Happy Hands Finger Plays!

PATTY CAKE

Patty cake, patty cake,    (Clap hands and pat with a partner.)
Baker’s man.
Bake me a cake
As fast as you can.
Roll it,                            (Roll hands around.)
And pat it,                      (Tap hands together.)
And mark it with “B”        (Draw on palm.)
And throw it in the oven       (Pretend to throw something.)
For Baby and me!          (Point to friend and then self.)

DOUBLE DOUBLE

(This is a fun brain break that I often do at my workshops.
    It’s really better for older children or adults.)

Double,       (You and your partner make fists
Double,             with your hands and tap together twice.)
This,          (Tap palms with partner twice.)
This,
Double,       (Tap fists twice.)
Double,
That,          (Tap back of palms with partner twice.)
That,
Double       (Tap fists once.)
This,          (Tap palms once.)
Double       (Tap fists once.)
That,         (Tap backs of palms once.)
Double,     (Tap fists twice.)
Double,
This,         (Tap palms once.)
That.         (Tap back of palms once.)

*Reinforce compound words with this rhyme. For example:

Double, double, snow, snow.
Double, double, man, man.
Double snow.
Double man.
Double, double snowman.

FINGER PLAY MITT

Don’t you know children and their parents love this activity that Robyn Collins does in her Pre-K classroom? Robyn makes a mitt out of felt for each child similar to the one shown. Each week the children learn a new finger play and Robyn makes figures to Velcro to the mitt as they say the rhyme.

(Robyn says sometimes they cut out shapes, or just purchase foam shapes or other seasonal objects. A little Velcro on the back is all you need.)

At the end of the week, children take home the mitt and say the rhyme for their parents. They get to keep a copy of the rhyme and the props at home. Here is what Robyn tapes to the clear sheet protector that goes home each week with the mitt.

      Please send this bag and the mitt back to school.
      You may keep the finger play characters. We will
      use this mitt throughout the school year. The children
      will be able to keep the mitt at the end of the year.

Click for larger image

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