in 2/4 time – Guitar Tabs Included
Happy Birthday To You
The day that kids love the most is undoubtedly their birthdays. Every kid loves to listen to Happy Birthday songs with their name as it is their special day. So it is a perfect song to play to your kid or even to teach them.
You will need 4 basic chords along with a basic triplet strum pattern to play the tune. You can also play it with different strum patterns like steady downstrokes.
Happy Birthday To You Guitar Chords
Miss Polly Had A Dolly
Miss Polly Had A Dolly is yet another nursery rhyme with fun lyrics and basic structure. The song is loved by kids, thanks to its repetitive lines and rhymes.
You can play the tune with a basic strum pattern and G, D, C chord progression. It is a great song to play or teach to kids.
Miss Polly Had A Dolly Guitar Chords
Pokemon Theme
One of the favorite cartoons of all the kids from the ’90s to today is indeed Pokemon. The iconic theme song is known and loved by every child. You can play the easier version of the tune with open chords and a relatively easy strum pattern.
You will need 6 basic chords to play the tune. Do not forget to sing the iconic chorus enthusiastically because all of the kids around will.
If you are liking this list but looking for some famous pop tunes to play, this list might just be for you Top 50 Famous&Easy Pop Songs For Guitar – Tabs Included
Frere Jacques
The French version of the nursery rhyme Brother John, Frere Jacques is another classic song for kids. The song is about a monk who overslept and could not fulfill his duty of ringing the bells.
The rhyme is sung roundly with 4 easy chords and a simple strum pattern.
Jack And Jill
Jack And Jill is yet another well-known nursery rhyme, perfect for kids to learn and play. The song features only two chords, G and C. You can deploy a basic strum pattern of steady downstrokes on every beat to play it.
Down By The Way
Down By The Way is another traditional children’s song that remained from older generations. It is famous for its great rhymes, which you can also create your own versions of.
This tune features some challenging chords for the kids, such as G7 and F chords. So this one is for playing to them instead of teaching.
Beauty And The Beast – Celine Dion
One of the favorite Disney animation movies of children is the classic Beauty And The Beast. That is one of the reasons the soundtrack by Celine Dion is loved and sung by many children. The slow-tempo song is fantastic to play to a group of children to sing along with.
As the song features many chords and an arpeggio pattern, it can be hard for children to play. But it is perfect for adult beginner guitarists to play for kids.
Beauty And The Beast Guitar Tabs
Hush Little Baby – Mother Goose
The most famous lullaby of all time is definitely Hush Little Baby by Mother Goose. It is known by every child, parent, brother, sister, literally by everybody.
The lullaby features only 2 chords along with a long yet basic pattern. Do not worry about the pattern, as it will come intuitively when you play it. If not, you can always try a more straightforward pattern.
Hush Little Baby Guitar Chords
Hokey Pokey
Hokey Pokey is one of those child songs that kids love to dance to. As the lyrics describe the entertaining dance, all you have to do is to play it and watch children go crazy with the song.
You can play it with only two chords and a quick-paced yet basic strum pattern.
I See The Light – Mandy Moore & Zachary Levi
Another great Disney movie soundtrack is I See The Light by Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi, made for the movie Tangled. The movie is about the classic story of Rapunzel with her long, long hair. Kids love the story, the movie, and this fantastic song.
The tune is played with arpeggiated chords with some of the essential chords.
Hey Diddle Diddle
Hey Diddle Diddle is a traditional nursery rhyme with essential lyrics that rhyme fantastically. Although the lyrics do not really mean or tell anything, it is a great tune to sing.
You will need G7, D, and C chords along with a basic strum pattern to play it.
Hey Diddle Diddle Guitar Chords
Polly Put The Kettle On
The next kid’s song is another nursery rhyme called Polly Put The Kettle On. The song has repetitive lines that are fun to sing with kids.
You can play the tune with 5 easy open chords and a down, down, up strum pattern.
Polly Put The Kettle On Guitar Chords
Three Blind Mice
Three Blind Mice is a short children’s song with great rhymes and repetitive lines, making it great to sing. You can play the tune with steady downstrokes along with G and C chords.
Three Blind Mice Guitar Chords
The Lion Sleeps Tonight – The Tokens
The classic movie Lion King’s amazing soundtrack, following The Lion Sleeps Tonight, is not only a children’s favorite but also is loved by many adults. The song has a massive place in popular culture and is great to play and sing along with, especially the iconic chorus.
You can play the tune with G, C, and D chords along with a traditional strum pattern.
The Lion Sleeps Tonight Guitar Chords
She’ll Be Coming Round The Mountain
She’ll Be Coming Round The Mountain is yet another popular nursery rhyme loved by kids. You can play or teach this one to your kids as it features 3 easy open chords along with a basic strum pattern.
She’ll Be Coming Round The Mountain Guitar Chords
London Bridge Is Falling Down
London Bridge Is Falling Down is one of the most popular kids songs with many versions in different languages. It is the ideal tune to play to any kid as they are all familiar with it. You only need 2 chords to play the song, G and C, and you can use a basic strum pattern with down strums.
London Bridge Is Falling Down Guitar Chords
Shoo Fly Don’t Bother Me
Shoo Fly Don’t Bother Me is a nursery rhyme with funny lyrics and repetitive lines, making it a great song to sing with a group of kids. You can play the tune with only 2 chords, G and D. It is a great song to teach little guitar players as it is very easy.
Shoo Fly Don’t Bother Me Guitar Chords
A Tisket A Tasket
A Tisket A Tasket is a great nursery rhyme from earlier generations. It is a fun-to-sing song with D and C chords and a basic strum pattern: It is the ideal sing to play or teach to kids.
I’m A Little Teapot
The next song is a cute nursery rhyme called I’m A Little Teapot. The rhyme tells about a teapot and how it is used in a lovely way. You can play this tune with 4 chords using only 3 fingers. As in most nursery rhymes, you can adjust the strum pattern and tempo as you like.
I’m A Little Teapot Guitar Chords
This Land Is Your Land – Woody Guthrie
Woody Guthrie’s famous folk tune This Land Is Your Land is loved by kids thanks to its rhymes and basic structure. It has been sung by parents to kids for many generations. With 4 chords, you can play the tune easily. You will only need to use 3 fingers to play the chords along with a basic strum pattern.
This Land Is Your Land Guitar Chords
This Old Man
With its funny words and entertaining rhymes, This Old Man is a fun song to play to kids. The tune is highly repetitive, with ten verses. As it is a long tune with 5 chords, including an F barre chord, this one is better to play and sing along with kids instead of teaching it to them.
O Christmas Tree
As Christmas is loved by kids, the Christmas carols are some of their favorites. O Christmas Tree is yet another carol with 5 easy chords and a slow straightforward strum pattern. It is the ideal Christmas song to teach, play, and sing along with children.
O Christmas Tree Guitar Chords
Do Your Ears Hang Low
The next nursery rhyme on the list is Do Your Ears Hang Low with its funny lyrics about ear shapes. It is an utterly entertaining and easy tune to learn and play for kids as it features 2 of the easiest chords, D and G, along with steady downstrokes as the strumming pattern.
Do Your Ears Hang Low Guitar Chords
Kiss The Girl – Ashley Tisdale
Disney’s The Little Mermaid won the hearts of many kids with its beautiful story and great animations. The soundtrack, Kiss The Girl, is also loved by kids who were performed by Ashley Tisdale.
The song features a very common chord progression with C, F, G, and Am chords. You can use a slow-paced strum pattern with down strums on every beat.
Lets Go Fly A Kite
Another soundtrack, Let’s Go Fly A Kite, from a great old school kids movie, Mary Poppins, is an amazing song to teach and play with kids. It features many easy-shaped chords and a slow-paced strum pattern. You only have to use 3 fingers to play the tune, which is another great plus for little hands.
Lets Go Fly A Kite Guitar Chords
How Much Is That Doggie In The Window
How Much Is That Doggie In The Window is a classic kids song that you can play with 2 chords; C and G. You can teach it to your children and play it together as it is one of the easiest tunes on this list.
How Much Is That Doggie In The Window Guitar Chords
Jane And The Dragon
Jane And The Dragon is a cartoon series with a great soundtrack loved by children. The song is played with 3 chords C, G, and F, with a moderate-paced traditional strum pattern. The lyrics tell a cute story which makes the song ideal as a bedtime song.
Jane And The Dragon Guitar Chords
It’s A Small World Theme
It’s A Small World is the theme song of the Fantasyland in Disneyland parks around the world. It is one of the most loved parts of the park by little children, so is its soundtrack. The song features 5 chords with a C7 chord, which can be challenging for kids to play. That means that this one is better suited to play to them instead of teaching.
It’s A Small World Theme Guitar Chords
A Sailor Went To The Sea
A Sailor Went To The Sea is a small and repetitive nursery rhyme that is quite easy to play for any level guitar player. The chords you will need are G, C, D, and D7 along with a basic strum pattern. You can add additional verses by replacing the word sea in the first line with anything that a kid can point to like leg, arm, head, etc. Even it seems like nonsense, children have utmost fun with it.
A Sailor Went To The Sea Guitar Chords
Conclusion
Kids songs are great tunes to start playing guitar and some great melodies, especially for kids. Either you teach them these fantastic songs to get them familiar with the instrument, or you simply play them their favorite nursery rhymes, cartoon, or movie soundtracks; they will have utmost fun.
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