Preschool Finger Plays

Preschoolers just love putting those little fingers in motion. Preschool finger plays are great for enhancing language development and memory.

Here are our favorite preschool finger plays:

Family
Five Little Ducks
Five Little Monkeys
Five Little Monkeys
Grandmother's Glasses
Here is a Bunny
I'm a Little Teapot
One Potato
One, Two, Three, Four, Five
Open and Shut Them
Right Hand, Left Hand
Roll Your Hands
Round and Round the Garden
Two Little Black Birds
Where is Thumbkin?

First Picture Action Rhymes contains adorable illustrations and lyrics to popular preschool finger plays and songs. This full sized, board book will entertain your preschoolers for years to come.

Follow this link to find out why I recommend Usborne preschool resources.

Family

This is the Father, kind and true. (hold up fingers one by one)
This is the mother who cares for you.
This is the brother so big and tall.
This is the sister who plays with her ball.
This is the baby, pet of them all.
See the whole family, big and small.

(return to top)

Five Little Ducks

Five little ducks went out one day (flap and waddle like duck)
Over the hills and far away. (make wave motion with hand)
Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack." (make talking motion)
Four little ducks came waddling back. (flap and waddle like duck)

Repeat with:
Four little ducks.
Three little ducks.
Two little ducks.
One little duck.

Then Daddy duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack."
And five little ducks came waddling back.

(return to top)

Five Little Monkeys

Five little monkeys (hold up 5 fingers, bouncing)
Swinging from a tree,
Teasing Mr. Alligator,
"Can't catch me!"

Along comes Mr. Alligator (make alligator mouth with hands)
Quiet as can be."SNAP!" (slap hands together)
Now four little monkeys (hold up 4 fingers, bouncing)
Swinging from a tree.

Repeat with:
Four little monkeys swinging from a tree.
Three little monkeys swinging from a tree.
Two little monkeys swinging from a tree.
One little monkey swinging from a tree.

(return to top)

Five Little Monkeys

Five little monkeys (hold 5 fingers up, bouncing)
Jumping in the bed.
One fell off (hold up 1 finger)
And bumped his head. (rub head)

Momma called the doctor (hold up hand to ear as a mock telephone)
And the doctor said,
"No more monkeys (point and wave finger)
jumping in the bed!"

Repeat with:
Four little monkeys jumping in the bed.
Three little monkeys jumping in the bed.
Two little monkeys jumping in the bed.
One little monkey jumping in the bed.

(return to top)

Grandmother's Glasses

These are grandmother's glasses, (put hands around eyes, like glasses)
And this is grandmother's cap. (put hands together over head)
And this is the way she folds her hands, (fold hands neatly in lap)
And puts them in her lap.

These are grandfather's glasses, (hands around eyes for bigger glasses)
And this is grandfather's cap. (make shape of bigger hat )
And this is the way he folds his arms, (cross arms and lean back)
And sits like that.

(return to top)

Here is a Bunny

Here is a bunny (hold up fist)
With ears so funny, (raise 2 fingers as bunny ears)
And here is a hole (form circle with other hand to make hole)
In the ground.

At the first sound she hears,
She pricks up her ears (stick "bunny ear" fingers up straight)
And hops (place "bunny" hand in hole)
Right into the ground.

(return to top)

I'm a Little Teapot

I'm a little teapot, short and stout.
Here is my handle, (put hand on hip)
Here is my spout. (raise other hand in air)
When I get all steamed up,
Hear me shout.
Tip me over and pour me out. (bend over as if pouring tea out of a pot)

(return to top)

One Potato

One potato, (hold up fingers one by one, while counting)
Two potato,
Three potato,
Four,
Five potato,
Six potato,
Seven potatoes
More!

(return to top)

One, Two, Three, Four, Five

One, two, three, four, five, (hold up fingers one by one, while counting)
Once I caught a fish alive. (put hands together and wiggle like a fish)
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten, (hold up fingers one by one, while counting)
Then I threw it back again. (make throwing motion)

Why did you let it go? (hold hands out asking why)
Because it bit my finger so. (shake hand, as if hurt)
Which finger did it bite? (hold hands out asking why)
This little finger on my right. (wiggle pinky finger)

(return to top)

Open/Shut Them

Open, shut them, (open and shut fists)
Open, shut them,
Give a little clap. (clap)

Open, shut them, (open and shut fists)
Open, shut them,
Put them in your lap. (place hands in lap)

Creep them, creep them (walk hands up body to chin)
To your chin.
Open your mouth,
But do not put them in.

Roll them, roll them, (make rolling motion with hands)
Roll them, roll them,
Roll them just like this.

Wave them, wave them, (wave)
Wave them, wave them,
Blow a little kiss! (blow a kiss)

(return to top)

Right Hand,Left Hand

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. (roll hands in a circle)
Left hand, right hand,
Pound, pound, pound. (pound hands on top of each other)

(return to top)

Roll Your Hands

Roll your hands so slowly, (roll hands)
As slowly as can be.
Roll your hands so slowly,
Then fold them just like me.

Roll your hands so quickly,
As quickly as can be.
Roll your hands so quickly,
Then fold them just like me.

Clap your hands so softly, (clap hands)
Softly as can be.
Clap your hands so softly,
Then fold them just like me.

Clap your hands so loudly,
Loudly as can be.
Clap your hands so loudly,
Then fold them just like me.

(return to top)

Round and Round the Garden

Round and round the garden, (rub finger in a circle in child's palm)
Like a teddy bear,
One step, two steps, (creep fingers up child's arm and tickle under chin)
Tickle under there!

(return to top)

Two Little Blackbirds

Two little blackbirds (hold up 2 fingers)
Sitting on a wall,
One named Peter, (hold 1 finger out)
One named Paul. (hold the other finger out)

Fly away, Peter. (put one finger behind back)
Fly away, Paul. (put other finger behind back)
Come back, Peter. (bring first finger back out front)
Come back, Paul. (bring other finger back out front)

(return to top)

Where is Thumbkin?

Where is Thumbkin? (put both hands behind back)
Where is Thumbkin?
Here I am. (bring one thumb out front)
Here I am. (bring other thumb out front)

How are you today sir? (bend one thumb as if talking to the other)
Very well I thank you. (bend other thumb as if talking back)
Run away. (put first thumb behind back)
Run away. (Put other thumb behind back)

Repeat with: Pointer, Tall Man, Ring Man, Small Man.

(return to top)

Now that you've mastered these preschool finger plays, check out these:

• preschool songs,
• preschool action songs, and
• preschool nursery rhymes.