The Power of Parenting

Friday, 06 November 2020

Finger Family

Reciting a familiar rhyme is an enjoyable way to spend some Comfort, Play & Teach™ time together. You and your child will smile and laugh as you sing and dance your fingers around!

Tommy Thumb is up and Tommy Thumb is down,
Tommy Thumb is dancing all around the town!
Dance him on your shoulders, dance him on your head,
Dance him on your knees then tuck him into bed!

 

Instructions:
As you sing or say the first line, point your thumbs up and then down. On the second line move your thumbs back and forth. On the third line, dance your thumbs on your shoulders and then your head. On the last line, dance your thumbs on your knees and then hide your thumbs behind your back. With each repetition of the rhyme substitute a different finger (e.g., Peter Pointer, Toby Tall, Ruby Ring, Baby Finger, and lastly, Finger Family).

 

Enjoy this more with Comfort, Play & Teach™:

Comfort:

  • Fingerplays are easy to learn and give your child an opportunity to demonstrate her singing and speaking skills. Let her know how proud you are when she recites all or part of the rhyme for you all by herself!

 

Play:

  • Doing fingerplays encourages your child to use his imagination as he pretends that each finger is a different character. He will enjoy naming each finger and performing the repetitive actions.

 

Teach:

  • As you say the rhyme together, leave out some of the words so your child can fill in the blanks. This will help her to build memory and language skills, and will also encourage the turn-taking that is part of conversing with another person.