Child Fingerplays

Here are some easy child fingerplays that parents or teachers can use, both as a fun activity as well as a teaching tool.

The following fingerplays teaches your child how to count :

Balls

A little ball, a larger ball,
A great big ball I see;
Now let us count the balls we've made,
One, two, three.

The Bee Hive

Here is the bee hive,
Where are the bees?
Hidden away where nobody sees. (thumb and fingers bent into palm of hand-a fist)
Watch and you'll see them
Come out of the hive-
One, two, three, four, five. (One finger out on each count)
"Buzz-z-z-z-z-z." (flutter fingers)

Your child will pick up new vocabulary with the following child fingerplays:

Little Turtle

by Vachel Lindsay

There was a little turtle (Make fist like turtle)
He lived in a box (Draw a box in the air)
He swam in a puddle (Pretend to swim)
He climbed on the rocks (Walk finger's across child's hair)

He snapped at a mosquito (Make snapping motion)
He snapped at a flea (Make snapping motion)
He snapped at a minnow (Make snapping motion)
And he snapped at me (Snap at yourself)

He caught the mosquito (Tickle child)
He caught the flea (Tickle child again)
He caught the minnow (Tickle child yet again)
But he didn't catch me !!!!

Caterpillar

There was a little caterpillar crawling all about.
He worked and he worked without a doubt.
(Index finger wiggling)

Wrapping himself in a snug cocoon.
Waiting and waiting, will it be soon?
(Cover index finger with other hand.)

Look, he’s coming out, my oh my!
For now he’s become a beautiful butterfly.
(Cross thumbs and let fingers be fingers be butterfly wings.)

A Teeny, Weeny, Spider

A teeny, weeny spider climbed up the water spout.
(place left thumb on right forefinger, repeat with climbing motion)
Down came the raindrops
(starting above head, drop both hands wiggling fingers)
And washed the spider out.
(turning palms toward each other, cross back and forth, one hand above the other)
Out came the sunshine and dried up all the rain,
(sweep hands outward and hold palms up, fingers extended)
And the teeny, weeny spider climbed up the spout again
(repeat climbing motion)

The following child fingerplays for children emphasizes on movement:

Baby Bunny

Baby bunny bounces high; (Jump high.)
Baby bunny bounces low; (jump low.)
Baby bunny blinks his eyes; (Blink eyes.)
Baby Bunny waves good-bye. (Wave good-bye.)

Up, Up, Up

Here we go up, up, up! (reach up)
Here we go forward and backward, forward and backward, (swing arms)
And here we go 'round and 'round and 'round. (rotate arms, one around the other)

You can find more child fingerplays here.