Finger and hand play T1 (19)

Last updated: 3/19/2019 3:36 PM

The apple tree / Here is a tree with leaves so green

The bird’s nest

The earth needs the raindrops

The oak tree

The owl and the brownies

The rainbow

The snake charmer

The sun it rises

The waves on the sea

There was a hungry hunter

This little mountain

This little tiger is very wild

This pretty planet

Three little owlets

Tiny little bird

Tiptoeing in the dark

These songs are nursery rhymes and other traditional songs compiled,

illustrated and music arranged by Dany Rosevear.

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The apple tree / Here is a tree 🔊

A simple hand play for Autumn for the very young.

1. Put forearms together and spread hands. 2. Make hands into fists. 3. Move hands like the wind and fists tumble down with rolling arms. 4. Make a basket with hand, pick up apples and put them in the basket.

Here is a tree with leaves so green.

Here are the apples that hang in between.

When the wind blows the apples will fall,

And here is a basket to gather them all.

The bird’s nest 🔊

A Froebel hand play for Spring.

Music arranged by Dany Rosevear to a German nursery tune, ‘Little John’.

1. Palms up. 2. Open and close thumb and forefinger, cup palms. 3. Hold up two fingers

put in nest. 4. Hands to cheek. 5. Thumb up, hand to ear. 6. Two fingers poke through curled fist.

7. Hand to ear, open and close forefingers and thumbs. 8. Hands to heart, open and close

forefingers and thumbs.

Here upon the leaves at rest,

A little bird has built her nest.

Two tiny eggs within she’s laid,

And many days beside them stayed.

Now she’s happy; listen well!

Two baby birds break through the shell.

Don’t you hear them? “Peep! Peep! Peep!

We love you, mother, “Cheep! Cheep! Cheep!”

The earth needs the raindrops 🔊

A hand play to remind us we are all dependent on each other and the world around us.

Words by J. Kartsch and music by A. Wagner .

Verse 1. Draw a large circle with hands, make rain fall with fingers. Shade eyes. Hands open and close. Put hands to cheek. Verse 2. Arm and hand make a tree. Cup hand on thumb. Put crossed hands to heart.

The earth needs the raindrops,

The day needs a light,

And heaven needs little stars

When the day turns to night.

The tree needs a little branch

Where the bird builds her nest,

And we need a little heart

To love and to trust.

The oak tree 🔊

This song can be found in ‘Sing a song’ published in 1978. Written by David Dyer, I have accompanied it with a simpler tune and slightly adapted the words to accommodate the new music.

Verse 1. Show small with thumb and forefinger, point to another child and self. Repeat. Fingers fall downwards. Lift up arms, hold hand above head. 2. As before. Put finger through hand and grow into a tree. 3. Hold hand above head, point to another child and self. Repeat. With hands stretch move as on a windy day.

Smaller than you, smaller than me,

The tiny acorn falls from the oak tree,

Great big oak tree, so much bigger than me!

Smaller than you, smaller than me,

The tiny acorn grows into an oak tree,

Great big oak tree, so much bigger than me!

Bigger than you, bigger than me,

Now there’s a great big spreading oak tree,

Great big oak tree, so much bigger than me!

The owl and the brownies 🔊

How quiet can you be?

Written by Maude Burnham from ‘Rhymes for little hands’ published 1906. The music is by Lucille F. Wood and can be found in the classic ‘Singing Fun’ published in 1966.

Here it is adapted and arranged by Dany Rosevear.

Line 1. Place two fingers thumb of hand. 2. Put finger to lips. 3. Place thumb and forefingers round eyes. 4. Look around then shake finger. 5. Fingers run up arm. 6. Put finger to lips 7. Two forefingers make beak. 8. Fingers jump off arm, fly and hide behind back. 9. Place two fingers on the other arm. 10. Put finger to lips.

An owl sat alone on the branch of a tree,

He was as quiet as quiet could be;

‘Twas night and his eyes were open like this!

He looked all around; not a thing did he miss!

Some brownies crept up to the branch of the tree,

And sat there quietly as still as could be;

Said the wise owl, “Too-whoo, Too-whoo!”

Then up jumped the brownies and away they all flew!

An owl sat alone on the branch of a tree,

He was as quiet as quiet could be.

The rainbow 🔊

Appreciate the wonder of our world - how a rainbow is made. Sing cheerfully.

Another from the words of Emilie Poulsson, music by Eleanor Smith.

Line 1. Make a big round shape, wiggle fingers downward. 2. Put hand to mouth. 3. Point upwards. 4. Make rain as before and wiggle fingers up for the sunshine. 5. Hands move outwards. 6. Sweep hands overhead.

Sun shining, rain falling,

And everyone calling,

Oh! Look at the glorious sky!

For shower and shining,

In beauty combining,

A rainbow have painted on high.

The snake charmer 🔊

This familiar piece of musicis associated with belly dancing and has a number of titles including ‘The streets of Cairo’; you can also find children’s verses with inappropriate words! These words come from flute and piano tutors.

1. Hand and arm make a basket. 2. The other hand rests on arm through hole made. 3.Play pretend flute. 4. Snakes head rises, looks around, bends and sways.

In a place I know,

A magician has a show;

In his basket deep

Lies a cobra fast asleep.

When the master plays a haunting sound,

It rises up and looks around,

It bends and sways

While the master’s music plays.

The sun it rises 🔊

A gentle had play to calm everyone or before bedtime. Discuss where the sun rises.

Can also be sung as a round.

Line 1. and 2. While sitting lift arms from lap in a rounded shape and move slowly from low left, overhead and then gently down on the right side. 3. and 4. Bring rounded arms up in front, open arms and wiggle fingers downwards in front to settle in lap.

The sun it rises in the day,

And in the evening slips away.

The moon it comes up in the night,

And fades away in the morning light.

The waves on the sea 🔊

All at sea. A great one for accompanying with percussion as well as for actions, and you can easily add your own marine verses.

Line 1. Wave hands up and down. 2. Place hands together and swish from side to side. 3. Open and close hands. 4. Roll arms round each other. 5. With hands face down wiggle fingers. 6. Hands and arms make a leaping motion. 7. Pull an imaginary lever for each toot.

The waves on the sea go up and down,

Up and down, up and down.

The waves on the sea go up and down,

All day long.

The fish in the sea go swish, swish, swish,

Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish, swish,

The fish in the sea go swish, swish, swish,

All day long.

The sharks in the sea go snap, snap, snap,

Snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap,

The sharks in the sea go snap, snap, snap,

All day long.

The seals in the sea roll round and round,

Round and round, round and round,

The seals in the sea roll round and round,

All day long.

The jellyfish in the sea go wibble, wobble, wibble,

Wibble, wobble, wibble, wibble, wobble, wibble,

The jellyfish in the sea go wibble, wobble, wibble,

All day long.

The dolphins in the sea they dip and dive,

Dip and dive, dip and dive,

The dolphins in the sea they dip and dive,

All day long.

The boats on the sea go toot, toot, toot,

Toot, toot, toot, toot, toot, toot,

The boats on the sea go toot, toot, toot,

All day long.

There was a hungry hunter 🔊

This humorous and alliterative hand play is from ‘Acting rhymes’ by Clive Sansom published in the 1960s where it is suggested that a bear speaks line 5 and 6. The author is unknown. Dany Rosevear added the tune and the handplay below.

1-4. Rub tummy, put circled thumb and forefingers to eyes. Hold up fore finger and middle to make ears. 5-6. Rub tummy and look fierce. 7-8. Roll arms over each other and make two fingers run.

There was a hungry hunter

Went hunting for a hare,

But where he hoped the hare would be

He found a hairy bear!

“I’m very very hungry:

I get hungry now and then.”

The hunter turned head-over-heels

And hurried home again.

This little mountain

This hand play is from John M. Feierabend’s collection ‘Wiggles and tickles’ published 1999. It can be played with baby wiggling fingers and drawing sun on palm or tummy, dotting rain with fingers and so on; or as below with older children.

Line 1. Touch thumb and make circle with thumbs and forefinger. 2. Touch forefinger and make rain fall with fingers. 3 .and 4. Touch middle finger then shade eyes and peer. 5. Touch ring finger then put hands to cheek. 6. Make a pointed cap above head. 7. And 8. Point to little finger and shape tree with palms together.

This little mountain finds the sun,

This little mountain drinks the rain,

This little mountain shades its eyes

And looks across the plain.

This little mountain is ready for bed

With a white cap on top of its head;

And this little mountain is up to its knees,

In so many wonderful Christmas trees!

This little tiger is very wild 🔊

Not too scary!

Tune by Dany Rosevear.

Start with the thumb and touch each finger in sequence. 1.Growl like a tiger.

2. Kiss second finger. 3. Draw stripes on middle finger. 4. Bend finger down.

5. Wiggle finger, circle round the palm of the other and sniff. Bite left hand with right.

This little tiger is very wild,

This little tiger is a loving child.

This little tiger has big black stripes,

This little tiger is tucked up for the night.

This little tiger likes to prowl and smell,

But his teeth are too small to bite quite well.

This pretty planet 🔊

This wonderful song by Tom Chapin is more usually sung as a round. It is also sung as a lullaby.

This amazing song went round the entire world when it was one of the songs used to wake up the astronauts, including John Glen, on the Discovery 7 space shuttle!

1.Make a ball with hands, roll forearms round each other. 2. Make flower round face, arms make waves, hands together as in prayer. 3. Lift arms up and outwards, as in first line. 4. Hands to cheek, hold arms, Lift arms up and outwards.

This pretty planet, spinning through space,

Your garden, your harbour, your holy place.

Golden sun going down,

Gentle blue giant spin us around.

All through the night,

Safe ‘til the morning light.

Three little owlets 🔊

From ‘A Child's Own Book of Verse’ by Ada Skinner.

Music by Dany Rosevear.

1. Raise three fingers then fingers to eyes, cuddle self put fingers together.

2. Make moon with thumb and forfingers, spread dew. Flap crossed hands.

3. Use thumb and forefinger to make beak, repeat 1.

4. Raise two forefingers to mouth to make curved beak.

Three little owlets

In a hollow tree,

Cuddled up together

Close as could be.

When the moon came out

And the dew lay wet,

Mother flew about

To see what she could get.

She caught a little mouse,

So velvety and soft,

She caught a little sparrow,

And then she flew aloft

To the three little owlets

In a hollow tree,

Cuddled up together

Close as could be.

"Tu-whoo!" said the old owl,

"Isn't this good cheer!"

"Tu-whit!" said the owlets,

"Thank you, mother dear!"

“Tu-whit, tu-whit, tu-whit,

Tu-whoo!”

“Tu-whit, tu-whit, tu-whit,

Tu-whoo!”.

Tiny little bird O

A Turkish song for winter, ‘Mini Mini Bir Kus’, melody and words by Saip Eguz.

Move thumb and forefinger like beak. Perch bird on other hand. Cup hands. Cover hand and open and close beak. Cross hands to make wings, flap and move upwards and away. Throw out hands and look sad.

Tiny, little bird was frozen stiff,

Sitting on my window sill.

Gently did I cradle him,

To make him warm and hear him sing.

Suddenly he flapped his little wings,

Off he flew in the wind and snow.

Mini Mini Bir Kus Donmustu

Pencereme konmustu

Aldim onu iceriye

Cik cik cik cik otsun diye

Pir pir ederken canlandi

Ellerim bak bos kaldi…

Tiptoeing in the dark 🔊

This spooky hand play would work well at Halloween!

It could also be played as an action rhyme; pairs of children holding hands creep in and out of each other, when the candle is blown out they huddle together for reassurance.

The words came from a collection of nursery rhymes.

Music and game by Dany Rosevear.

Point up, point down, place finger to mouth – Shhh! Fingers creep forward, finger moves round, make a roof shape. Fingers creep forward and about. Move hands like the wind and shake head, put finger up like a candle, blow out flame – Phwooh!

Upstairs, downstairs, quiet as a mouse; Shhhh!

Tiptoe, tiptoe, all around the house.

Tiptoe, tiptoe, creep and creep about;

I hope the wind won't come along and blow my candle out! Phwooh!

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