ABC Song Lyrics, Hand Motions & an A-to-Z Train Ride

If your toddler or preschooler is just learning letters and the whole alphabet comes out as one long word, this ABC song is a gentle way in. It runs about a minute and a half, and it uses the North American "zee" for the last letter.

Only our version has a small fox who drives the alphabet train. He stops at every station, one letter climbs aboard, and by the last stop all 26 cars are full. Our new verse gives each letter a picture word, from A is for apple to Z is for zigzag.

Press play to watch here. The video loads from YouTube only when you press play.

Lyrics

Letter games

Letters stick better when hands are busy. One game does most of the work: write each letter in the air. Use a pointer finger and make the letter big, the way you would on a window.

• Each letter in the first part: Trace it in the air as you sing it. Wobbly strokes are fine. Your child is learning the shape, not the handwriting.
• A is for apple: Hold an imaginary apple, then take a pretend bite.
• K is for kite: Hold a string in one hand and let your other arm swoop through the sky.
• T is for train: Bend your elbows and circle your arms like wheels. Add a "choo-choo" if your child likes it.
• Z is for zigzag: Draw a big Z in the air, then wave goodbye to the train.

Babies and young toddlers can just watch. Many children start by joining in on the picture words, because those are objects they already know.

Play it today

• Before: Pick one letter, like the first in your child's name, and say, "Let's listen for it."
• During: Sing along and trace the letters in the air. Pause the video after a picture word and ask your child to say it again.
• After: Look around the room for something that starts with the same letter. A spoon, a sock, a book: anything counts.

Questions to ask your child

1. Can you point to the little fox who drives the train?
2. Point to a picture word you could eat. Which one is it?
3. Can you point to the letter your name starts with?

When LMNOP goes too fast

The middle of the alphabet is where most children rush. Try these:

• Slow down. Sing it once at half speed, with a breath at the end of each lyric line.
• One line at a time. Practice only H to P, clapping once per letter.
• Split the singing. Your child sings the first letter of each line, and you sing the rest.

Where the song comes from

The ABC song uses the same melody as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. It was first copyrighted in the US in 1835 by Boston music publisher Charles Bradlee. If your child already knows Twinkle Twinkle, you can start there and let them notice that the tune is the same.