Music, rhythm, and rhyme are all powerful tools for learning and for getting verbal with your littles. Finger plays are a great way to incorporate it all at once! Here are just a few of their magical, language-boosting powers:
- Catchy but simple music gives children the opportunity to hear and practice the rhythm of language.
- Songs and fingerplays help a child learn new words. Children who rarely speak or those who say 1-2 words at a time will often sing a few lines along with their favorite songs.
- It’s a great beginning to practice sentence structure, vocabulary, and turn-taking. Sing the first part “The itsy bitsy spider went….” and have your child fill in the blank!
- Songs with motions and fingerplays combine fine and gross motor movements with language practice.
- Rhyme is an important building block for early literacy skills.
- It boosts memory and sequencing skills.
Way Up High In An Apple Tree
Watch The Learning Station version here.
Way up high in an apple tree, (Hold up both your hands and spread your fingers like a tree)
Five red apples smiled down at me. (Hold up 5 fingers)
I shook that tree as hard as I could, (Pretend to shake the tree)
Down came an apple! (catch apple and bite it)
Mmmmm it was good! (Rub your tummy in a circle)
Way up high in that apple tree, (Hold up both your hands and spread your fingers for pretend apple tree)
Four red apples smiled down at me. (Hold up 4 fingers)
Repeat above with 4, 3, 2, 1, then continue with the ending below
Way up high in that apple tree, (Hold up both your hands and spread your fingers like a tree)
No more apples smiling down at me. (Hide your hands behind your back.)
I shook that tree as hard as I could. (Pretend to shake the tree)
Down came no apples! They’re gone for good! (Hands out to sides with “what” hands, shoulders up and down on “gone/good”)
Way up high in that apple tree, (Hold up both your hands and spread your fingers like a tree)
No more apples left for me. (“Sad” face and pose)
Grey Squirrel, Grey Squirrel
Watch The Learning Station version here.
Grey squirrel, grey squirrel swish your bushy tail.
Grey squirrel, grey squirrel swish your bushy tail.
Hold a nut between your toes.
Wrinkle up your little nose.
Grey squirrel, grey squirrel swish your bushy tail.
Mommy squirrel, mommy squirrel swish your bushy tail.
Mommy squirrel, mommy squirrel swish your bushy tail.
Hold a nut between your toes.
Wrinkle up your little nose.
Mommy squirrel, mommy squirrel swish your bushy tail.
(Repeat with Daddy, Baby, Grandpa, Grandma)
Five Little Acorns
Five little acorns hanging in a tree,
The first one said, ‘I’m happy as can be!”
The second one said, “It feels like fall”
The third one said, “The best season of all!”
The fourth one said, “The squirrel is around!”
The fifth one said, “Hey, what’s that sound?”
Then, up ran the squirrel and
crunch, crunch, crunch!
The five little acorns became his lunch!
The Farmer in the Dell
Watch the Mother Goose Club Playhouse version here.
The farmer in the dell
The farmer in the dell
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The farmer in the dell
The farmer takes a wife
The farmer takes a wife
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The farmer takes a wife
The wife takes the child
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The wife takes the child
The child takes the nurse
The child takes the nurse
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The child takes the nurse
The nurse takes the cow
The nurse takes the cow
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The nurse takes the cow
The cow takes the dog
The cow takes the dog
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The cow takes the dog
The dog takes the cat
The dog takes the cat
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The dog takes the cat
The cat takes the mouse
The cat takes the mouse
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The cat takes the mouse
The mouse takes the cheese
The mouse takes the cheese
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The mouse takes the cheese
The cheese stands alone
The cheese stands alone
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The cheese stands alone
Autumn Leaves Are Falling Down
to the tune of “London Bridge”
Watch The Learning Station version here
Autumn leaves are falling down,
Falling down, falling down,
Autumn leaves are falling down,
On the ground.
Take a rake and rake them up,
Rake them up, rake them up,
Take a rake and rake them up,
On the ground.
Pile them in a great big heap,
Great big heap, great big heap,
Pile them in a great big heap,
On the ground
But here comes the wind to blow them round,
Blow them round, blow them round,
Here comes the wind to blow them round,
On the ground.