Finger and hand play C-E

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

Last updated: 9/26/2022 2:40 PM

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:

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

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· 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,

Thumbkin cannot dance alone,

So dance, you merry men, every one,

Dance, Thumbkin, 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!

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