Where is Thumbkin?

Where is Thumbkin – fingerplay

Where is Thumbkin?

Where is Thumbkin? [hide hands]

Here I am [bring out left thumb]

Here I am. [bring out right thumb]

“How are you today, sir?” [wiggle left thumb]

“Very well, I thank you” [wiggle right thumb]

Run away [remove left hand]

Run away. [remove right hand]

...Repeat with Pointer, Tall One, Ringer, Pinkie

Wheels on the bus

Wheels on the bus – action song

The wheels on the bus go ‘round and ‘round ‘Round and ‘round, ‘round and ‘round The wheels on the bus go ‘round and ‘round All over town.	[circle hands]
The doors on the bus go open and shut…	[move hands apart and together]
The people on the bus step out and in…	[step forward & back]
The driver on the bus says “move on back”…	[wave towards you]
The wipers on the bus go swish swish swish…	[imitate wipers]
The riders on the bus go bumpity bump…	[bounce]
The babies on the bus cry “waa waa waa”…	[rub eyes]
The mothers on the bus say “shh shh shh” (or “I love you”)	[fingers to lips]

Twinkle twinkle little star

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star – lullaby with actions

Twinkle, twinkle little star	[wiggle fingers]
How I wonder what you are	[scratch head]
Up above the world so high	[raise hands]
Like a diamond in the sky	[make diamond shape]
Twinkle, twinkle little star	[wiggle fingers]
How I wonder what you are	[scratch head]

Tony Chestnut

Tony Chestnut – action song

Tony Chestnut	[point in turn: toe, knee, chest, head…
Knows I love you (repeat both phrases 2x)	Nose, self, child
Tony know, Tony knows	Toe, knee, nose; toe, knee, nose
Tony Chestnut	[point in turn: toe, knee, chest, head…
Knows I love you (repeat both phrases 2x)	Nose, self, child
That’s what Tony knows	Hug child, toe, knee, nose.]

To market, to market

To market, to market – nursery rhyme (and lap bounce)

To market, to market

To buy a fat pig

Home again, home again

Jiggety jig

To market, to market

To buy a fat hog

Home again, home again

Jiggety jog

Thank you rhyme

Thank you rhyme – action rhyme

Our hands say “thank you” with a clap clap clap

Our feet say “thank you” with a tap tap tap

Clap clap clap

Tap tap tap

We roll our hands

And say “goodbye”!

Ten fat peas

Ten fat peas – fingerplay

Ten fat peas in a peapod pressed [fists together, fingers in]

One grew, two grew [raise fingers one by one]

So did all the rest! [raise all fingers]

They grew and grew [lift hands]

And did not stop [up and up]

Until one day, the pod went pop [clap on “pop”]

Roly poly

Roly Poly – action rhyme

(Roll hands round each other, in direction named)

Roly poly, roly poly, up, up, up,

Roly poly, roly poly, down, down, down;

Roly poly, roly poly, out, out, out,

Roly poly, roly poly, in, in, in! (hug)

Put your finger in the air

Put your finger in the air – action song (same tune as "Hole in the Bottom of the Sea")

Put your finger in the air, in the air

Put your finger in the air, in the air

Put your finger in the air and wave it everywhere

Put your finger in the air, in the air

… on your nose (let the cold wind blow)

… on your shoe (leave it a day or two)

… on your chin (where the food slips in)

… on your cheek (leave it a week)

Pop! Goes the weasel

Pop Goes the Weasel – nonsense song

All around the cobbler’s bench

The monkey chased the weasel

The monkey thought ‘twas all in fun

Pop! Goes the weasel

(chorus)

A penny for a spool of thread

A penny for a needle

That’s the way the money goes

Pop! Goes the weasel

Rufus has the whooping cough

And Sally has the measles

And theat’s the way the doctor goes

Pop! Goes the weasel

*If you haven't yet run across the explanation for this song... A "weasel" was a cobbler's tool, and the monkey refers to the same variety of monkey George Michael once famously sang about being on his back...)

Poor cowboys

Poor Cowboys – action rhyme

Cowboy Joe

Hurt his toe [hold toe]

Riding on a wild bronco

Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!

Cowboy Jack

His spine went crack [hold back]

Riding on a buffalo’s back

Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!

Cowgirl Jill

She felt quite ill [hold stomach]

Riding up and down the hill

Ohh! Ohh! Ohh! Ohh!

Cowboy José

His face went gray [hold face]

Riding on a bucking bay

Prrb! Prrb! Prrb! Prrb! [make silly faces]

Poof! I'm a giant!

Poof! I’m a giant – action rhyme

Poof! [clap]

I’m a giant, huge in size [make big motions]

Poof! [clap]

I’m an owl with big yellow eyes [put “O”’s to eyes]

Poof! [clap]

I’m a mouse with an ee ee eee [creep fingers up arm]

Poof! [clap]

That’s best, I’m back to being me! [hug self]

Open, shut them

Open, Shut Them – fingerplay

Open, shut them [x2] [Open and close fists]
Give a little clap clap clap [Clap]
Open, shut them [x2]
Put them in your lap lap lap [Put fists in lap]
Creep them [x2] [Walk hands up baby’s chest]
Right up to your chin
Open up your little mouth…
but do not put them in! [Put hands behind back.]

Creep them, creep them [x2] [tickle down the legs]
Right down to your toes
Let them flutter in the air
And bop! you on the nose!

[repeat first verse]

Old MacDonald

Old MacDonald – song

Old MacDonald had a farm
E I E I O
And on that farm he had a cow
E I E I O

With a moo, moo here
And a moo, moo there
Here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo moo

Old MacDonald had a farm
E I E I O
And on that farm she had a cow
E I E I O

[Repeat with other farm animals]



**Don't forget - farmers can be women, too! Lisa Shulevitz has a wonderful book you can use with this song, too: Old MacDonald Had a Woodshop

Little white duck

Little White Duck – song

There’s a little white duck

Floating in the water

A little white duck

Doing what he ought’er

He took a bite of a lily pad

Flapped his wings and he said

I’m glad I’m a little white duck

Floating in the water

Quack, quack quack

Itsy-bitsy spider

The itsy-bitsy spider – fingerplay

The itsy-bitsy spider

went up the water spout

[thumb to finger, thumb to finger going up]

Down came the rain

and washed the spider out

[whoosh hands down and out to side]

Out came the sun

and dried up all the rain

[raise hands in “O” above head]

And the itsy-bitsy spider

went up the water spout again.

[repeat spider motion]

*here's the Spanish version:

La araña pequeñita subió subió subió

Vino la lluvia y se la llevó

Salió el sol y todo lo secó

Y la araña pequeñita subió subió subió

If you're happy and you know it

If You’re Happy and You Know It – action song

If you’re happy and you know it

Clap your hands [clap clap]

If you’re happy and you know it

Clap your hands [clap clap]

If you’re happy and you know it

And you really want to show it

If you’re happy and you know it

Clap your hands [clap clap]

(Repeat with: Stomp your feet

Shout hurray

Reach up high

Touch your toes, etc.)

I'm a' walkin'

I’m a walkin’ – action chant

I’m a’ walkin’ walkin’ walkin’

I’m a’ walkin’ walkin’ walkin’

I’m a’ walkin’ walkin’ walkin’

Then I stop!

(repeat with: clappin’

chewin’

dancin’

stretchin’, etc.)

I'm a little teapot

I’m a Little Teapot – movement song

I’m a little teapot, short and stout

Here is my handle [one arm on hip]

Here is my spout [other arm point out]

When I get all steamed up

Then I shout

Tip me over and pour me out [tip]

Hickory dickory dock

Hickory Dickory Dock – nursery rhyme (extended and made silly)

Hickory Dickory Dock (tick tock) [hands together, click side to side on "tick tock"]

A mouse ran up the clock (tick tock)

The clock struck one [hands over head, clap one]

The mouse ran down

Hickory Dickory Dock (tick tock!)

Hickory dickory dock (tick tock)

The mouse ran up the clock (tick tock)

The clock struck 2

The mouse said "boo!"

Hickory dickory dock (tick tock)

... the clock struck 3, the mouse said "wheee!"

... the clock struck 4, the mouse said, "no more!"