Where is Thumbkin? Finger Plays Made Easy Teaching Made Easy Finger Plays are valuable activities that help children acquire skills that are essential to their development and learning. They help improve and advance memory and language skills, while also aiding in the development of eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills. Children learn basic concepts and to follow directions. Finger plays are perfect when there is limited space for movement, with children seated or when a quietening activity is in order. Enjoy this collection of old favourites and new Finger Plays with your children. Find Me At: www.teachingmadeeasy.com.au Where is Thumb Kin? Where is Thumb Kin? Here I am! Here I am! How are you today sir? Very well I thank you Run away, run away Where is Pointer? Where is Pointer? Here I am! Here I am! How are you today sir? Very well I thank you Run away, run away Where is Tall Man? Where is Tall Man? Here I am! Here I am! How are you today sir? Very well I thank you Run away, run away Where is Ring Man? Where is Ring Man? Here I am! Here I am! How are you today sir? Very well I thank you Run away, run away Where is Pinky? Where is Pinky? Here I am, here I am How are you today sir? Very well I thank you Run away, run away Teaching Made Easy
The Insy Winsy Spider Open, Shut Them The Insy Winsy spider Climbed up the water spout Down came the rain and Washed poor Insy out Out came the sun and Dried up all the rain and Insy Winsy spider climbed up the spout again (Deep Voice) The great big spider Climbed up the water spout Down came the rain and Washed poor spider out Out came the sun and Dried up all the rain and The great big spider climbed up the spout again Open, shut them Open, shut them Give a little clap Open, shut them Open, shut them Lay them in your lap Creep them, creep them Creep them, creep them Right up to your chin Open wiiiiiidddde your little mouth But do not let them in.
Five Little Sparrows My Hands Five little sparrows high in a tree (hold one hand up) The first one said, "Whom do I see?" (point to thumb) The second one said, "I see the street." (pointer finger) The third one said, "And seeds to eat." (middle finger) The fourth one said, "The seeds are wheat." (ring finger) The fifth one said, "Tweet, tweet, tweet." (little finger) My hands upon my head I'll place Upon my shoulders, on my face, At my waist, and by my side, And then behind me they will hide. Then I'll raise them way up high, And let my fingers fly, fly, fly. Then clap, clap, clap, and one, two, three. Just see how quiet they can be.
FIVE LITTLE SPECKLED FROGS Five little speckled frogs, Sitting on a hollow log Eating some most delicious bugs, Yum, Yum. One jumped into the pool, Where it was nice and cool, Then there were four green speckled frogs (Count down with fingers) Repeat: Four, three, two, one. FIVE LITTLE DUCKS Five little ducks went out to play Over the hills and far away. Mother duck said "Quack, quack, quack." But only four little ducks came back. Repeat: Four little ducks, three little ducks, etc. When you get to 0 ducks, end with But when the Daddy duck said "QUACK, QUACK, QUACK." Five little ducks came waddling back!
FIVE LITTLE ANTS TEN LITTLE FINGERS Five little ants in an ant hill (close fist, palm down) Busily working and never still (wiggle knuckles) Do you think they are alive? See them come out... One, two, three, four, five (bring fingers out one at a time) These five little ants near an ant hill (wiggle fingers of one hand toward closed fist of other hand) Run as hard and run with a will, To gather food to keep alive. Now they go in... One, two, three, four, five (close fingers into fist) I have ten little fingers and ten little toes. (children point to portions of body as they repeat words) Two little arms and one little nose. One little mouth and two little ears. Two little eyes for smiles and tears. One little head and two little feet. One little chin, that's ME complete.
My Garden This is my garden; (extend one hand forward, palm up) I'll rake it with care, (make raking motion on palm with three fingers of other hand) And then some flower seeds (planting motion) I will plant there The sun will shine (make circle with hands) And the rain will fall, (let fingers flutter down to lap) And my garden will blossom (cup hands together; extend upward slowly) And grow straight and tall. Raindrops Raindrops, raindrops! Falling all around (move fingers to imitate falling rain) Pitter-patter on the rooftops, (tap softly on desk or floor) Pitter-patter on the ground. Here is my umbrella; It will keep me dry (hands over head) When I go walking in the rain, I hold it up so high. (raise hands in the air) Pitter-patter, raindrops! Falling from the sky; (wiggle fingers to imitate falling rain) Here is my umbrella To keep me safe and dry! (hands over head) When the rain is over, And the sun begins to glow, (make a large circle with arms) Little flowers start to bud, (cup two hands together) And grow, and grow, and grow!
Grandma s Glasses Here are Grandma's glasses, (Make little circles with fingers over eyes to resemble glasses.) Here is Grandma's hat, (Circle head and pretend to be tying ribbon underneath chin.) This is the way she folds Her hands and puts them in her lap. (Fold hands sweetly on lap.) Here are Grandpa's glasses (Make circles bigger than grandma's.) Here is Grandpa's hat (Make a big hat overhead with hands and arms.) This is the way he folds His arms and sits like that (Fold arms across chest, lean back in chair and cross one knee over other.) Right Hand, Left Hand This is my right hand, I'll raise it up high. (Raise right hand.) This is my left hand, I'll touch the sky. (Raise left hand.) Right hand, (Show right palm.) Left hand, (Show left palm.) Roll them around. (Roll hands around.) Left hand, (Show left palm.) Right hand, (Show right palm.) Pound, pound, pound. (Pound fists together.)
Baby Bears Dogs in the Dirt Five baby bears in the bed, (Hold up five fingers.) One rolled over and hit his head. (Hands on head.) Four baby bears in the bed, (Hold up four fingers.) One left to go and eat some bread. (Pretend to eat.) Three baby bears in the bed, (Three fingers.) I ve got to go, one baby bear said. (Put hands on face.) Two baby bears in the bed, (Hold up two fingers.) I want my pyjamas that are red! (Put hands on hips.) One baby bear in the bed, (Hold up one finger.) He s so comfortable with the whole bedspread. (Put both hands on side of face and pretend to go to sleep.) Ten little doggies went out one day (10 fingers up) To dig in the dirt and play, play, play. (Pretend to dig.) Five were spotted, and five were not, (Show one hand at a time.) and at dinner time they ate a lot! (Pretend to eat.)
Dancing Fingers Thumbs are up; Thumbs are down; Thumbs are dancing All around the town. Pointers up; Pointers down; Pointers dancing All around the town. (additional verses) Tall fingers up, etc. Ring fingers up, etc. Little fingers up, etc. All fingers up, etc. Ten Little Fingers I have ten little fingers (all fingers out, wiggling) And they all belong to me (make all fingers touch chest) I can do all kinds of things with them (arms extend forward and outward, palms open) Would you like to see? (bring fingers to eyes in shape of glasses) I can shut them up tight (hands in fist) I can open them up wide (hands splayed) I can put them all together (hands in prayer) And I can make them all hide (hands behind back) I can raise them up high, (hands over head) I can put them down low (hands to floor) And I can fold them together (fingers intertwined) Just like so. (lower to lap)
The Apple Tree Five Fat Peas Way up high in the apple tree, (point up high) Two little apples smiling at me; (make two circles with hands) I shook that tree as hard as I could; (wrap hands around "trunk" and shake) Down came the apples and (two circle hands come down) Mmmm, they were good! (rub tummy) Five fat peas in a pea pod pressed (children hold hand in a fist) One grew, two grew, so did all the rest. (put thumb and fingers up one by one) They grew and grew (raise hand in the air very slowly) And did not stop, Until one day The pod went POP! (children clap hands together)
Up and Down Up and down, round and round (draw circles in the air), put your fingers on the ground. Over (hold hands above lap) under, (below legs) in between (hide your hands in between your legs) Now my fingers can't be seen! Hands in front, hands behind, now my hands I cannot find. Here's my left hand, here's my right, Hands and fingers back in sight (wriggle fingers). More great resources from Teaching Made Easy Reading Task Cards JP and MP Maths Task Cards (K-3) Literacy Charts and Posters Thinking Skills Packs Writing Challenges Handwriting Resources Word Games Board Games Lotto and Bingo Games Alphabet and Number Resources You ll find all this and more at the new website www.teachingmadeeasy.com.au