Childcare: Recommended Halloween fingerplay. Pumpkins, ghosts, and witches [Part 2]
Speaking of October, Halloween is coming! I imagine both the children and the teachers are excitedly getting ready for the big day.
Costumes and dances are fun parts of Halloween, but kids also love hand games with a Halloween twist! In this article, I’d like to introduce some hand games that are perfect for Halloween.
I’ll share a variety, including fun twists on games children already play and lively ones featuring lots of characters, so try them out to suit different moments!
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[Childcare] Recommended hand play for Halloween: pumpkins, ghosts, and witches [Part 2] (1–10)
magic wand
Many children who watch fairy tales and anime have dreamed at least once, “I wish I could use magic.” In this fingerplay called “Magic Wand,” you pretend your right hand is a magic wand and your left hand is a little dwarf.
As you sing, you cast spells on the dwarf to make their height shrink and grow.
The magic can be anything you like, so customizing it could be fun too.
Increasing or decreasing the number of dwarfs also makes for good finger exercises.
It’s also recommended to make an extendable wand out of newspaper and play with that.
Halloween robot
Robots are coming for Halloween! This time, we’re introducing a fun Halloween robot hand-play activity.
Imagine your body getting pranked by a ghost and turning into a robot! When you try moving different parts of your body like a robot, you’ll find yourself smiling.
It could be fun for teachers or parents and kids to take turns calling out which body part to move next! By moving hands, feet, and heads to match the robot’s motions, children’s imaginations will grow.
Let’s cherish time to enjoy moving our bodies while feeling the Halloween vibe! With a ghost’s prank, the robot dance gets even more exciting.
Hallo-hallo! Halloween☆
This is a hand-play activity featuring lots of characters that liven up Halloween.
Start by clapping next to your face, then use your hands to act out the characters that appear in the lyrics.
Casting spells, letting out a roar—it’s super cute and lots of fun.
Once you get the hang of it, try speeding it up to make it even more exciting.
At a Halloween party, if there are kids dressed up as the characters in the song, you could feature them! They’ll likely get really into it, and they’ll be happy to fully become their character.
[Childcare] Recommended fingerplay for Halloween: Pumpkins, Ghosts, and Witches [Part 2] (11–20)
Pan! Pukin
Introducing the Halloween hand game “Pan! Pukin.” It’s a cute hand game that toddlers and even infants can enjoy.
In this game, you clap to the music with a “pan!” and then use both hands to make a pumpkin shape in front of your face.
The number of claps increases as the game goes on, so watch the teacher or caregiver closely and imitate them as you play! It also looks fun to enjoy it as a warm-up for physical activity by stretching out your arms and legs.
Now, can you do it without getting the number of claps wrong?
Peekaboo
In English, peekaboo means “inai inai baa.” This time, I’ll introduce a Halloween-themed peekaboo hand play.
Let’s enjoy a peekaboo game that even 0-year-olds can enjoy, set to music and rhythm! The rhythm gradually gets faster, which makes it so funny you can’t help but laugh—but do your best to keep up! And the fun part is that, at the end, the ghost flies off somewhere!? This hand play brings out children’s smiles! Keep an eye on the ghost at the end, and let’s all get excited together!
Let’s become ghosts
This is a perfect finger-play song called “Let’s Be a Ghost” for kids who say, “I want to be a ghost!” You put both hands out, bend your wrists, strike a ghost pose, and jump and spin to the rhythm of the song.
The lyrics say that things kids can’t do might be possible if they become a ghost, which might help create a slightly more positive image of ghosts.
If you make a sheet-ghost costume out of a clear garbage bag and let the kids really get into character as ghosts, it’s sure to be a hit.
What Shall We Make with Rock, Paper, Scissors? (Halloween Ver.)
Here’s a Halloween version of the popular hand game in childcare settings, “What can we make with rock, scissors, paper?” In this game, you make either a fist (rock), a V-shape (scissors), or an open hand (paper) with both hands and combine them to represent different things—it’s a great way to spark imagination.
Usually, kids make favorites like animals, insects, and vehicles.
But since this is the Halloween edition, it transforms into a game where you can create pumpkins, vampires, and skeletons.
Enjoy Halloween with your usual hand game!