Finger and
hand play O-S
Old Tom Tomato
Once a little apple seed
Once I saw a little bird
Once I saw a bunny
One little finger
Open,
shut them
Put your finger on your head
Right hand, left hand
Roly-poly
caterpillar
Run little
crab on the sandy shore
See, see, see, three birds are
in a tree
Something in my pocket
Sometimes my hands are by my
side
Stars are twinkling in the sky
Sunflower, sunflower
Last updated: 7/9/2019
4:24 PM
These
songs are nursery rhymes and other traditional songs compiled,
illustrated
and 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:
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you must give the original author credit
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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
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any of these can be waived if you get permission from the copyright
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Your
fair use and other rights are no way affected by the above.
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Old Tom Tomato O
For a gardening or fruit focus. 1-3. make fist into a ball. 4. Open mouth and put fingers in. 5--7.
Stroke throat. 8. hold out hand. |
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Old Tom Tomato, like a red ball, Basked in the sunshine by the garden wall. Along came … with his mouth open wide And old Tom Tomato popped inside. Down, down, down, down the red lane - We won’t see old Tom Tomato again. But … just chuckled and said ‘Ha ha! I like red tomatoes, please give me some more.’ |
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Once a little apple seed 🔊
Demonstrate the wonder of new life
burgeoning from the tiny to the large. Talk about how other things grow from
tiny beginnings. This song can also be sung to ‘Incy
wincy spider’. Music arranged by Dany Rosevear. ‘Plant’ seed in the palm. Fingers moving downwards indicate rain
falling. Draw a big circle to make the sun, wiggle fingers to make rays. Tap
palm then place hands together and move them upwards and out to ‘grow’ the
apple tree. |
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Once a little apple seed, was planted in the ground, Down came the raindrops, falling all around. Out came the big sun, as bright as bright could be, And that little apple seed grew up, to be an apple tree! |
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Once I saw a little bird O
A Mother Goose nursery rhyme and
hand play game. 1. Make thumb and forefinger open and close. 2. Forefinger hops on
palm of hand. 3. Hold up palm of hand. 4. Make window shape then wave hand.
5. Wag first two fingers up and down. 6. Cross wrists and flap hands. |
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Once I saw a little bird Come hop, hop, hop; So I said, "Little bird, Won’t you stop, stop, stop?" I was going to the window To say, "How do you do?” But he shook his little tail, And away he flew. |
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Once
I saw a bunny 🔊
Play this as a game with a baby’s fist or by demonstrating the hand
play to young children to copy. 1. Make bunny ears with index
and middle finger. 2. Make baby’s fist, or fist or other hand, to be the
cabbage. 3. Nibble fingers on baby’s or the other hand. 4. Make finger bunny
ears as before. 5. Tap head, tap wrist. Bounce baby on knees or make hand hop
away. |
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And a green, green cabbage head. “I think I’ll have some cabbage,” The little bunny said. So he nibbled and he nibbled, And he pricked his ears to say, “Now I think it’s time that I should be hopping on
my way!” |
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This is the version I sang in the 1980s. The most recent ones have a
different tune and words. Make the movements suggested by the
words.
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You can find many versions of this
on the internet but this one works for me. The words tell you what to do! |
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Open, shut them, open, shut them, Give a little clap, clap clap! Open, shut them, open, shut them, Lay them in your lap, lap, lap. Creep them, crawl them, creep them, crawl them, Right up to your chin, chin chin. Open up your little mouth, But do not let them in, in, in! Open, shut them, open, shut them, To your shoulders fly, fly, fly! Now like all the little birdies, Fly up in the sky, sky, sky. Roll them, roll them, roll them, roll them, Roll them just like this, this, this. Wave them, wave them, wave them, wave them, Blow a little kiss, kiss, kiss. |
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This song was written for children by Woody Guthrie; inevitably
through the folk process in the classroom words have changed slightly. Make the movements suggested by the
words.
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Right hand, left hand 🔊
Learn to identify left and right
hands. Music by Dany Rosevear. 1. Raise left hand. 2. Show right palm and then
left. 3. Roll hands around. 4. Show left palm and then right. 5. Pound fists
together. |
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This is my right hand, I'll raise it up high. This is my left hand, I'll touch the sky. Right hand, left hand, Roll them around, Left hand, right hand, Pound, pound, pound! |
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Roly-poly caterpillar
This can also be played with a baby
creeping fingers down arms. |
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Roly-poly caterpillar into a corner crept, (creep finger down arm to the palm) Spun himself a blanket (roll arms) And for a long time slept. (lay hands to cheek) Roly poly caterpillar woke up by and by; (open fists and stretch arms) Found himself with pretty wings, Changed to a butterfly! (hook thumbs and flutter fingers) |
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Run little crab on the sandy beach 🔊
A hand play for holiday time. From ‘Songs
from the nursery school’ published 1937, written by Roberta Whitehead to a
French folk tune. Second two verses by Dany Rosevear. Verse 1. Cross left hand over the other, wiggle finger of right hand.
Flap hands then as before. 2. Place one hand on top of the other with thumbs
out. Make hand ‘swim’. Make shark jaws with forearms and finger teeth. Open
and close ‘mouth’. 3. Cross hands at wrist and flap upwards. Open and close
hands. Fly as before. |
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Run, little crab, on the sandy beach, Scuttle and scurry and hide out of reach, The children are coming with pattering feet, Run for they think you are good to eat! Swim, little fish, in the deep blue sea, Hurry and scurry and swim wild and free, A great shark is coming with sharp, sharp teeth, Swim for it thinks you are good to eat! Fly, little bird, where you can’t be reached, Up in the sky and away from the beach, Crocodile’s coming with scampering feet, Fly for it thinks you are good to eat! |
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See, see, see, three birds are in a
tree 🔊
A Dutch nursery classic. I have
been unable to find the original Dutch version of this song – let me know if
you have this information. Make up your own rhyming
verses; I made up the third verse. 1. Shade eyes with hands. 2. Hold up three fingers.
3. Point to thumb, index finger and middle finger, then rock baby bird in
arms. 4. As before. Verse 2. And 3. Turn hand upside down for third |
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See, see, see, Three birds are in a tree; One can chirp And one can sing One is just a tiny thing. See, See, See Three birds are in a tree Look, look, look, Three ducks are in a brook; One is white, and one is brown, One is swimming upside down, Look, look, look Three ducks are in a brook. Hey, hey, hey, Three monkeys out at play, One can bounce and one can swing One can do most anything. Hey, hey, hey, Three monkeys out at play. |
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Something in my pocket 🔊
Ready to put on your smile
– what a difference it makes! 1. Point to pocket on chest. 2. Tap cheeks. 3. Place
hands on pocket. 4. Nod. 5. Shake finger. 6. Take out smile and put it on
face. |
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I’ve got something in my pocket That belongs across my face, I keep it very close at hand, In a most convenient place. I know you couldn’t guess it If you guessed a long, long while. So I’ll take it out and put it on, It’s a great big friendly SMILE! |
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Sometimes my hands are at my side 🔊
A calming down song. Change
the last line to describe next quiet activity. Tune by Dany Rosevear. Make actions to suit the explicit words. |
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Sometimes my hands are at my side; Then behind my back they hide. Sometimes I wiggle my fingers so, Shake them fast, Shake them slow. Sometimes my hands go “Clap, clap, clap!” Then I rest them in my lap. Now they’re quiet as quiet can be, For now it’s storytime, you see. |
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Stars are twinkling in the sky 🔊
Words and melody by Alice
Olsen. Verse 1. Make fingers ‘twinkle’. Move hands up as
the music gats higher and ‘over’ as they shine down. Verse 2. As before. Put
hands to cheek and close eyes. Make hands twinkle. Cover eyes then peep. |
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Stars are twinkling in the sky, Way up high, way up high. Stars are twinkling in the in sky, Shining down on me. We can see them twinkling bright, Through the night, through the night. We can see them twinkling bright, In the dark night sky. |
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Sunflower,
sunflower 🔊
Words
by Sanford Jones who also wrote a melody I was unable to find; the tune below
is by Dany Rosevear. 1. Stand tall with hands to face, fingers
outstretched, draw a circle. 2. Point then put circled thumb and forefinger
to eyes. 3. Stand tall and sweep hands fown and out like leaves. 4. Hand to
heart then put hands to face and wiggle fingers. |
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Sunflower, sunflower, yellow and round. You are the prettiest flower I've found. Tall, straight, full of grace. I love the light in your bright yellow face. |
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