Finger and hand play To-Tld 2

Last updated: 2/5/2019 12:02 PM

To the sky and back

Tommy Thumb

Tommy Thumb is up

Tortoise the brave

Two fat gentlemen

Two little blackbirds sitting in the snow

Two little blackbirds sitting in the sun

Two little dickie birds

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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·       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.

 

 

 

To the sky and back 🔊

 

 


The story of the water cycle. Words by Emilie Poullson, music by Eleanor Smith from ‘Songs of a little child’s day’.

 

1. Make fingers dance. Fingers rise up. 2. Make a round earth. Form clouds above head. 3. Fingers rain down. Put hand to mouth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


The sunbeams on the water danced

And coaxed some drops to rise,

With them up thro' the air, to make

A visit to the skies.

 

Then far and far above the earth

In clouds of white and grey,

Across the sky the water drops

Went wand'ring in their play.

 

The wondrous visit at an end,

They hurried down again;

And as they came the children all

Cried out, "Oh! see the rain!"

 


 

 

Tommy Thumb O

 

 


Hide hands behind the back and bring them out with thumbs upright. Wiggle thumbs to the

music and bow on the last line. Bring out fingers in sequence for the subsequent verses;

fore fingers, middle fingers, ring fingers and little fingers and make them move too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Tommy Thumb, Tommy Thumb,

Where are you?

Here I am. here I am,

How do you do?

 

Peter Pointer, Peter Pointer…

Toby Tall, Toby Tall…

Ruby Ring, Ruby Ring…

Baby Small, Baby Small…

Fingers all, Fingers all…


 

 

Tommy Thumb is up O

 

Learn to identify and move each finger.

 

Make the thumb move as directed. On the last line tuck the thumb into the fist. Do the same with each of the other fingers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Tommy Thumb is up and Tommy Thumb is down,

Tommy Thumb dancing all around the town.

Dancing on my shoulders, dancing on my head,

Dancing on my knees and then tucked up in bed!

 

Peter Pointer’s…

Toby Tall…

Ruby Ring…

Baby Small… (quietly)

 

(loudly)

Finger Family’s up and Finger Family’s down,

Finger Family’s dancing all around the town.

Dancing on my shoulders, dancing on my head,

Dancing on my knees and then tucked up in bed!

 


 

 

Tortoise the brave 🔊

 

 


This song is based on the Russian hand play, Черепаха (The Tortoise).

Шла по полю черепаха

И дрожала вся от страха:

"Кусь-кусь-кусь,

Кусь-кусь-кусь,

Ничего я не боюсь!"

Translation, in the spirit of the original, and music both by Dany Rosevear.

 

1.  Make tortoise walk slowly with forefinger and middle finger on your thigh.

2.  Mimic trembling with both hands. 3. Put hand to ear. 4.  Make mouth talk with both hands. 5. Point to self and shake finger.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Tortoise walked in the field, what a sight,

Shaking and trembling with awful fright;

But listen, oh, just listen, to her sing,

“Na-na-na-na-na!

I’m not afraid of any old thing!

I’m not afraid of any old thing!”

 


 

 

 

Two fat gentlemen O

 

Have fun singing each voice in character.

 

In the first verse bend thumbs each time ‘bowed’ and ‘How do you do?’ is sung.

Bend fingers in sequence for the subsequent verses; fore finger, middle finger, ring finger and little finger.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Two fat gentlemen met in a lane,

Bowed most politely then bowed once again.

How do you do?

How do you do?

And how do you do again!

 

Two thin ladies met in a lane...

 

Two tall policemen met in a lane...

 

Two school children met in a lane...

 

Two little babies met in a lane...


 

 


 

 

Two little blackbirds sitting in the snow 🔊

 

 


A seasonal alternative to the classic nursery rhyme and an opportunity to encourage an understanding of opposites. Encourage children to make up more rhyming verses.

 

Stick a little blackbird on each forefinger. 1. Move fingers fast or slow each time emphasising opposite pairs by motion. 2. Make voice appropriately quiet or loud. 3. Move fingers high or low each time it is mentioned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Two little blackbirds, sitting in the snow,

One named Fast and the other named Slow.

Fly away Fast and fly away Slow,

Come back Fast and come back Slow.

 

Two little blackbirds, sitting on a cloud,

One named Quiet and the other named LOUD!

Fly away Quiet and fly away LOUD!

Come back Quiet and come back LOUD!

 

Two little blackbirds flying in the sky,

One named Low and the other named High.

Fly away Low and fly away High,

Come back Low and come back High!

 


 

 

Two little blackbirds sitting in the sun 🔊

 

 


This can be chanted as a rhyme or sung to the little tune I wrote. It is a classic from ‘This little Puffin’

 

Use forefingers for the birds and folded arms for the wall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Two little blackbirds sitting in the sun,

One flew away and then there was one.

One little blackbird feeling very small,

She flew away and then there was the wall.

One little brick wall lonely in the rain,

Waiting for the blackbirds to come and sing again.

(Here they come, here they come!)

 


 

 

Two little dickie birds 🔊

 

 


This rhyme is mostly heard as a chant but there are also many tunes written for it. I think the one below is the one I have used in the past.

You could easily make up your own verses using different names.

Find out more about these two rhymes at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Little_Dickie_Birds It has a Roud number of 16401.

 

Mark the index nail of one hand and the middle finger of the second. If you are feeling creative stick a little bird picture on the nails!

Hold your fists up and wiggle marked fingers to show the birds. On the 5th line throw one hand past head and put the marked finger down replacing it with the one next to it and then bring the hand back. Do the same with the other hand. On the last two lines swap the unmarked finger for the marked on.

It is a wonderful way to puzzle children.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Two little dickie birds,

Sitting on a wall;

One named Peter,

And one named Paul.

Fly away Peter,

Fly away Paul!

Come back Peter,

And come back Paul![

 

Two little blackbirds,

Sitting on a hill;

One named Jack,

And one named Gill.

Fly away Jack,

Fly away Gill!

Come again Jack,

And come again Gill!


 

 


 

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