There are a myriad of games to help your child develop coordination and language skills. Some of the most fun are action rhymes. Your little one will find the rhymes amusing and will want to play along with you. This leap from passive to active is an important step in your child’s development.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0
\n\u00c2\u00a0
\nOpen\/Close Them<\/p>\n
Sing Open, Shut Them to the tune of Frere Jacques:<\/p>\n
Open eyes now,
\nClose your eyes now,
\nGive a wink, give a wink.
\nLook at what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s around you,
\nPeek-a-boo, I found you!
\nBlink, blink, blink,
\nBlink, blink, blink.
\nOpen arms now,
\nClose your arms now,
\nHug yourself, hug yourself.
\nOpen up your arms, then
\nClose your arms around, then
\nHug, hug, hug,
\nHug, hug, hug.
\nOpen fingers,
\nClose your fingers,
\nClap, clap, clap,
\nClap, clap, clap.
\nOpen up your fingers,
\nNow close all your fingers,
\nClap, clap, clap,
\nClap, clap, clap.
\nOpen mouth now,
\nClose your mouth now,
\nKiss, kiss, kiss,
\nKiss, kiss, kiss.
\nOpen up your mouth now,
\nClose it up again and
\nKiss, kiss, kiss,
\nKiss, kiss, kiss.
\nOpen knees now,
\nClose your knees now,
\nClick, click, click,
\nClick, click, click,
\nOpen up your knees now,
\nClose them back again now,
\nClick, click, click,
\nClick, click, click.
\nOpen eyes now,
\nClose your eyes now.
\nGive a wink,
\nGive a wink.
\nLook at what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s around you,
\nPeek-a-boo, I found you!
\nBlink, blink, blink,
\nBlink, blink, blink.
\nLittle Mouse<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Here comes a little mouse,
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Looking for a little house.
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Here?\u00c2\u00a0 No!
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Here?\u00c2\u00a0 No!
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Here!<\/p>\n
In this traditional rhyme, “Mouse”\u00c2\u00a0 looks for a home.\u00c2\u00a0 Begin by walking your mousy fingers up from your child’s tummy.\u00c2\u00a0 Mouse looks for a home under each arm.\u00c2\u00a0 You can increase the suspense by speaking slowly and raising the tone of your voice.\u00c2\u00a0 The rhyme ends “Here!” with a tickle under the chin.<\/p>\n
Slowly Creeps the Garden Snail<\/p>\n
Creep your fingers slowly up each of your child’s arms in turn as you imitate the snail.\u00c2\u00a0 Then dance your fingers over the child’s body quickly as you end the rhyme, pretending to be a mouse.\u00c2\u00a0 This jingle often culminates in a big laughing hug as your child collapses giggling in your arms.<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Slowly, slowly, slowly, up the garden rail,
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Slowly, slowly, slowly, creeps the garden snail.
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Quickly, quickly, very quickly, all around the house,
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Quickly, quickly, very quickly, goes the little mouse!
\nBaby Parts<\/p>\n
0-3 months, Development, Phonological Awareness, Finger Plays<\/p>\n
Your baby\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s body parts will provide the topic for many of the conversations the two of you will carry on as you interact.\u00c2\u00a0 You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll find your newborn is not much of a conversationalist\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmost of the burden of small talk will fall to you.\u00c2\u00a0 Your repetition of words such as body parts will start your baby on a lifelong learning process.<\/p>\n
Knock Knock<\/p>\n
Knock, knock (knock on baby\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s forehead)
\nPeek In (Open eyes wider)
\nOpen the latch (push up the tip of her nose)
\nAnd walk right in (walk fingers into mouth)
\nHow do you do, Ms Chin-chin-chin? (wiggle baby\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s chin)<\/p>\n
Thumbkin, Pointer<\/p>\n
Thumbkin, pointer, middleman big. (point to each finger)
\nSilly man (ring finger), wee man (pinky)
\nRig-a-Jig-Jig (Roll baby\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hands around each other).<\/p>\n
Months from now, when your baby becomes well-versed in the names of the body parts, you can purposely slip in a wrong word or two so she can correct you.
\nLittle Flea\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 (creep fingers over baby starting at toes)<\/p>\n
Creeping, creeping, little flea
\nUp my leg and past my knee
\nTo my tummy, on he goes
\nPast my chin and to my nose
\nNow he’s creeping down my chin
\nTo my tummy once again
\nDown my leg and past my knee
\nTo my toe that little flea
\nGOTCHA!\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 (tickle baby’s foot)<\/p>\n
Five Little Ducks<\/p>\n
5 little ducks went out to play\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 (hold up 5 fingers)
\nOver the fields and far away\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 (arc hand up and down)
\nWhen mother duck said
\nQuack! Quack! Quack!\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 (clap hands like a duck’s bill)
\n4 little ducks came waddling back\u00c2\u00a0 (wiggle body or four fingers)
\n– repeat with 4, 3, 2, 1
\nSad mother duck went out one day
\nOver the fields and far away\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 (arc hand up and down)
\nWhen mother duck said\u00c2\u00a0
\nQuack! Quack! Quack!\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 (say loudly & clap using whole arm)
\n5 little ducks came waddling back\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 (wiggle body or fingers)<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Little Turtle<\/p>\n
I had a little turtle
\nWho lived in a box (draw a square in the air)
\nHe swam in the puddles (pretend to swim)
\nAnd climbed on the rocks (pretend to climb)
\nHe snapped at a mosquito (pinch with fingers)
\nHe snapped at a flea
\nHe snapped at a minnow
\nAnd he snapped at me!
\nHe caught the mosquito (clap hands)
\nHe caught the flea
\nHe caught the minnow
\nBut he didn’t catch me! (shake head “no”)<\/p>\n
Open them shut them<\/p>\n
Open them shut them
\nOpen them shut them, give a little clap
\nOpen them shut them
\nOpen them shut them, put them in your lap
\nCreep them, creep them
\nCreep them, creep them, right up to your chin
\nOpen up your little mouth, but do not put them in
\nOpen them shut them
\nOpen them shut them, give a little clap
\nOpen them shut them
\nOpen them shut them, put them in your lap
\nCreep them, creep them
\nCreep them, creep them right up to your nose
\nCreep them, creep them
\nCreep them, creep them right down to your toes
\nOpen them shut them
\nOpen them shut them, give a little clap
\nOpen them shut them
\nOpen them shut them, put them in your lap
\nCreep them, creep them
\nCreep them, creep them right up to your cheek
\nCover up your little eyes,
\nAnd through your fingers peek
\nMy Big Blue Boat (rock back and forth)<\/p>\n
*can be sung to “Mary Had a Little Lamb”<\/p>\n
I love to row in my big blue boat
\nMy big blue boat, my big blue boat
\nI love to row in my big blue boat
\nOut on the deep blue sea
\nMy big blue boat has two red sails
\n(wave arms over head like sails)
\nTwo red sails, two red sails
\nMy big blue boat has two red sails
\nOut on the deep blue sea
\nSo come for a row in my big blue boat
\nMy big blue boat, my big blue boat
\nSo come for a row in my big blue boat
\nOut on the deep blue sea<\/p>\n
Color Glove
\n\u00c2\u00a0
\nMaterials: White work gloves;\u00c2\u00a0 red, yellow, green, blue and orange paint.
\nDescription: Take the white gloves and paint the fingers only of both hands. Paint them red, yellow, blue, green, orange, so that you have two of each color.\u00c2\u00a0 Then, sing this song.<\/p>\n
Tune: “Are You Sleeping”
\nWhere is red? (bring one hand up with all fingers showing)
\nWhere is red? (repeat with other hand.)
\nHere I am,\u00c2\u00a0 (wave one hand)
\nHere I am (wave other hand)
\nShow me if you can, (Hold hands up)
\nShow me if you can.
\nWhere is red?
\nWhere is red?<\/p>\n
Repeat this with all the colors allowing the toddlers to show you the colors.<\/p>\n
Here are Grandma’s Glasses<\/p>\n
Here are Grandma’s glasses, (make little circles with fingers over eyes)
\nHere is Grandma’s hat, (circle your head and pretend you are tying it underneath your chin)
\nThis is the way she holds
\nher hands and sits like that. (fold your hands sweetly on your lap)
\nHere are Grandpa’s glasses (make them bigger that grandma’s)
\nHere is Grandpa’s hat (make a big hat overhead with your arms)
\nThis is the way he folds
\nHis arms and sits like that (fold arms across chest, relax back in chair and fold knee over other)<\/p>\n
Five Little Monkeys<\/p>\n
(Begin with 5 fingers splayed and palm away from you, swinging hand to rhythm of verse…)
\nFive little monkeys swinging from a tree,
\nteasing mr. alligator, you can’t catch me, you can’t catch me.
\n(whisper) Along comes mr. alligator, (Put palms together and slither hands like an alligator)
\nquiet as can be, and
\nSNAPPED THAT MONKEY RIGHT OUTTA THAT TREE. (louder, and clap hands with the word SNAP)
\n(Repeat with 4,3,2,1 monkeys)<\/p>\n
Ram Sam Sam<\/p>\n
(A nonsense song that 1-2 yrs old love. On Ram Sam Sam hit one fist on top of other)
\nA ram sam sam
\nA ram sam sam
\nGoolie Goolie Goolie (Roll hands)
\nand a Ram Sam Sam (Hit fists again)
\nA Raffy A Raffy (Lift arms)
\nGoolie Goolie Goolie (Roll hands again)
\nand a RAM SAM SAM!(Hit fists again)<\/p>\n
Five Little Puppies<\/p>\n
Five little puppies were playing in the sun. (hold up hands,fingers extended)
\nThis one saw a rabbit, and he began to run. (bend down first finger)
\nThis one saw a butterfly,and he began to race. (bend down secind finger)
\nThis one saw a cat,and he began to chase. (bend down third finger)
\nThis one tried to catch his tail,and he went round and round. (bend down fourth finger)
\nthis one was so quiet,he never made a sound. (bend down thumb)<\/p>\n
Little Robin Red Breast<\/p>\n
(hold up thumb and baby finger, and curl down rest of fingers)
\nLittle robin red breast, stay upon a rail
\nniddle, noodle went his head (wiggle thumb for head)
\nwibble, wobble went his tail (wiggle baby finger for tail)
\nLittle Turtle<\/p>\n
There was a little turtle (Make fist like turtle)
\nThat lived in a box (Draw a box in the air)
\nHe swam through the puddles (Pretend to swim)
\nAnd climbed on the rocks (Walk finger’s across child’s hair)
\nHe snapped at a mosquito (Make snapping motion)
\nHe snapped at a flea (Make snapping motion)
\nHe snapped at a minnow (Make snapping motion)
\nAnd he snapped at me (Snap at yourself)
\nHe caught the mosquito (Tickle child)
\nHe caught the flea (Tickle child again)
\nHe caught the minnow (Tickle child yet again)
\nBut he didn’t catch me !!!!<\/p>\n
Three Little Hot Dogs<\/p>\n
(Place 3 fingers from your right hand into the palm of your left, patting them up and down, saying…
\nThree little hot dogs frying in the pan,
\nthe pan got hot and one (hold up 1 finger)
\nwent BAM! (clap on “BAM”)
\n(Place 2 fingers from your right hand into your left hand…)
\nTwo little hot dogs frying in the pan,
\nthe pan got hot and one (hold up 1 finger)
\nwent BAM!(clap)
\nOne little hot dog frying in the pan,
\nthe pan got hot and one went
\n“‘Wait, Wait! Put me on your plate and eat me!”
\n(If the child is in your lap this is your cue to pretend to “eat her up” and tickle.
\nOr, if the child doesn’t like to be tickled she can pretend to “eat up” her finger in an exaggerated fashion.)<\/p>\n
Five Little Snowmen<\/p>\n
Five little snowmen riding on the sled (pretend five fingers are sledding)
\nOne fell off and bumped his head (pretend one finger falls off… rub head)
\nI called Frosty and Frosty said (dial imaginary telephone)
\n“No more snowmen, riding on that sled!” (Say in deep voice)
\nFour little snowmen…etc.
\nThe Beehive<\/p>\n
Here is the bee-hive, (close fist)
\nWhere are the bees?
\nHiding away where nobody sees.
\nThey are all coming out now,
\nThey are all alive.
\nOne! Two! Three! Four! Five!
\n(Stick thumb, first finger, second, etc. on last line.)
\nThe Church<\/p>\n
Here is the church, (fingers interlaced and folded underneath palms, thumbs together on the outside)
\nHere is the steeple. (index fingers together, sticking up)
\nOpen the doors (thumbs seperate)
\nAnd see all the people! (turn hands over and wiggle interlaced fingers)<\/p>\n
Wind the Bobbin<\/p>\n
Wind, wind, wind the bobbin, (rolling hands)
\nwind, wind wind, the bobbin,
\nPull, pull, Clap! Clap! Clap! (pull arms out and clap)
\nRound and Round the Garden<\/p>\n
Round and round the garden like a teddy bear
\n(swirl your index finger around palm of child’s hand)
\nOne step, Two step (walk fingers up child’s arm)
\nHidden under there! (tickle child’s underarm)<\/p>\n
Roundabout Wee Mousey
\n\u00c2\u00a0
\nRoundabout, roundabout, little wee mousey
\n(swirl your index finger around palm of child’s hand)
\nUp the tree, up the tree,(walk fingers up child’s arm)
\nInto the housey!(tickle child’s underarm)<\/p>\n
Finger Friends<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2 Clean, light-colored knit glove
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2 Permanent felt-tip pens<\/p>\n
1. Find a clean, light-colored glove that fits snugly.
\n2. Draw funny faces on the fingertips with permanent felt-tip pens. The faces can represent anyone you like\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmom and dad, sister and brother, baby, other favorite relatives, the family pet, and so on.
\n3. Slip the glove onto your hand, and give your baby a puppet show, sing some songs, and do some fingerplays, such as “Where Is Thumbkin?”<\/p>\n
Fingers, Toes, Hair, Nose *<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2 Floor or infant seat
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2 Your voice
\n\u00c2\u00a0
\n1. Seat your baby on the floor or in her infant seat, and sit facing her.
\n2. Sing the following song, and move your baby\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s finger to the appropriate body parts.<\/p>\n
Put Your Finger in the Air
\nPut your finger in the air, in the air,
\nPut your finger in the air, in the air,
\nPut your finger in the air, then put it in your hair,
\nPut your finger in your hair, in your hair.
\nPut your finger on your nose, on your nose,
\nPut your finger on your nose, on your nose,
\nPut your finger on your nose, then put it on your toes,
\nPut your finger on your toes, on your toes.
\n(repeat with arm\/leg, cheeks\/chin, lip\/hips, neck\/back, then)
\nPut your finger on your finger, on your finger,
\nPut your finger on your finger, on your finger,
\nPut your finger on your finger, and then in your lap,<\/p>\n
At the end of the song, give a clap!
\nFinger Play \u00e2\u20ac\u201c 10 Fingers<\/p>\n
I have ten little fingers and they all belong to me. (Hands upright)
\nI can make them do things, would you like to see?
\nI can shut them up tight;(shut them up into fists)
\nOr open them wide. (Open them wide)
\nI can put them together, or make them all hide. (Close fists together)
\nI can make them jump high. (Swing hands down low)
\nI can fold them up quietly and hold them just so. (Place in lap)<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finger Play – Gobble Gobble<\/p>\n
Wee wiggle, (wiggle baby toe)
\nTwo tickle, (wiggle next toe)
\nThree giggle, (wiggle next toe)
\nFour sniggle, (wiggle next toe)
\nFive gobble! (pretend to gobble up your baby’s foot)<\/p>\n
Finger Play – I have a Little Heart<\/p>\n
I have a little heart and it goes thump, thump, thump.
\nIt keeps right on beating when I jump, jump, jump.
\nI get a special feeling when I look at you.
\nIt makes me want to give you a kiss or two!
\nFinger Play \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Thumkin<\/p>\n
Where is thumbkin?
\nWhere is thumbkin? (Hide hands behind back)
\nHere I am (Bring out one hand)
\nHere I am (Bring out the other)
\nHow are you today, sir? (Nod one thumb)
\nVery well, I thank you. (Nod the other thumb)
\nRun away, run away. (Hide thumbs again behind back)
\n(Repeat using “pointer”, “Tall Man”, “Ring Man”, and “pinkie” instead of Thumbkin.)<\/p>\n
Finger Play – Two Little Blackbirds<\/p>\n
Two little blackbirds sitting on the hill
\n(hold up the pointer finger of each hand)
\nOne named Jack and one named Jill
\n(wiggle “Jack” and then wiggle “Jill”)
\nFly away, Jack
\n(wiggle your finger the put it behind your back in a flying motion)
\nFly away, Jill
\n(wiggle your other finger and then put it behind your back)
\nCome back, Jack (bring back Jack)
\nCome back, Jill (bring back Jill)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There are a myriad of games to help your child develop coordination and language skills. Some of the most fun are action rhymes. Your little one will find the rhymes amusing and will want to play along with you. This leap from passive to active is an important step in your child’s development.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0 Open\/Close […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,62,64,25,34,38,63],"tags":[409,370,413,371,410,372,396,373,214],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/mom\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3561"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/mom\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/mom\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/mom\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/mom\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3561"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/mom\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3561\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3562,"href":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/mom\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3561\/revisions\/3562"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/mom\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3561"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/mom\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3561"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pcgirl.net\/mom\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3561"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}