Finger and hand play C-F

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

Growing tall

Last updated: 9/26/2022 10:26 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.

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!”

Growing tall 🔊

A song of change for early Autumn.

Only a few sunflowers remain in the garden after this summer’s drought but they certainly look very merry and tall.

The grandchildren arrive today, it always amazes me that only after a few weeks how much they have grown.

Written by Barbara Backer. Music by Dany Rosevear.

1. Place palms together and move them upwards to blossom and open.

2. As before, stretch as high as you can.

The yellow sunflower grows oh so high.

It nearly seems to touch the sky.

Mother says I'm growing, too.

Sunflower, will I be as tall as you?

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