Fingerplay facts for kids

Children playing This Little Pig.

Fingerplay is a fun activity where you use hand actions or movements along with singing or spoken words. It's often seen with young children, but people of all ages can enjoy it! These actions help kids learn and stay interested.

What is Fingerplay?

Fingerplay combines simple hand movements with songs, rhymes, or stories. Imagine acting out a story with just your hands! It's a way to make words come alive and help children understand what's being said.

Why is Fingerplay Important?

Fingerplay is more than just fun; it helps kids grow in many ways.

Learning and Communication

• Building Skills: When children do fingerplays, they learn to pay attention and follow directions. They also learn to control their hands and fingers, which is called fine motor coordination.
• Early Communication: Even before babies can talk, they use hand gestures to communicate. Fingerplay helps them practice these early communication skills. It shows them that movements can tell a story or share an idea.
• Developing Language: Repeating rhymes and stories with actions helps children hear different sounds and words. This can improve their listening skills and help them understand how language works.

Copying and Independence

Young children often love to copy what adults do. Fingerplay gives them a chance to imitate actions and words. This helps them feel more independent and confident in their abilities. They learn by doing and by watching others.

Famous Fingerplays

Many popular rhymes and songs use fingerplay. You might already know some of them!

• "Itsy Bitsy Spider": This classic rhyme uses hand movements to show the spider climbing up the waterspout and then falling down.
• "Round and round the garden": This fingerplay involves tracing circles on a child's palm.
• "This Little Piggy": This rhyme uses each of a child's toes (or fingers) as a different pig.

An Example: "Five Little Monkeys"

Here's a well-known fingerplay poem that shows how actions match the words:

Fingerplays are a simple yet powerful way to combine movement, sound, and learning for children. They help kids develop important skills while having a great time!