EYFS Activities: Birth to two… Finger rhymes

Finger rhymes combine words and music with hand movements. As babies and toddlers are usually fascinated with their hands, finger rhymes are popular with the under-twos. The developmental benefits of the simple finger rhyme make it a must when planning activities for this age group.

WHEN AND HOW

The great thing about finger rhymes is that they do not need any equipment and so you can carry them out any time. Having said this, they can be used as part of routines and can be comforting for children when they are feeling anxious or to mark certain times – for example, to finish off a nappy change.

Choose a rhyme that you are able to remember and practise the movements and words together, so enabling you to maintain eye contact with the baby or toddler.

Introduce a new rhyme when thechild is not tired and fairly content.

Put babies on your lap so that they can enjoy feeling close to you. With toddlers, make sure that you have their attention and eye contact.

Say or sing the rhyme, emphasising some of the movements or words.

Repeat the rhyme, but do so slowly and notethe parts that the child seems to recognise.

Consider repeating the rhyme again immediately ifit seems to engage the child, or otherwise introduce it again later in the day or session.

Expect toddlers to need extra time to co-ordinate their movements, so their hand movements will often be far behind the words.

DEVELOPMENTAL BENEFITS

From a developmental point of view, finger rhymes are action packed. They support children’s relationship with their key adults as well as contribute to children’s language and physical skills. They also encourage early musicality and creativity.

Finger rhymes:

encourage babies and toddlers to tune in to the sounds of the language being spoken (language)

help children to associate key words with actions (language)

encourage babies and toddlers to explore hand movements (physical)

support co-ordination (physical)

support children’s attachments with their key person and other children (emotional).

NEXT STEPS

While you do need to notice how well children respond to individual rhymes and plan to repeat them, it is worth planning them over the long term to ensure that children are introduced regularly to new words, rhythms and movements.

WHAT TO OBSERVE

The aspects of development worth observing during finger rhymes are:

Finger movements Watch out for children trying to repeat finger movements during the rhyme, but also at other moments.

Tunes and vocalisationsListen out for toddlers who are starting to repeat the sounds and tunes of the rhyme.

Communication Observe how babies and toddlers communicate their interest in the finger rhyme and how they signal to you that they want you to repeat it.

Processing Note how babies and toddlers often lag behind, because their ability to process movements and words is slower than an adult’s.

HOME LEARNING

Parents may have forgotten the rhymes they heard in their childhood. If you decide to create a long-term plan for finger rhymes, this can flag up their importance to parents and together you can talk about the progress that their child is making.

Some parents may welcome being given written words and instructions, but the easiest way to learn a new finger rhyme is to see it performed. Look out for websites or create film clips that show the rhymes in action.

Where parents are using another language at home, it is also worth letting them know that using finger rhymes in the home language will benefit their child’s English as well as home language.

RHYME TIME

One example is ‘Tommy Thumb’:

Tommy Thumb, Tommy Thumb,

Where are you?

Here I am, here I am,

How do you do?

Peter Pointer, Peter Pointer,

Where are you?

Here I am, here I am,

How do you do?

For the rest of the words and to see the actions to this rhyme, visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ustdPWKFqaM

BOOK TIME

Look out for simple picture books that illustrate some of the finger rhymes that you are using. For example, there is a lovely board book that illustratesThis Little Piggy by Annie Kubler and is part of a series of nursery rhyme books by Child’s Play.

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