“Fingerplays offer a fun, learning experience to young kids by engaging multiple senses simultaneously, like touch, movement, and auditory and visual senses.”
Gauri Ratnam, Firstcryparenting
Finger Play for Toddlers to Spark Imagination
Picture this: you and your toddler, a captivating melody filling the air, their little fingers delicately moving in time with the tune. Their eyes sparkle with excitement and curiosity as their hands become the stage for a spider’s adventure or a monkey’s mischief. This vibrant tableau is but a glimpse into the fascinating world of finger play activities. These toddler games are not merely a method of keeping toddlers entertained; they’re a symphony of learning, development, and imagination. Each song, and each action, introduces them to new words, hones their fine motor skills, and sparks their creativity.
What is Finger Play?
Finger play is a playful form of learning activity that involves using hands and fingers to tell stories, sing songs, or perform rhymes. Imagine transforming your hand into a crawling spider in ‘The Itsy-Bitsy Spider’ or a jumping monkey in ‘Five Little Monkeys’. These simple yet powerful activities can enthral your toddler, keeping them entertained while fostering learning.
How Does Finger Play Help Children?
Finger play benefits children in several ways. It enhances their fine motor skills, aids language development, and introduces them to the rhythmic beauty of songs and chants. For example, ‘Open, Shut Them’ teaches the concepts of opposites, while ‘Two Little Blackbirds’ introduces descriptive words. Finger play activities stimulate children’s imaginations, encourage them to think creatively, and help them understand the world around them.
How to Practise Finger Play with Toddlers?
Practising finger plays with toddlers is quite straightforward. All you need are your hands, a little creativity, and an eagerness to have fun. Start with simple songs or rhymes, like ‘The Itsy-Bitsy Spider’, and demonstrate the finger actions to your toddler. Remember to make the activity engaging by adding excitement to your voice and exaggeration to your actions. The beauty of finger play is that it can be done anywhere—while waiting at the doctor’s office, during a car ride, or at bedtime.
Now let’s dive into ten delightful finger play activities. We also have some interesting finger plays for toddlers.
10 Finger Play Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers
- The Itsy-Bitsy Spider
- Five Little Monkeys
- Open, Shut Them
- Two Little Blackbirds
- Where is Thumbkin?
- Here is the Beehive
- Five Little Ducks
- Five Green and Speckled Frogs
- One, Two, Buckle My Shoe
- Pat-a-Cake
Finger play activities for preschoolers that incorporate songs are a win-win! The Itsy-Bitsy Spider is a classic example of this. The charming melody coupled with the finger actions that mimic the spider’s journey keeps toddlers amused and engaged. As a bonus, it also teaches resilience, subtly reminding them that they can always start again when things go wrong.
This is a fun and energetic finger play game that involves counting, drama, and a lot of laughter! As each ‘monkey’ (or finger) ‘jumps’ and ‘falls off’, toddlers learn simple subtraction in the most entertaining way possible. Plus, it serves as a gentle reminder not to jump on beds!
This finger play activity is perfect for teaching opposites. By opening and closing their hands in sync with the song, toddlers learn the concepts of ‘open’ and ‘shut’, and can start identifying these in their surroundings. It’s an easy, fun-filled way to engage them in learning new words. Therefore, ‘Open, Shut them’ is one of the fun finger games for toddlers.
In this finger play, your fingers are the ‘blackbirds’. Fly them high and low, fast and slow, teaching your toddler these crucial descriptive words. You can switch up the birds’ attributes and names to create an endless number of variations, ensuring this game stays fresh and engaging.
Thumbkin is a great finger game for toddlers and an entertainment activity that helps children recognize their fingers by assigning each a character. You can make it more interactive by hiding your hands behind your back, prompting your toddler to wonder, “Where is Thumbkin?” It’s an engaging way to introduce the names of fingers and ignite their curiosity.
This game involves a surprise element, which toddlers absolutely love. As you count down from five, keep your toddler guessing where the ‘bees’ are going to come from. This finger play activity also subtly teaches counting, and the suspense keeps them thoroughly entertained.
It’s another fun finger play activity that involves counting and cute quacking sounds! As the little ‘ducks’ (fingers) go out and return, your toddler learns simple subtraction and addition. To make it even more engaging, you can use bath ducks to recreate the game during bath time. Play ‘Five little ducks’ today as it is one of the entertaining finger plays for toddlers.
Jump into this action-packed finger play game that includes frogs, a log, and a pool. This game is a brilliant way to keep your toddler entertained, teaching them counting and action verbs as the ‘frogs’ ‘jump’ into the ‘pool’.
This classic nursery rhyme can be a fun finger play activity. Toddlers can mimic the actions in the rhyme, like ‘picking up sticks’ or ‘laying them straight’. This game also introduces them to rhyming words, and the numerical sequence keeps them mentally stimulated.
This classic toddler game is not just about patting and rolling; it’s also a delightful introduction to the art of baking. While they enjoy the rhythm and actions, you can engage them further by baking a real cake together afterwards!
Conclusion
As we conclude our journey into finger play, imagine the countless possibilities that these activities can bring to your everyday routines. Picture the sparkle in your toddler’s eyes as they anticipate the ‘bees’ buzzing out from your hand in ‘Here is the Beehive’, or their delighted giggles echoing through the room as they ‘jump’ alongside the ‘Five Green and Speckled Frogs’. Envision their excitement as they await their turn to play ‘Pat-a-Cake’, ready to pat, roll and mark with a ‘B’. These aren’t just toddler games for toddler entertainment, but magical portals into a world where learning, play, and creativity dance together in delightful harmony. So, transform ordinary moments into extraordinary learning adventures and enjoy the unique bond that grows between you and your toddler, one finger play activity at a time!
We hope you will have as much fun with your little one as you had while reading this blog 🙂 Head over to our blog section for more interesting and insightful blogs.
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