Finger and hand play H-R

Hands on shoulders

Here are the astronauts

Here are the lady’s knives and forks

Here is a house with a pointed door

Here is a nest for a bluebird

Here is the church

I had a little cherry stone

I have a little spider

I have ten little fingers

I saw a little rabbit go hop, hop, hop

Johnny Puppet dances

Lirum, larum, Little Thumbkin, dance!

Little fishes swim along

Little robin redbreast sat upon a rail

Little robin redbreast sat upon a tree

Little seeds

Look at the terrible crocodile

Mister Turkey and Mister Duck

My hands upon my head I’ll place

Old Tom Tomato

Once a little apple seed

Once I saw a little bird

One little finger

Open, shut them

Put your finger on your head

Right hand, left hand

Roly-poly caterpillar

Last updated: 6/20/2017 3:48 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:

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Hands on shoulders 🔊

Name parts of the body and clap to four.

This rhyme can be chanted, the melody below and chords are by Dany Rosevear.

Follow instructions.

Hands on shoulders, hands on knees,

Hands behind you, if you please;

Touch your hips and now your nose,

Now your hair and now your toes;

Hands up high way in the air,

Down at your sides, and touch your hair;

Hands up high just as before,

Now clap your hands, one, two, three, four!

Here are the astronauts

A topical way to learn to count back from ten. Find out what the international astronauts are doing at presents.d

Here are the astronauts

(Fists clenched, thumbs up)

And this is their rocket.

(Palms together, fingers pointing up)

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1,

(Fold fingers down one at a time)

Blast off!

(Hands push up into space)

They’re in orbit;

Round and round the world they go,

(Hands and arms revolve about each other)

And on to the moon,

(Hands push up)

Then back to earth, down, down, down,

(Hands push down)

It’s time to land.

(Hands drop into lap)

Here are the lady’s knives and forks O

You will notice the tune is very similar to ‘Pop! Goes the weasel’

This one is not so easy to do. Younger children might like to make a cradle with both arms and rock them from side to side.

Here are the lady’s knives and forks,

With palms up interlace fingers.

Here’s the lady’s table,

Turn over to make the table.

Here’s the lady’s looking glass,

With index fingers and thumbs touching rotate hands down to show the mirror.

And here is the baby’s cradle.

Move hands back with index fingers still erect, raise little fingers then rock hands from side to side like a cradle.

Here is a house with a pointed door

‘A Little Finger Game’ by E. J. Falconer.

‘Pointed door’ Index fingers and thumbs together.

‘Windows tall’ Fingers of both hands joined at the tips and stretched apart.

‘Fine flat floor’ Hands held flat, palms down, side by side on floor or desk.

‘Three good people’ Three middle fingers of one hand standing up under shelter of the other.

‘One fat cat’ Right hand thumb stands up.

‘One thin mouse’ Right hand little finger stands up.

‘Out of his hole’ Right hand little finger peeps through left hand folded into a fist.

‘Out of his corner’ Right-hand thumb jumps over upon left-hand fist.

‘Three good people’ Fingers up as before.

‘Mousie inside’ Little finger draws back inside left hand fist.

Here is a house with a pointed door,

Windows tall, and a fine flat floor.

Three good people live in the house,

One fat cat, and one thin mouse.

Out of his hole the mousie peeps,

Out of his corner the pussie-cat leaps!

Three good people say " Oh! oh! oh! "

Mousie inside says " No! no! no! "

Here is a nest for a bluebird

This can be played with a baby or for a toddler / young child to imitate.

Here is a nest for a bluebird,

Cheep! Cheep! Cheep! Cheep!

Make a nest with hands, open and close fingers

And here is a hive for a bee,

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

Curl hands together like a ball, cross forefingers

Here is a hole for a bunny,

Flip flop! Flip flop!

Make a circle with forefingers and thumbs Hands go up and down like long ears on head

And here is a house for me.

Make a roof with hands over baby’s head

Here is the church

A finger rhyme.

Here is the church

And here is the steeple,

Open it wide

And here are the people.

Here is the parson climbing the stairs,

And here he is saying his prayers.

Weave fingers to make a fist.

Put up index fingers.

Turn hands over so fingers are upright.

Wriggle fingers.

Make hand like a ladder so index finger and thumb can climb up.

Place palms together.

I had a little cherry stone 🔊

A good hand play for Springtime when all about is beginning to grow; don’t forget to look out for the cherry blossom.

Hold pretend stone with thumb and forefinger. Push stone in the hole made by the other hand.Make tip of forefing appear through the hole. Finger grows upwards. Arm grows into a tree. Mime picking cherries. Pretend to eat cherry, spit out stone ready to plant it again.

I had a little cherry stone,

And put it in the ground.

And when next year I came to look

A little shoot I found.

The shoot grew upwards day by day

And soon became a tree.

I picked the juicy cherries

And I ate them for my tea!

I have a little spider 🔊

A simple hand play, could be suitable at Halloween (a witch’s spider?) for the very young; encourage them to do this with adults. This could also be used for baby play.

Music and words arranged by Dany Rosevear.

1. Wiggle fingers with a claw like hand. 2. Stroke back of hand. 3. Make spider crawl to suggested places. 4. Put hands to cheek. 5. Run spider back down and into hand.

I have a little spider,

I'm very fond of him,

He crawls onto my shoulder,

Then up onto my chin,

He crawls up to my nose,

Then jumps upon my head;

But when he’s feeling sleepy…

He runs right back to bed!

I have ten little fingers O

Tune by Dany Rosevear. This rhyme is usually chanted but older children might like the challenge of a melody.

Don’t forget to count those fingers before you start. What else can your fingers do?

I have ten little fingers, (Hold up ten fingers)

They all belong to me. (Point to self)

I can make them do things, (Wiggle them)

Would you like to see? (Point to others, then eyes)

I can open them up wide, (Spread them)

I can shut them tight, (Make fists)

I can put them together, (Clasp hands with fingers intertwined)

Or put them out of sight, (Put behind back)

I can make them go high, (Raise hands high)

I can make them go low, (Lower them)

I can fold them quietly, (Fold them)

And sit just so. (Sit still)

Johnny Puppet dances O

Unlike many songs for children this one is in the minor key.

Use the forefinger and thumb to dance on the named body part.

Once children are familiar with this song dance fingers on other parts of the body.

Little Johnny dances,

On my thumb he dances.

On my thumb, thumb, thumb,

Johnny Puppet dances.

Little Johnny dances,

On my arm he dances.

On my arm, arm, arm, arm,

On my thumb, thumb, thumb,

Johnny Puppet dances.

Little Johnny dances,

On my head he dances.

On my head, head, head,

On my thumb, thumb, thumb,

Johnny Puppet dances.

Lirum, larum, Little Thumbkin, dance! O

This is said to be a traditional German children’s game though I have yet to find the original in that language. It is most probably a song developed in the U.S.A. from people of German stock.

Wiggle fingers individually and then together.

Lirum, larum, Little Thumbkin, dance!

Other fingers keep quite still,

Waiting, waiting patiently.

Little Thumbkin, dance!

Lirum, larum, Pointer Finger, dance! etc.

Lirum, larum, Tall Man, Tall Man, dance! etc.

Lirum, larum, Ring Man, Ring Man, dance!

Lirum, larum, Little Finger, dance! etc.

Lirum, larum, Every finger dance!

No more fingers keeping still,

No one waiting patiently,

Every finger dance!

Little fishes swim along 🔊

This sea themed rhyme was written by Steve Grocott. Find out more about his musical activities for children ‘Bright Sparks’, workshops and delightful CDs at: http://www.dronesmusic.net/page.php?pageid=childrens.

Music and hand play by Dany Rosevear.

1. Cross and more forefingers to make little fish swim. 2. Place one hand on top of the other with thumbs out and move from side to side. 3. Move hands, palms facing, up and down like sharks jaws. 4. Arms make shape of whale, throw up hands to make it spout. 5. Chant: Point down, shake finger and put hands to cheek. Cross forefingers as before and shoot off.

Little fishes swim along,

Flipper flapper, flipper flapper.

Bigger fishes sing this song,

Swish, swash, swish, swash.

After them there comes a shark

Snap! Snap!

And the great big whale goes Blow! Whoosh!

SPOKEN:

Deep in the deep,

The shark never sleeps,

Little fishes swim away,

For to live another day. Hooray!

Little Robin Redbreast sat upon a rail O

Two little robin hand rhymes that work well together.

Melody by Dany Rosevear.

Rhyme 1: Shape right hand like a bird on the extended forefinger of the left hand. Nod hand up and down. Waggle little finger of the right hand from side to side.

Rhyme 2: Cross wrists and flap hands. Open and close forefinger to make beak ‘talk’.

Little Robin Redbreast

Sat upon a rail;

Niddle, noddle went his head,

Wiggle, waggle went his tail.

Little Robin Redbreast

Came to visit me;

This is what he whistled,

“Thank you for my tea.”

Little robin redbreast sat upon a tree O

Britain’s favourite bird features in this action song.

You will need to make up your own actions for the second verse or watch the video!

Little robin redbreast sat upon a tree,

Raise one hand high.

Up went pussy cat and down went he!

Hand two creeps up and first comes down.

Down came pussy cat, away robin ran,

Hand two comes down, hand one creeps away.

Said little robin redbreast, Pause

"Catch me if you can!"

Little robin redbreast jumped upon a spade,

Pussy cat jumped after him, and then he was afraid.

Little robin chirped and sang and what did pussy say?

Pussy cat said "Meow", and robin flew away.

Little seeds 🔊

A hand play for Spring to illustrate the life cycle.

Words by Lucille F. Wood and music by Louise B. Scott from ‘Singing fun’ first published 1962.

Enclose fist with the other hand. Put hands to cheek. Wiggle widespread fingers. Fingers move downwards. Hands make waves. Forefinger appears out of closed hand.

Seeds are buried deep, deep, deep;

In the soil they sleep, sleep, sleep.

Yellow sunbeams bright, bright, bright;

Raindrops falling light, light, light;

Gentle breezes blow, blow, blow;

Little seeds begin to grow.

Look at the terrible crocodile O

A game played in pairs.

One child opens and closes the palms of their hands as the second child places one hand on top of the other and sticks thumbs out to swim like a fish. On the third line the ‘crocodile’ opens jaws wide – arms open and close. The ‘fishy’ inches nearer but on the last line swims away.

Look at the terrible crocodile,

I-oh, I-oh, I-oh.

He’s swimming down the river Nile,

I-oh, I-oh, I-oh.

See how his jaws are open wide,

I-oh, I-oh, I-oh.

A poor little fishy is swimming inside…….

Spoken

Oh no he isn’t, he’s swimming the other way!

Sung

I-oh, I-oh, I-oh.

Mister Turkey and Mister Duck O

Also suitable for younger ones at Thanksgiving time.

1. Hide hands behind the back 2. Bring out left hand and put thumb and forefinger together.3. Do the same with the right hand. 4. Open and close thumb and forefinger for each ‘gobble’. 5. Do the same for each ‘quack’ 6. Return hands behind back. 7. Right hand returns for a final ‘quack’.

Mister Turkey went out one day in bright sunshiny weather.

He met Mister Duck along the way; they stopped to talk together,

“Gobble, gobble, gobble!” “Quack, quack, quack!”

And then they both went back! "Quack!"

My hands upon my head I'll place 🔊

A nursery song from the 1950s.

It is fascinating to find so many different versions of this song on the internet, all grown from the original in 1954 written by Louise B. Scott with music by Lucille F. Wood.

The essence of the song, however, remains as it has been passed from one nursery to another over the decades.

Move fingers and hands as suggested by the words.

My hands upon my head I'll place,

Upon my shoulders, on my face,

At my waist, and by my side,

And then behind me they will hide.

Then I will raise them way up high

And let my fingers fly, fly, fly.

Then clap, clap, clap, and one, two, three…

Just see how quiet they can be.

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.

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.’

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.

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!

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.

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.

One little finger O

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.

One little finger, one little finger,

One little finger, tap, tap, tap!

Point to the ceiling, point to the floor

And lay it in your lap, lap, lap.

Two little fingers, two little fingers,

Two little fingers, tap, tap, tap!

Point to the ceiling, point to the floor

And lay them in your lap, lap, lap.

Three little fingers, three little fingers...

Four little fingers, four little fingers...

Five little fingers, five little fingers

Five little fingers, tap, tap, tap

Point to the ceiling, point to the floor

And then behind your back, back, back!

Open, shut them O

You can find many versions of this on the internet but this one works for me.

The words tell you what to do!

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.

Put your finger on your head O

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.

Put your finger on your head, on your head;

Put your finger on your head;

Tell me is it green or red?

Put your finger on your head, on your head.

Put your finger on your nose, on your nose;

Put your finger on your nose

And feel the cold wind blow,

Put your finger on your nose, on your nose.

Put your finger on your cheek, on your cheek;

Put your finger on your cheek

And leave it for a week,

Put your finger on your cheek, on your cheek.

Put your finger on your ear, on your ear...

And leave it for a year,

Put your finger on your ear on your ear

Put your finger on your finger, on your finger,

Put your finger on your finger, on your finger, on your finger;

Put your finger on your finger on your finger.

Put your fingers all together; all together...

And never mind the weather...

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.

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!

Roly-poly caterpillar

This can also be played with a baby creeping fingers down arms.

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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