Encourage
children to make up their own hand movements if
they'd like to. You can show them one way and
then say, "How would you make a
butterfly?"
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WHAT FINGERPLAYS TEACH
Fingerplays help children to
develop their cognitive, small motor, memory, and
language skills.
Fingerplays also offer a way to
learn about poetry, which is an extremely
valuable and delightful experience for children.
The beauty of fingerplays is that they can either
soothe and calm children, or stimulate their
intellect and imagination.
ACTIVITIES &
FINGERPLAYS
From the book, Father Gander
Nursery Rhymes by Doug Larche"Jack
and Jill Finish the Job "Jack & Jill
went back up the hill to fetch the pail again.
They climbed with care, got safely there, and
finished the job they began.
*Have the children sit in a
circle. Fingers of both hands creep up into the
air and then the two hands meet momentarily in a
clasp. Then children take the hands of the
children on each side of them to show Jack and
Jill climbing with care together.
From :"Rhymes for
Learning Times" by Louise Binder
Scott
I am a robot, big and tall.
Stand me up against the wall.
Wind me, wind me with a key.
Now I'm ready, don't you see?
Walk, walk, stiff and slow.
That is how the robots go.
Walk, walk, in the town.
Oh, I hope I won't run down.
Slow, slow, I'll have to stop.
I've run down and so, ker--plop!
*For this fingerplay, children
make stiff arm and hand movements up and down
from their elbows, and turn their heads from side
to side. At the end of the rhyme, arms, hands,
and necks go slack.
from "Finger
Frolics" I am special.
I am special.
If you look, you will see.
Someone very special, someone very special.
Yes, it's ME! Yes, it's me.
*Children point to themselves and
then to their eyes. They hug themselves and then
point to themselves and then point to themselves
again.
Try substituting all of the "you's"
for "me's" and vice-versa.
Other fingerplay books:
Bugs Theme........BUG FINGERPLAYS
AT EARLY MORN
At early morn the spiders spin,
And by and by the flies drop in;
And when they call, the spiders say,
Why don't you stay all day!
Mother Goose
FIDDLE-DE-DEE
Fiddle-de-dee, fiddle-de-dee,
The fly shall marry the bumblebee.
They went to church, and married was she;
The fly has married the bumble bee.
Mother Goose
LITTLE MISS MUFFET
Little Miss Muffet,Sat on a
tuffet,
Eating of curds and whey;
There came a great spider That sat down beside
her,
And frightened Miss Muffet away.
Mother Goose
MY FRIENDLY CATERPILLAR
My friendly caterpillar(Fingers
crawl up arm.)
Made its cocoon one day.(close hands together)
It turned into a butterfly(Open hands with thumbs
hooked together)
And quickly flew away.(flap hands)
EENCY WEENCY SPIDER
An eency weency spider;(move
opposite thumbs and index fingers together.)
Climbed up the water spout.(climb fingers up)
Down came the rain and washed that spider
out.(hands sweep downward)
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain.(arms
form a circle for the sun)
And the eency weency spider climbed up the spout
again.(repeat climbing action)
Mother Goose
Chilly Snowman
From: Connie Riffle at Teddybear
Daycare in Ohio
Have the children pretend to be
snowmen and act out the following story of a
snowman enjoying the weather, until the sun comes
out.
I'm a chilly snowman. I'm so
happy today because it's cold and snowy.
I'm going to play all day. I like to skip and run
and roll around.
(Have children play as described in the story)
Oh,dear! It looks like the sun is going to shine
today and it'll be warm.
Oh, no! I'm beginning to feel warm!(the children
wipe their brows.)
Oh,dear! I'm getting smaller. I'm shrinking
smaller and smaller.
(children begin to stoop and squat)
Oh, no! there goes my bottom snowball.(Children
sit on the floor)
It's getting hotter and hotter. I'm getting
smaller!
(Children begin to lower their bodies to the
floor)
Now I'm just a ball of snow.(Children curl up on
the floor)
Now I've melted completely and only a puddle of
water is left!
(children stretch out on the floor)