Barrington Area Library
Grow a Reader | Fingerplays

Two-Year-Olds | Three-Year-Olds | Three- through Five-Year-Olds | Four- and Five-Year-Olds

A–B | C–H | I–M | N–R | S–Z

A Ram Sam Sam
A ram sam sam. (clap hands three times)
A ram sam sam. (clap hands three times)
Guli, guli, guli, guli, guli, (roll hands)
Ram sam sam. (clap hands three times) 

A ram sam sam. (clap hands three times)
A ram sam sam. (clap hands three times)
Guli, guli, guli, guli, guli, (roll hands)
Ram sam sam. (clap hands three times)

Arafi, arafi. (throw hand in the air)
Guli, guli, guli, guli, guli, (roll hands)
Ram sam sam. (clap hands three times)

A ram sam sam. (clap hands three times)
A ram sam sam. (clap hands three times)
Guli, guli, guli, guli, guli, (roll hands)
Ram sam sam. (clap hands three times)

Animal Sounds ("Sung to Frere Jacque")
I'm a duck, I'm a duck.
Watch me walk, watch me walk.
Hear me when I talk.
Hear me when I talk.
Quack, quack, quack.
Quack, quack, quack.

I'm a birdie, watch me fly, cheep, cheep, cheep
I'm a kitten, watch me scratch, meow, meow, meow
I'm a dog, watch me dig, bark, bark, bark

Baby Mice
Where are the baby mice?
Squeak, squeak, squeak. (hide your hand behind your back)
I cannot see them peek, peek, peek.  (bring your fist forward)
Here they come out of their hole.
One, two, three, four, five, and that is all. (open your fingers one at a time)

Big and Small
I can make myself real big (stand on toes)
By standing up straight and tall.
But when I'm tired of being big,
I can make myself get small (stoop down)

The Birds
Up in the sky the little birds fly.  (flap arms)
Down in their nest the little birds rest.  (rest head in hands)
With a wing on their left and a wing on their right,  (make each arm into a wing)         
The little birds sleep all through the night.  (move to the floor)
Then, UP comes the sun, the dew goes away.  (jump up)
Good morning, good morning,  (wave each hand)                       
The little birds say.

Can You Jump Like a Frog? (see also Not Say a Single Word for a different version)
Can you hop, hop, hop like a bunny?
Can you jump, jump, jump like a frog?
Can you walk, walk, walk like a duck?
Can you run, run, run like a dog?
Can you fly, fly, fly like a bird?
Can you swim, swim, swim like a fish?
But can you still be a quiet little child?
And sit as still as this?

Choo-Choo Train
This is the choo-choo train, (move arms like train)
Puffing down the track.
Now it's going forward, (arms go forward)
Now it's going back. (arms go back)
Now the bell is ringing, (pull pretend bell cord)
Now the whistle blows.
What a lot of noise it makes (cover ears with hands)
Everywhere it goes. (stretch out arms)

Clap Hands
Clap, clap hands, 1, 2, 3. (clap hands on each syllable)
Put your hands upon your knees. (place hands on knees)
Lift them high to touch the sky. (reach hands up)
Clap, clap hands and (clap three times)
Away they fly! (flutter hands upward)

Crocodile Pie
Crocodile, crocodile, (open and close hands like an crocodile's mouth)
Crocodile pie.
If I don't get some,
I think I'm going to cry. (pretend to cry)
You can take away the grass, (wiggle fingers like grass blowing)

And take away the sky, (hands over head)
But don't take away (open and close hands like an crocodile's mouth)
My crocodile pie.

Dance Your Fingers Up
Dance your fingers up, dance your fingers down.
Dance your fingers to the side, dance them all around.
Dance them on your shoulders, dance them on your head.
Dance them on your tummy, and put them all to bed. (fold hands)

Falling Raindrops
Raindrops, raindrops!           (move fingers to imitate falling rain)
Falling all around.
Pitter-patter on the rooftops,           
Pitter-patter on the ground.   (tap softly on floor)
Here is my umbrella.             (pretend to open umbrella)
It will keep me dry.                  (place over head)
When I walking in the rain
I hold it up so high.                 (hold high in air)

Five Little Monkeys
Five little monkeys jumping on the bed                   (five fingers jumping)
One fell off and bumped his head.                           (put one finger down)
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,         (pretend to phone)
“No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”               (shake finger)

 Repeat:  Four little monkeys…
                 Three little monkeys…
                 Etc…..

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes (Touch appropriate body part)
Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
knees and toes.
Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
knees and toes.
Eyes and ears and mouth and nose.
Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
knees and toes.

Here is a Beehive
Here is a beehive. (make beehive with fist)
Where are the bees? (pretend to look around for them)
Hiding inside (try to see inside beehive)
Where nobody sees!

Soon they come creeping (unlock fist slowly)
Out of the hive.
One, two, three, four, five!
Buuzzzz

Honey Bear
A little brown bear went in search of some honey.
Isn't it funny -- a bear wanting honey?
He sniffed at the breeze, (sniff air)
And he listened for bees,  (cup ear)
And would you believe,
He even climbed trees?  (pretend to climb)

I Saw a Little Rabbit
I saw a little rabbit go hop, hop, hop.
I saw his long ears go flop, flop, flop.
I saw his little nose go twink, twink, twink.
I saw his little eyes go blink, blink, blink.
I said, “Little rabbit, won’t you stay?”
But he looked at me and hopped away!

If You're Wearing Red Today
From Cobb, Jane. "If You're Wearing Red Today" in I'm a Little Teapot! Presenting Preschool Storytime.
(Sung to "Mary Had a Little Lamb")

If you're wearing red today,
red today, red today,
if you're wearing red today,
Please stand up.

If you're wearing green today,
green today, green today,
Please stand up.

 (Continue with other colors as appropriate).

Little Turtle
There was a little turtle.                     (make small circle with thumb and finger)
He lived in a box.                                (cup hands to form box)
He swam in a puddle.                       (swimming motions)
He climbed on the rocks.                 (climbing motion with hands)
He snapped at a mosquito.             (clap hands)
He snapped at a flea.                        (clap hands)
He snapped at a minnow.                (clap hands)
He snapped at me.                            (clap hands)
He caught the mosquito.                  (catching motion with hands)
He caught the flea.                             (catching motion with hands
He caught the minnow.                     (catching motion with hands
But he didn’t catch me!                      (point to self and shake head, “no!”)

My Hands
My hands say thank you
With a clap, clap, clap.
My feet say thank you
With a tap, tap, tap.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Turn around and bow.
Thank you.

Open, Shut Them 
(hands act out words)
Open, shut them. Open, shut them.
Give a little clap, clap, clap.
Open, shut them. Open, shut them.
Put them in your lap, lap, lap.
Creep them, creep them.
Slowly creep them, right up to your chin.
Open wide your little mouth,
But do not put them in.
Open, shut them. Open, shut them.
To your shoulders fly.
Then like little birdies, let them flutter to the sky.
Falling, falling, almost touch the ground.
Quickly pick them up,
And start them spinning round and round.
Faster, faster, faster, faster, faster!
Slower, slower, slower, slower,
STOP!

Petting Zoo
I went down to the petting zoo.
Oh!  What did I see?
I saw a lion growling at me!

I went down to the petting zoo.
Oh!  What did I see?
I saw a monkey laughing at me!

(Add additional animals)

The Puppy
Call the puppy,                       (beckon with hand or finger)
And give him some milk.      (pretend to pour some milk into bowl)
Brush his coat                        (pretend to brush dog)
Till it shines like silk.
Call the dog                            (beckon with hand or finger)
And give him a bone.            (hold two fingers as though holding a bone)
Take him for a walk,              (pretend to hold leash of dog)
Then put him in his home.   (form shape of imaginary dog house)

Ten Little Fingers
Ten little fingers,
We raise them to the sky.
Ten little fingers,
We wave them all good-bye!

There’s a Spider on the Floor
There’s a spider on the floor, on the floor.
There’s a spider on the floor, on the floor.
Who could ask for anything more than a spider on the floor,
There’s a spider on the floor, on the floor.

Now the spider’s on my leg, on my leg.
Now the spider’s on my leg, on my leg.
Oh, he’s really big! This old spider on my leg,
There’s a spider on my leg, on my leg.

Now the spider’s on my arm, on my arm.
Now the spider’s on my arm, on my arm.
Oh, please sound the alarm! ‘Cause the spider’s on my arm,
There’s a spider on my arm, on my arm.

Now the spider’s on my neck, on my neck.
Now the spider’s on my neck, on my neck.
Oh, I’m gonna be a wreck, I’ve got a spider on my neck,
There’s a spider on my neck, on my neck.

Now the spider’s on my face, on my face.
Now the spider’s on my face, on my face.
Oh, what a big disgrace, I’ve got a spider on my face,
There’s a spider on my face, on my face.

Spoken: But he jumps off…

Wiggle, Wiggle, Wiggle
A wiggle-wiggle here,
A wiggle-wiggle there.
Wiggle your hands,
Up in the air.
Wiggle your shoulders,
Wiggle your hips.
Wiggle your knees,
And move your lips.
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle,
And wiggle and bend.
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle,
And that is the end!

With a Cock-a-Doodle-Doo
With a cock-a-doodle-doo,
The rooster greets the day.
With a moo, moo, moo,
The cow walks on his way.
With a clippety-clop, clippety-clop,
The horse goes running by.
And with an oink, oink, oink,
The pig eats in the sty.