Ball of Fur--fingerplay  (Cats)

I have a little ball of fur.

  (cup hands together)

When I pet it, hear her purr.

  (stroke one fist with other hand, then purr)

Cleaning My Room--fingerplay

I picked up my toys

  (pretend to pick up)

And dusted my room

  (pretend to hold duster, make quick up & down motions

    with one hand)

I swept the floor

  (pretend to hold broom, make back & forth motions)

With a broom.

I shined my mirror

  (make circular motion with open palm

And made my bed.

  (pretend to pull up blanket)

"You did great!"

  (hug self)

My mother said.

Dinosaurs stomp!

  (do motions as indicated)

Dinosaurs roar!

Dinosaurs chomp!

Dinosaurs snore!

If I Were a Detective—fingerplay

If I were a detective, I’d look and look

  (make circles with fingers & put in front of eyes, look around)

And write down clues in my notebook.

  (pretend to write)

If I were a detective, I’d think and think

  (tap side of head with index finger)

And figure out the mystery as quick as a wink!

  (snap fingers & wink)

Knock, Knock, Who's There?--fingerplay  

Knock, knock, who's there?

  (pretend to knock, hold out hands in questioning position)

Two little feet that go tap, tap

  (hold up correct number of fingers, do motions as indicated)

Knock, knock, who's there?

Two little knees that go slap, slap

Knock, knock, who's there?

Two little hips that go wiggle, wiggle

Knock, knock, who's there?

One little tummy that goes jiggle, jiggle

Knock, knock, who's there?

Two little arms that go flap, flap

Knock, knock, who's there?

Two little hands that go clap, clap

Knock, knock, who's there?

Two little eyes that go blink, blink

Knock, knock, who's there?

One little head that goes think, think

Knock, knock, who's there?

Open the door and see.  

  (pretend to open door)

Knock, knock, who's there?

It's every part of me.

  (wiggle whole body)

Although this fingerplay is long, it's not hard to learn because of the repetition.  It is also very popular with children for this reason.  To memorize the rhyme, remember that the fingerplay starts at the feet and moves upward.  The following pattern exists--2, 2, 2, 1-- and then is repeated, e.g. two feet, two knees, etc.  The highlighted words should assist in learning the fingerplay.

Make a large Christmas tree out of paper or corrugated cardboard.  The tree we're using is about 4 foot tall.  Put several pieces of Velcro on the tree.  I put the sticky half on the tree.  Then make paper light bulbs in red, yellow and white.  Put the other half of the Velcro pieces on the back of the bulbs.  We laminated the bulbs before putting on the Velcro.  Hide the light bulbs around the library.  The children can find the bulbs and "decorate" the tree. 

Enlarge or reduce the pattern depending on the size of your tree.  You can color the bottom of each bulb black to make it more realistic.

Pumpkins--fingerplay/name tag activity 

Look, oh look, what I found

  (place hand above eyes, look around)

Pumpkins, pumpkins all around

  (spread hands wide)

Big orange pumpkins on the ground

  (make large circle with hands)

Roll 1 pumpkin into town

  (roll hands around each other)

I used this as a name tag activity.  Before reciting the verse, I put my pumpkin name tag on the board.  At the end of the fingerplay, some children put their name tags on the board.  We would then count how many pumpkins were on the board and repeat the verse with the correct number in the last line.   

Turkey Hide-and-Seek--fingerplay

On a fine Thanksgiving Day

Two little turkeys went out to play

  (hold up both thumbs)

One said, “Let’s play hide-and-seek.

  (wiggle right thumb)

Close your eyes and do not peek!”

  (put left thumb down, shake head “no”)

Should he hide high?  Should he hide low?

  (move right thumb up, then down)

Should he hide far?  No, no, no!

  (move right thumb away from body, shake head “no”)

Should he hide left?  Should he hide right?

  (move right thumb to left, then right)

Should he hide back out of sight?

  (hide right thumb behind back, shake head “yes”)

The other turkey looks around,

  (bring up left thumb)

But his friend just can’t be found.

  (shake head “no”)

Is he hiding high?  Is he hiding low?

  (move right thumb up, then down)

Is he hiding far?  No, no, no!

  (move right thumb away from body, shake head “no”)

Is he hiding left?  Is he hiding right?

  (move right thumb to left, then right)

Is he hiding back out of sight?

  (hide right thumb behind back, shake head “yes”)

“I found you!” the turkey shouts.

  (bring out left thumb, wiggle thumb)

“Gobble, gobble, come on out!”

  (bring out right thumb)

Washing Clothes--fingerplay

Put the clothes in the washer.

  (pretend to put clothes in)

The water trickles in.

  (wiggle fingers, move downward)

The clothes go round and round.

  (move arms in back & forth circular motion)

Then they spin, spin, spin.

  (move finger quickly in circular motion)

Now put them in the dryer.

  (pretend to put in dryer)

Where they tumble around.

  (roll hands over each other)

They tumble, tumble, tumble

With hardly any sound.

  (put finger to lips, whisper this line)

But I'm glad when I'm dirty,

  (point to self)

I wash in the tub or sink.

  (pretend to wash self)

'Cause if I went in the washer or dryer,

  (put one hand out to side, then other)

I'd get dizzy I think!

  (move body in circular motion)

After doing this fingerplay, we talked about how getting in the washer or dryer wouldn't just make you dizzy, but would also be unsafe.

What Do I Hear?--fingerplay (Christmas)

What do I hear up on my house?

  (put hand to ear, point upward)

Is it a cat?  Is it a mouse?

  (meow, then squeak)

No, it makes a much louder sound

  (shake head “no”, slap hands against legs)

It’s in the chimney!  It’s coming down!

  (raise hands, then bring down)

I see boots and a suit of red.

  (point to feet, then move hands upward)

“Ho, ho, ho,” is what he said.

Do you know who my guest might be?

  (hold out hands in questioning pose)

It is Santa bringing presents to me.

  (nod head, point to self)

But shhh, I should be asleep

  (put fingers to lips and whisper, rest head on

   hands)

So into my bedroom I will creep.

  (quietly move hands across legs)

The last two lines are whispered, which kids really seem to like.