Finger and hand play H-J

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

Johnny Puppet dances

Lirum, larum, Little Thumbkin, dance!

Little robin redbreast sat upon a tree

Look at the terrible crocodile

One little finger

Open, shut them

Put your finger on your head

Roly-poly caterpillar

Last updated: 12/15/2015 2:01 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 O

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:

· you must give the original author credit

· 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

· 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.

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.

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!

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!

Lirum, larum, Every finger dance!

No more fingers keeping still,

No one waiting patiently,

Every finger dance!

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.

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.

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, 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, 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, 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,

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...

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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