Songs and fingerplays for young children and early childhood programs:  

 

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I'm glad (child's name ) came to school,
I'm glad (child's name) came to school,
We've planned lots of fun for you,
I'm glad (child's name) came to school.

Dance, little baby,
Dance up high. (Lift baby above your face)
Never mind baby,
Mother (Father) is by.
Up to the ceiling, (Lift baby above your face)
Down to the ground. (Swing baby down low)
Backwards and Forwards, (hold baby close and rock back and forward)
Round and Round. (Hold baby close and turn around)

Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.

Weary travelers in the dark
Thank you for your little spark.
Who could see which path to go,
If you did not twinkle so?
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.

Time to dress you,
Time to dress you.
Yes it is! Yes it is!
This is how we do it,
This is how we do it.
I love you, I love you.

We change our diaper now.
We change our diaper now.
Hi ho the dair-e-o
We change our diaper now.

Head and shoulders, knees and toes
Knees and toes, knees and toes.
Head and shoulders, knees and toes,
Eyes and ears and mouth and nose.

Ref.: Lansky, V. (1993). Games Babies Play, From Birth to Twelve Months. The Book Peddlers: Deephaven, MN.

The wheels on the bus go round and round.
(Roll baby's arms.)
Round and round, round and round.
The wheels on the bus go round and round, all over town.

The people on the bus go up and down
(Baby's arms go up and down.)
Up and down, up and down.
The people on the bus go up and down, all over town.

The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish
(hold baby by the hips and gently roll them back and forth.)
Swish, swish, swish--swish, swish, swish
All over town.

The horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep...
(press baby's tummy.)

The ride on the bus goes bump, bump, bump...
(gently bounce baby.)

(Wiggle each toe as you sing the song, both feet)
One little, Two little, three little tootsies.
Four little, five little, six little tootsies.
Seven little, eight little, nine little tootsies.
Ten little tootsie toes.

Ten little, nine little, eight little tootsies.
Seven little, six little, five little tootsies
Four little, three little, two little tootsies.
One little tootsie toe.

Ref.: Lansky, V. (1993). Games Babies Play, From Birth to Twelve Months. The Book Peddlers: Deephaven, MN.

There was a teacher, had a child and (insert child's name)was his/her name, oh.
(Spell child's name to the tune, tricky sometimes) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ...
(Spell child's name)  ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ...
(Spell child's name) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ...
And (insert child's name) was his/her name, oh.

Used by Sharon in the Child Development infant/toddler lab at NIU

This is the way we wash our face,
Wash our face, wash our face.
This is the way we wash our face
On a (day of the week) (morning or evening).

Other verses:

clean our toes
wash our arms
scrub our feet
--the list is endless

Ref.: Lansky, V. (1993). Games Babies Play, From Birth to Twelve Months. The Book Peddlers: Deephaven, MN.

Clap your hands, one-two-three.
Play a clapping game with me.
Now your hands have gone away,
(Hide baby's hands under a blanket.)
Find your hands so we can play.

Ref.: Lansky, V. (1993). Games Babies Play, From Birth to Twelve Months. The Book Peddlers: Deephaven, MN.

Thumbkin, pointer, middleman big.
(Point to each of baby's fingers)
Silly man, wee man, rig-a-jig-jig.
(Point to baby's fingers and then roll baby's hands around each other)

Ref.: Lansky, V. (1993). Games Babies Play, From Birth to Twelve Months. The Book Peddlers: Deephaven, MN.

Round and Round the Garden (circle the baby's tummy)
Goes the teddy bear. One step... two steps...(Walk fingers up the chest)
Tickle under there! (Tickle the baby under the arms or chin)

Ref.: Lansky, V. (1993). Games Babies Play, From Birth to Twelve Months. The Book Peddlers: Deephaven, MN.

Jelly in the bowl, jelly in the bowl. (Jiggle baby's tummy)
Wiggle, waggle, wiggle, waggle, (gently sway baby by the shoulders)
Jelly in the bowl. (Tickle baby)

Ref.: Lansky, V. (1993). Games Babies Play, From Birth to Twelve Months. The Book Peddlers: Deephaven, MN.

See the little mousie
(touch index and middle fingers to thumb for "mouse.")
Creeping up the stair (Creep "mouse" slowly up your baby.)
Looking for a warm nest. There! Oh! There! Oh! There!
(Find a corner, like the elbow or under the chin.)

Ref.: Lansky, V. (1993). Games Babies Play, From Birth to Twelve Months. The Book Peddlers: Deephaven, MN.

Knock, knock. (Knock on baby's forehead)
Peek in. (Open eyes wider)
Open the latch. (Push up the tip of the nose)
And walk right in. (Walk fingers into mouth)
How do you do, Ms. Chin-chin-chin? (Wiggle chin)

Ref.: Lansky, V. (1993). Games Babies Play, From Birth to Twelve Months. The Book Peddlers: Deephaven, MN.

Caterpillar 

"Who's that tickling my back?" said the wall.
(Crawl your fingers across your baby's tickle spots.)
"Me," said the small caterpillar, "I'm learning how to crawl."

Ref.: Lansky, V. (1993). Games Babies Play, From Birth to Twelve Months. The Book Peddlers: Deephaven, MN.

Baby bye, here's a little fly.
We must watch him, you and I
There he goes, on his toes,
Over to our baby's nose.
(First point to your own features, then point to your baby's.
Then guide your baby's finger to point to each set of features.)

Ref.: Lansky, V. (1993). Games Babies Play, From Birth to Twelve Months. The Book Peddlers: Deephaven, MN.

Shoe the old horse,
Shoe the old mare;
But let the little colt
go bare, bare, bare.
(When putting shoes on, tap the sole of the foot each time you say "bare")
(When taking shoes off, tickle the soles of the foot as you say "bare, bare, bare")

Ref.: Lansky, V. (1993). Games Babies Play, From Birth to Twelve Months. The Book Peddlers: Deephaven, MN.

Jack-in-the- Box, you sit so still.
Won't you come out? "Sure I will"
Jack-in-the-box, hidden away
Pop out now, so we can play!

Jack-in-the-Box, all shut up tight.
Not a breath of air or a ray of light.
How tired he must be, all folded up.
Let's open the lid, and up he'll jump!

Squat down and hold your baby with feet on the floor in a partial squat as you recite this poem. Then jump up together at the last line. With a "one, and a two, and a three," you prepare for a big "Jump!" as you scoop your baby up high.

Or turn it into a finger game where you make two fists with your thumbs tucked in and recite a Jack-in-the Box rhyme. With the last sentence, pop your thumbs out with an accompanying verbal noise or exclamation.

Ref.: Lansky, V. (1993). Games Babies Play, From Birth to Twelve Months. The Book Peddlers: Deephaven, MN.

 

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Trot, trot, trot to London.
(Bounce your baby on your knees, facing you.)
Trot, trot, trot to Dover.
Look out, (baby's name).
Or you might fall O-VER!
(Tip baby to one side)

Trot, trot trot to Boston.
(Knee-bounce baby again.)
Trot, trot, trot to Lynn.
Look out, (baby's name)! Or you might fall IN!

(Support baby's waist and neck firmly with your hands. Open your knees and let baby "fall" backwards until his or her head is by your ankles. When baby is stronger you can hold onto just the hands instead of giving full support.)

Ref.: Lansky, V. (1993). Games Babies Play, From Birth to Twelve Months. The Book Peddlers: Deephaven, MN. 

Tick tock, tick tock
I'm a little cuckoo clock.
Tick tock, tick tock
Now it's almost (time of day) o'clock!
Cuckoo! Cuckoo!
(Lift baby up high with each "cuckoo")

Ref.: Lansky, V. (1993). Games Babies Play, From Birth to Twelve Months. The Book Peddlers: Deephaven, MN.

Crocodile, crocodile nips your nose
Crocodile, crocodile nips your toes
Crocodile, crocodile swims around
Crocodile, crocodile lies right down.

(Using a sign for crocodile {your two hands opening and closing together to depict the crocodile's mouth}, nip at your baby's nose, nip at your baby's toes, swim your hands {palms pressed together} from side to side, and finally tuck your hands under your chin in a sleeping gesture.)

The rhythm used in "Teddy Bear Teddy Bear, turn around" would work good with this one.

Ref.: Acredolo, L & Goodwin, S. (1996), Baby Signs, How to Talk with Your Baby Before Your Baby Can Talk, Contemporary Books, Inc.: Chicago, IL.

Slowly, slowly, very slowly (walk fingers slowly over baby)
Creeps the garden snail.
Slowly, slowly, very slowly
Up the wooden rail.

Quickly, quickly, very quickly (run fingers quickly over baby)
runs the little mouse.
Quickly, quickly, very quickly
Round about the house.

Ref.: Lansky, V. (1993). Games Babies Play, From Birth to Twelve Months. The Book Peddlers: Deephaven, MN.

(Knee rides, hold baby straddling your leg, facing you. Move forward to the edge of the chair. Lift your heel so baby gets a good bounce, and recite riding rhyme.)

I had a little pony
That trotted up and down.
I bridled him, and saddled him
And trotted out of town.

Ref.: Lansky, V. (1993). Games Babies Play, From Birth to Twelve Months. The Book Peddlers: Deephaven, MN.

(To the tune of "Where is Thumbkin?")

"Where is [child's name], where is [child's name]?
There she/he is, there she/he is (show child's face in mirror)
She/he is very special, she/he is very special
Watch her/him smile, watch her/him smile." (Show child's face in mirror again)

Ref.: Catron, C. (1993). Early Childhood Curriculum. Prentice-Hall, Inc.: Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

Popcorn, popcorn
Put it in a pan.
(Pouring motion)
Shake it up, shake it up
(gently shake/jiggle baby)
BAM, BAM, BAM
(Bounce baby up and down on your lap with each "bam.")

Ref.: Lansky, V. (1993). Games Babies Play, From Birth to Twelve Months. The Book Peddlers: Deephaven, MN.

Did you ever see a bubble, a bubble, a bubble
Did you ever see a bubble float this way and that?
Float this way and that way
And this way and that way
Did you ever see a bubble float up and go pop?

Used by Sharon in the Child Development infant/toddler lab at NIU

One, two three, four five (count on fingers)
Once I caught a fish alive. (Wiggle hands like you've caught a fish)
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten. (Count fingers on second hand.)
Then I let him go again. (Pretend to throw fish back)
Why did I let that fishie go?
Because he bit my finger so! (Shake hand as though in pain)
Which finger did he bite?
This little finger on the right! (Hold up little finger on the right hand)

Ref.: Lansky, V. (1993). Games Babies Play, From Birth to Twelve Months. The Book Peddlers: Deephaven, MN.

Butterfly wings go fluttering by-
(With hands together and fingers waving,
flap hands like a butterfly from side to side)
Down to the flowers and up to the sky.
(Fly "butterfly" down, then up)
Butterfly wings tickle your toes-
(Fly "butterfly" down to the baby's toes)
Butterfly wings land right on your nose!
(Fly "butterfly" up to the baby's nose)

as the child gets older and does the "butterfly" himself teach him to fly to his own toes and nose as you do the same.

Ref.: Acredolo, L & Goodwin, S. (1996), Baby Signs, How to Talk with Your Baby Before Your Baby Can Talk, Contemporary Books, Inc.: Chicago, IL.

The kitty-cat is sleeping;
Hear her purr.
Softly, softly stroke her fur.

Ref.: Acredolo, L & Goodwin, S. (1996), Baby Signs, How to Talk with Your Baby Before Your Baby Can Talk, Contemporary Books, Inc.: Chicago, IL.

Little lost duck came quacking by.
(Fingers to thumb, open and close like duck bill, with right hand, moving from right to left)
Little lost duck began to cry.
(Fist to eyes, rotate)
Little lost duck heard his mommy QUACK!
(Finger to thumb, with right hand, moving from right to left, again)
Little lost duck came running back!
(Finger to thumb, with left hand, moving from left to right)

Ref.: Acredolo, L & Goodwin, S. (1996), Baby Signs, How to Talk with Your Baby Before Your Baby Can Talk, Contemporary Books, Inc.: Chicago, IL.

(Start at the pinky finger and touch the tip of each finger. Slide down the outside of the pointer finger and back up the thumb, while saying "Whoops, Johnny." Then retrace the route.)

Johnny, Johnny, Johnny, Johnny,
Whoops! Johnny!
Whoops! Johnny!
Johnny, Johnny, Johnny.

(Feel free to use the child's own name in the game)

Ref.: Lansky, V. (1993). Games Babies Play, From Birth to Twelve Months. The Book Peddlers: Deephaven, MN.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn around (turn around)
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, touch the ground (reach down and touch the ground near toes)
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, climb the stair (make motions of going up stairs with feet)
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, hop into bed (make motion of hopping into bed)
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn out the light (simulate flicking light switch)
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, blow a kiss (make "blow a kiss" motion)
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say "Goodnight!"
"Goodnight!"

Ref.: Weiser, M. (1991). Infant/Toddler Care and Education. Macmillan: New York, NY.

I wiggle my fingers,
I wiggle my toes.
I wiggle my shoulders,
I wiggle my nose.
Now the wiggles are out of me.
See how still I can be.

Ref.: Lansky, V. (1993). Games Babies Play, From Birth to Twelve Months. The Book Peddlers: Deephaven, MN.

Here are Grandma's spectacles
(make circles with thumbs and index fingers placed over eyes)
And here is Grandma's hat,
(join hands at fingertips and place on top of head)
And here's the way she folds her hands
(Folds hands and place gently on lap.)
And put them in her lap..

Here are Grandpa's spectacles
(Make larger circles with thumbs and index fingers and place over eyes)
And here is grandpa's hat,
(Make larger pointed hat, as above)
And here's the way he folds his arms
(Fold arms with vigor.)
And sits like that!

Ref.: Lansky, V. (1993). Games Babies Play, From Birth to Twelve Months. The Book Peddlers: Deephaven, MN.

(pretend you are holding a toothbrush and follow the directions of the song to pretend to brush your teeth)

Brush, brush, brush your teeth, brush them every day.
Right, left, up, down, clean the plaque away.
Brush, brush, brush your teeth, brush them every day.
Front, back, take off the plaque, now we smile all day.

Ref.: The Mailbox Magazine February March Activity Book, (1995) The Education Center, Inc.

Floss, floss, floss your teeth.
Floss them every day.
Plaque, plaque, plaque, be gone.
You're not here to stay!

Ref.: The Best of Mailbox Magazine, Book 2, (1994) The Education Center, Inc.

Birdie fly fast---(flap arms fast)
Birdie fly slow---(flap arms slow)
Birdie fly high---(stand tall, maybe tiptoes)
Birdie fly low---(crouch down)
Birdie fly here---("fly" to the left, or one side)
Birdie fly there---("fly" to the right, or the other side)
birdie fly round and round everywhere.---("fly" around in a circle)

Ref.: Acredolo, L & Goodwin, S. (1996), Baby Signs, How to Talk with Your Baby Before Your Baby Can Talk, Contemporary Books, Inc.: Chicago, IL.

Bunny ears UP-- (hold your index and middle fingers up like a bunny or "peace sign")
Bunny ears DOWN--(bend your fingers)
Bunny ears wiggling all around. (Wiggle fingers)

Ref.: Acredolo, L & Goodwin, S. (1996), Baby Signs, How to Talk with Your Baby Before Your Baby Can Talk, Contemporary Books, Inc.: Chicago, IL.

Birdie in a treetop
Proud and wise--(stand up and flap arms like a bird)
Here are his wings, (flap arms)
And here are his eyes. (Point to your eyes)
Down on the ground
A cat he spies. (Stroke the back of one hand with the palm of the other as if petting a cat)
UP he jumps, and off he flies! (Flap arms)

Ref.: Acredolo, L & Goodwin, S. (1996), Baby Signs, How to Talk with Your Baby Before Your Baby Can Talk, Contemporary Books, Inc.: Chicago, IL.

When we're walking in the hall, we're very quiet!
When we're walking in the hall, we're very quiet!
When we're walking in the hall, we're very, very quiet!
And we never, never, ever push our neighbors!

Http://members.aol.com/aactchrday/transitions/ideas.html (visited 02-27-98)

(Child's name) Put the toys away
Toys away, toys away.
(Child's name) Put the toys away
It's cleanup time.

Additional verses: substitute toys with puzzles, books, blocks, etc.

Http://members.aol.com/aactchrday/transitions/ideas.html (visited 02-27-98)

To circle time we go,
To circle time we go,
Heigh Ho, the Dairy-oh,
To circle time we go.

(You can change the times of day as appropriate: snack time, etc)

Http://members.aol.com/aactchrday/transitions/ideas.html (visited 02-27-98)

Time for circle, time for circle,
Time for circle time today,
Let's sit down, let's be quiet,
Wonder what we'll do today?

Http://members.aol.com/aactchrday/transitions/ideas.html (visited 02-27-98)

If you are wearing green, wash your hands,
If you are wearing green, wash your hands,
If you are wearing green,
If you are wearing green,
I you are wearing green, wash your hands!

(Easy to substitute different activities, and of course, different colors)

Http://members.aol.com/aactchrday/transitions/ideas.html (visited 02-27-98)

It's time to clean up
Let's pick up the blocks
It's time to clean up
Let's pick up the blocks

(you can sing it over and over with different toys or areas)

Http://members.aol.com/aactchrday/transitions/ideas.html (visited 02-27-98)