What is the practice?
Fingerplays and action rhymes are very brief stories that often rhyme and include fnger or body motions to tell the story. Fingerplays and action rhymes help toddlers learn about rhyming and poetry, provide opportunities for listening and speaking, and encourage coordination of words with physical actions.
What does the practice look like?
Every time your toddler is saying or singing a rhyme and using her fngers, hands or body to “act out” the rhyme, it is a fngerplay or action rhyme. A toddler singing and doing the motions to Eensy Weensy Spider is an example of a fngerplay.
How do you do the practice?
Fingerplays and action rhymes can be done frequently, offering toddlers the opportunity to have fun playing with language and the movement of their bodies. The opportunities for fngerplays and action rhymes can occur while waiting for a table at a restaurant, watching a brother play in a soccer game, or with friends when they come to visit. Though there are ideas on the Internet for fngerplays and action rhymes, if you feel the urge to make one up, do so.
- Does your toddler do fngerplays or action rhymes more often?
- Is your toddler enjoying doing the fngerplays or action rhymes?
- Does your toddler try to make up her own fngerplays or action rhymes?
- Fingerplays and action rhymes can be about any subject that interests your young toddler (such as animals, trains, food, etc.). The sillier and more fun they are to your toddler, the more she will enjoy doing the rhyme over and over.
- If the fngerplay or action rhyme is a new one, demonstrate it with excitement. It doesn’t matter if you get it “right”—your excitement will capture your toddler’s attention!
- Repeat the fngerplay or action rhyme slowly, helping your toddler make the fnger or hand movements.
- After a couple of times leading the fngerplay or action rhyme, encourage your toddler to do the rhyme with you if she has not already started saying the words.
- Let your toddler lead the fngerplay or action rhyme as much as possible even if she makes mistakes. Let her direct the play and watch how proud he or she is.
- Adding new fngerplays or action rhymes is always fun for your toddler, but don’t forget the old favorites. Using the “old favorites” repeatedly is important for toddler learning, so remember to play previously learned fngerplays or action rhymes along with the new ones.
- Encourage your toddler’s attempts at fngerplays or action rhymes by smiling and commenting on her successes. Your encouragement and participation in the activity will go a long way in keeping your toddler involved.
How do you know the practice worked?
More introducing fngerplays and action rhymes
Eensy-Weensy Spide
At about 18 months, Sophia had never done a fngerplay. Knowing that Sophia was always waving her arms, Mom decided to begin to teach her one. As Sophia was waving her arms, her mom took her into her lap and snuggled her down so she could get her arm around her. Mom began to sing Eensy-Weensy Spider and move Sophia’s hands to make the motions. After she fnished it the frst time, she waited to see Sophia’s reaction; Sophia smiled up at her mom and moved her arms. Her mom began the song again, doing the motions using Sophia’s hands. By the third time, Sophia was trying to do the motions, clearly showing her mom how much she enjoyed the fngerplay.
Action-Rhyme ‘Rowing
Maya, 24 months of age, is a powerhouse of energy. Maya’s mom decided that doing an action rhyme like Row, Row, Row Your Boat would be something “Miss Energy” would enjoy. She asked Maya to sit facing her, on her lap, so that they could hold hands. Mom showed Maya how to lean forward as she pulled Maya forward and how to lean back and pull her mom toward her. After they did the mo- tion a few times, Maya’s mom began to sing Row, Row, Row Your Boat in time to their back-and-forth rocking. When they fnished Maya wanted to do it again and again and again!
‘There was a little turtle...’
Kiara is a toddler who has a hard time sitting still while listening to books or songs. Her mom, who knows that one of her favorite things is her pet turtle, fnds a fngerplay rhyme about a turtle on the Internet (There Was a Little Turtle Who Lived in a Box). She recites it to Kiara every day while Kiara feeds or plays with her turtle, changing the words to include the turtle’s name. Once Kiara is familiar with the rhyme, she begins trying the motions. Kiara loves pretending to snap at feas and mosquitoes, and soon can recite the rhyme. Along with her mom, she does the motions and even starts anticipating the rhyming words at the end of each line.
