Nursery rhyme lyrics
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Lyrics
The words to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, with simple actions to do together and a little history for curious grown-ups.
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star full lyrics
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Traditional, public domain. Many families sing slightly different versions.
Watch our Twinkle Twinkle Little Star video
Actions to do together
- Open and close your hands like twinkling stars.
- Point up high on "up above the world so high".
- Make a diamond shape with your thumbs and fingers on "like a diamond in the sky".
What your child learns
- Rhyming pairs (star / are, high / sky)
- A slow, steady rhythm that is ideal for winding down
- Early science talk: why do stars twinkle? Where does the sun go at night?
Where does Twinkle Twinkle Little Star come from?
The words come from "The Star", a poem by the English writer Jane Taylor, first published in 1806 in Rhymes for the Nursery. It is sung to an 18th-century French melody, the same tune used for the ABC song and Baa Baa Black Sheep.
Questions parents ask
Who wrote Twinkle Twinkle Little Star?
The words were written by Jane Taylor and published in 1806. The tune is a French melody from the 1700s.
Is Twinkle Twinkle the same tune as the ABC song?
Yes. The ABC song, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Baa Baa Black Sheep all share the same melody.
