Finger and hand play C-F

Chicken in the barnyard

Cicak, cicak / Lizard on the wall

Clapping mouse

Come-a-look-a-see

Dance, Thumbkin, dance

Dance your fingers up

Dear little moon

Dig a little hole.

Down in the grass, curled up in a heap

Easter Bunny

Eat an apple, save the core

Fee, fi, fo, fum, see my fingers

Fingers like to wiggle waggle

Fingers, thumbs and toes

Fishes swim in water clear

Five little birds

Five little mice on the pantry floor

Fox, hedgehog, fly, flea / Odd one out

Funny fish

Fuzzy little caterpillar

Go to sleep little thumb

Good morning butterfly

Grandma growls

Last updated: 7/18/2022 9:56 AM

These songs are nursery rhymes and other traditional songs compiled,

illustrated and with music arranged by Dany Rosevear.

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To listen to music from these songs click on 🔊

To watch the author sing a song click on the title at:

© Dany Rosevear 2013 All rights reserved

You are free to copy, distribute, display and perform these works under the following conditions:

· you must give the original author credit

· you may not use this work for commercial purposes

· for any re-use or distribution, you must make clear to others the licence terms of this work

· any of these can be waived if you get permission from the copyright holder

Your fair use and other rights are no way affected by the above.

Chicken in the barnyard 🔊

A hand play for Thanksgiving or any other time.

Line 1&2. Peck quickly on child’s palm. 3. Creep fingers up child’s arm. 4. Tickle child’s neck.

Chicken in the barnyard,

Staying out of trouble.

Along came a turkey,

And…“Gobble, gobble, gobble!”

Cicak, cicak / Lizard on the wall 🔊

This popular Indonesian children's song can be used as a hand play.

I was delighted to come across this song as it revived a memory from the past; As a young child in Malaya I watched house lizards scamper on the wall, I think we called them ‘Chit chats’ – must ask my brother who has a far better memory. They were much appreciate as they went after other pesky inhabitants of the house such as mosquitoes and ants that would often bothered us.

1.&2. Creep fingers up child’s arm. 3. Tip of thumb and finger buzzes near ear.

4. Forefinger tongue uncurls and pops ‘mosquito’ in palm of hand. 5. Hand ‘mouth’ opens and closes.

Cicak cicak di dinding

Diam diam merayap

Datang seekor nyamuk

HAP!

Lalu ditangkap (3x)

Lizard, lizard on the wall,

Watch it quietly creep and crawl,

Mosquito buzzes;

Lizard jumps!

SNAP!

Mosquito for lunch! (3x)

The clapping mouse 🔊

Keep the beat.

Clap in rhythm.

Behind the tree, (clap, clap)

And under the house, (clap, clap)

There lived a teeny, (clap, clap)

Tiny mouse. (clap, clap)

She loved to sing, (clap, clap)

She loved to tap, (clap, clap)

But most of all, (clap, clap)

She loved to clap. (clap, clap)

She clapped all night, (clap, clap)

She clapped all day, (clap, clap)

She clapped to frighten, (clap, clap)

The cat away! (clap, clap, clap, clap)

Come-a-look-a-see 🔊

A fingerplay with a calypso rhythm from the Caribbean. Use your own children’s names.

1. Wiggle thumb. 2. Wiggle first finger 3. Wiggle middle finger. 4. Wiggle ring finger and little finger. 5. Mwah! Kiss all fingers together, with a loud smack then wiggle all fingers.

Come-a-look-a-see,

Here’s my mama,

Come-a-look-a-see,

Here’s my papa,

Come-a-look-a-see,

My brother tall,

Sister, baby, Mwah!

We love them all!

Come-a-look-a-see,

Here’s my mamma,

Come-a-look-a-see,

Here’s my papa,

Come-a-look-a-see,

Here’s Ethan tall,

Isaac, Emilia, Mwah!

We love them all!

Dance, Thumbkin, dance O

Make fingers dance individually and together.

It is more fun for a young child if individual fingers are marked with faces or draw faces on sticky circles.

1. Wiggle thumb 2. Make all fingers dance.

Do the same for subsequent fingers.

Dance, Thumbkin, dance,

Dance, Thumbkin, dance,

Thumbkin cannot dance alone,

So dance, you merry men, every one,

Dance, Thumbkin, dance.

Dance, Pointer, dance,

Dance, Pointer, dance,

For Pointer cannot dance alone,

So dance, you merry men, every one,

Dance, Pointer, dance.

Dance, Tallman, dance…

Dance, Ringman, dance…

Dance, Baby, dance…

Dance your fingers up O

Get those fingers moving.

Simple tune and arrangement by Dany Rosevear.

Make fingers dance as the words suggest! Put hands to the cheek on the last line.

Dance your fingers up,

Dance your fingers down,

Dance your fingers to the side,

Dance them all around.

Dance them on your shoulders,

Dance them on your head,

Dance them on your tummy,

And put them all to bed.

Dear little moon 🔊

A night time hand play.

Inspired by Abbie Farewell Brown’s poem and the music of George L. Wright.

Adapation, arrangement and second verse by Dany Rosevear.

Verse 1. Make moon with thumb and forefinger. Lift above head. Wiggle fingers. Put hands to cheek. Verse 2. Open and close hands. Move upwards. Wiggle fingers. Both forefingers tiptoe, put finger to lips.

Dear little moon,

Way high overhead,

Shine gently down

On my small cosy bed,

On my soft warm bed.

Dear little stars,

Up, up in the sky,

We love how you twinkle,

As night tiptoes by,

As the night steals by.

Dig a little hole 🔊

A simple hand play to accompany gardening projects.

Music arranged by Dany Rosevear based on Incy Wincy Spider.

1. Make digging movements. 2. Drop seed into cupped hand.. 3. Pour water. 4. Pull and throw away. 5. Make chasing motion with hands. 6. Shade eyes and shoo with other hand. 7. Circle arms above head. 8. Hands grow upwards.

Dig a little hole.

Plant a little seed

Pour on a little water.

Pull a little weed.

Chase a little bug.

Heigh-ho, there he goes.

Give a little sunshine.

Watch it grow, grow, grow.

Down in the grass, curled up in a heap O

A hand rhyme for the summer when snakes are lazing in the sunshine.

Children’s BBC used the rhyme on 27^th July 1987 as ‘Down in the grass, curled up in a heap, Lies a great big dragon, fast asleep…’

Rest one arm on the table and put thumb and fingertips together to represent the snake’s head. Move arm as suggested by the words.

Down in the grass, curled up in a heap,

Lies a big snake, fast asleep.

When he hears the grass blow,

He moves his body to and fro.

Up and down and in and out,

See him slowly move about.

Now his jaws are open so,

Snap! He’s caught my finger! Oh

Easter Bunny 🔊

An Easter hand play by Lucille F. Wood and Lucille B. Scott from ‘Singing fun’ published 1962.

1. Close right hand into a fist, raise first two fingers, flop up and down. 2. For feet tip hand downwards and make fingers hop. 3. Tap nose and stroke arm. 4. Make a little circle with thumb and forefinger, blow through it.

Easter Bunny's ears are floppy;

Easter Bunny's feet are hoppy;

Nose is soft and fur is fluffy;

Tail is short and powder puffy.

Eat an apple, save the core 🔊

A planting hand play. Count the pips, how many trees would that grow?!

Music added by Dany Rosevear based on Twinkle twinkle little star who also added the extra lines.

1. Bright right hand to mouth, close right hand into a fist. 2. Plant seeds into hand. Extend arms up. 3. Wiggle fingers downward, Shape sun and wiggle fingers up. 4. Raise arms with fingers spread. 5. As before. 6. Raise ten fingers and again, throw out hands.

Eat an apple, save the core,

Plant the seeds, and grow some more.

Falling rain, shining sun,

There’s apple trees for everyone.

Eat an apple, save the core,

For ten apples, twenty and so many more!

Fee, fi, fo, fum, see my fingers

A little dexterity is needed for this game as the thumb touches each finger.

1. Touch each finger with the thumb 2. Hold up four fingers. 3. Hold up thumb. 4. Touch each finger with the thumb again. 5. Wave fingers and curl downwards. 6. Wiggle thumb and tuck into fingers.

Fee, fi, fo, fum,

See my fingers,

See my thumb.

Fee, fi, fo, fum,

Good-bye fingers,

And good-bye thumb.

Fingers like to wiggle waggle O

Learn to follow simple positional directions with this nursery favourite for the very young.

Wiggle fingers as suggested by the words.

Fingers like to wiggle, waggle,

Wiggle, waggle, wiggle, waggle,

Fingers like to wiggle, waggle,

Right in front of me.

Fingers like to wiggle, waggle,

Wiggle, waggle, wiggle, waggle,

Fingers like to wiggle, waggle,

High above my head.

Fingers like to wiggle, waggle,

Wiggle, waggle, wiggle, waggle,

Fingers like to wiggle, waggle,

Right down to the floor.

Fingers like to wiggle, waggle,

Wiggle, waggle, wiggle, waggle,

Fingers like to wiggle, waggle,

Right out to the sides.

Fingers like to wiggle, waggle,

Wiggle, waggle, wiggle, waggle,

Fingers like to wiggle, waggle,

Right in front of me.

Fingers, thumbs and toes 🔊

Identify different parts of the body.

This came from ‘New nursery jingles’ by Elizabeth Barnard 1939. Adapted and arranged by Dany Rosevear. The original version had ‘Have you got all those?’ which can still be sung but you might need to be sensitive to disabilities in your group of children.

Point to each part of the body as it is sung, last line wag finger. Repeat and then nod.

Fingers, thumbs and toes;

Eyes and ears and nose;

Lips and chin;

Hair and skin;

Can you find all those?

Fingers, thumbs and toes;

Eyes and ears and nose;

Lips and chin;

Hair and skin;

Yes, we can find all those?

Fishes swim in water clear 🔊

A simple hand play and slight adaptation of this traditional nursery rhyme.

Water clear? No longer I fear. While tidying his office my husband came across a 1995 map of river quality in the UK; most were good or better. Recent research for 2022 shows that none of our rivers are unpolluted by waste or sewage and usually both.

1. Put one hand on top of the other making ‘fish’ move forward with an undulating motion, thumbs out rotating. 2. Cross hands at wrist and flap up high. 3. Forefinger creeps up arm. 5. Roll forearms round each other.

Fishes swim in water clear,

Birds fly up into the air,

Wiggly worms creep on the ground,

Girls and boys run round and round.

Five little birds

A hand play for Spring.

Initial poem from ‘Materials for nursery school teachers’ Michigan Council of Cooperative Nurseries, Jackson, published in 1973.

The second two verses are by Dany Rosevear.

Verse 1. Raise fingers of left hand then right hand. Interlace fingers with palms up. Sway nests gently.

2. Raise two hands, wiggle fingers. Interlace fingers, palms down and fingers raised. Raise forefingers. Hands to heart. Make nest as before.

3. Raise fingers of left hand. Make nest as before. Make hedgehog as before. Open and close forefingers.

Five little birds without any home.

Five little trees in a row.

“Come build your nests in our branches tall.

We'll rock you to and fro.”

Under the trees is a bed of dry leaves,

Where old hedgehog shuffles and sighs;

Looks up, up above where surrounded by love

In each nest is a big surprise!

Five little eggs all cosy and warm

Deep in each nest they lie;

Hedgehog snuffles past, hears the shells crack at last;

“Cheep, cheep! Cheep, cheep!” the little chicks cry.

Five little mice on the pantry floor 🔊

A hand play by Emiile Poulsson. Music by Cornelia C. Roeske.

Arranged and adapted by Dany Rosevear.

1. Five fingers of left hand scurry on right. 2. Put right hand to brow. 3. Put fingers on raised right hand. 4. Open and close thumbs and forefingers. 5. Thumbs and forefingers make circles round eyes, stroke whiskers. 6. Right hand pounces, left hides behind back.7. Hands on hips.8. Cross hands to chest, show five fingers.

Five little mice on the pantry floor,

Seeking for bread-crumbs or something more;

Five little mice on the shelf up high,

Feasting so daintily on a pie.

But the big round eyes of the wise old cat

See what the five little mice are at.

Quickly she jumps! But the mice run away,

And hide in their snug little holes all day.

“Feasting in pantries may be very nice;

But home is the best!” say the five little mice.

Fox, hedgehog, fly, flea / Odd one out

Animal finger fun. Can you identify the odd one out in each verse? (Initial letter sound)

This game is based on the classic finger play ‘Whoops Tommy!’ http://singinggamesforchildren.com/A%20Cluster%202.2%20Awaywego/18%20games%20to%20play%20with%20baby%20S-Z%20w.htm and would be suitable for slightly older children.

Words by Dany Rosevear.

Hopefully it will encourage young children to make up their own finger play with creatures that live in their near environment as I have done with the first verse!

I have written two further verses from other parts of the world to show what is possible.

Gently squeeze each finger of the hand then slide down from the fore finger to the thumb and up then back again then return to the little finger.

Fox, hedgehog, fly, flea,

Fiddle-de-dee, fiddle-de-dee!

Fox, hedgehog, fly, flea.

(From North America)

Bear, bison, beaver, moose,

Fly bald eagle! Fly bald eagle!

Bear, bison, beaver, moose.

(From Australia)

Possum, koala, koockaburra, cockatoo,

Jump kangaroo! Jump kangaroo!

Possum, koala, koockaburra, cockatoo.

Funny fish 🔊

Not everything is as it seems. A hand play to develop auditory and listening sounds.

From: ‘Handbook for First Year Experimental Language Development’ Queensland Dept. of Education, Brisbane published May 1974.

Would be enhanced by using percussion.

Set to music and hand play etc. by Dany Rosevear.

1. Slap palms together. 2. Place one hand on top of the other with little fingers stretched out. 3. Make fists and stick out forefingers, dip and rise. 4. Stroke ‘whiskers’ with fingers, shake finger. 5. Open and close thumb and to bark. 6. Twinkle fingers, point down, cover eyes.

Flatfish are flat,

And flying fish fly,

And swordfish look like

Swords swimming by.

But catfish don't purr, Miaow!

And dogfish don't bark, Woof, woof!

And starfish don't twinkle

Down there in the dark.

Fuzzy little caterpillar O

Wonder at the metamorphism of the caterpillar to a butterfly.

Words by Emilie Poulsson from ‘Finger Plays for Nursery and Kindergarten’. Music by June Tillman from ‘Kokoleoko’

Verse 1: Move hand forwards with thumb outstretched. Hide thumb in fist. Hand to eyes. Throw hands out. Verse 2: Curl other hand round fist and squeeze. Roll forefingers round. Rotate thumb. Put hands to cheek. Verse 3: Move fist round. Poke thumb through fist. Hands back to back and flap. Cross hands and fly.

Fuzzy little caterpillar

Crawling, crawling on the ground!

Fuzzy little caterpillar,

Nowhere, nowhere to be found,

Though we've looked and looked and hunted

Everywhere around!

When the little caterpillar

Found his furry coat too tight,

Then a snug cocoon he made him

Spun of silk so soft and light;

Rolled himself away within it -

Slept there day and night.

See how this cocoon is stirring!

Now a little head we spy -

What! Is this our caterpillar?

Spreading gorgeous wings to dry?

Soon the free and happy creature

Flutters gaily by.

Go to sleep little thumb 🔊

Put your fingers gently to bed. You will need to do this for the very young.

From ‘Merry Songs & Games For The Kindergarten’ published 1881.

Adapted and arranged by Dany Rosevear

Start with fingers erect and lay each one down to the palm. Cover lower palm with the other hand. Put both hands to cheek then finger to lips. Shake finger, point to watch and then hands once again to cheek.

Go to sleep little thumb, that’s one;

Go to sleep pointing finger, two;

Go to sleep middle finger, three;

Go to sleep ring finger, four;

Go to sleep little finger, five;

I’ll rest them, I’ll rest them snugly in their bed,

Sound asleep, Let nothing be said,

Do not wake them early, time to sleep.

Good morning butterfly 🔊

The sun is out and the butterflies are in the garden flitting from flower to flower.

An action rhyme, lullaby and morning greeting song.

Throw up hands, fly with hands. Rock cupped hands. Rest head on hands.

Flap left then right crooked arm. Make sleeping action as before. Whisper SHHH!

Shout SLEEPING! Draw a sun, show falling dew with hands and wiggling fingers. Throw out hands at each ‘good morning’. Open and close thumbs and forefingers.

Way up in the sky

The butterflies fly.

While down in their nests

The butterflies rest.

With a wing to the left

And a wing to the right

The sweet little butterflies

Sleep all through the night.

SH-h-h-h they're sleeping.

The bright sun comes up.

The dew falls away.

Good morning, good morning

The butterflies say.

Good morning, good morning

The butterflies say.

Grandma growls 🔊

Children like to be scared, just a little, especially when they can join in and be part of the fun and when it is played in the context of a very familiar story.

A classic from A.W.I. Chitty’s’s ‘Finger Play songs for the nursery class’ originally published 1949.

1. Ring eyes with forefingers and thumbs. 2. Hands to head pointing outwards. 3.Place back of right wrist to nose and wag up and down. 4. Place hands in front of the mouth with palms facing, open and close. On ‘EAT’ pounce with mouth upon nearest person.

“Grandma, what big EYES you've got,

EYES you've got, EYES you've got,

Grandma, what big EYES you've got!”

“All the better to SEE you with!”

“Grandma, what big EARS you've got,

EARS you've got, EARS you've got,

Grandma, what big EARS you've got!”

“All the better to HEAR you with!”

“Grandma, what a big NOSE you've got,

NOSE you've got, NOSE you've got,

Grandma, what a big NOSE you've got!”

“All the better to SMELL you with!”

“Grandma, what a big MOUTH you've got,

MOUTH you've got, MOUTH you've got,

Grandma, what a big MOUTH you've got!”

“All the better to EAT you with!”

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