Hand games toddlers and infants can do. Popular hand play songs in childcare
Here’s an introduction to recommended finger-play songs for babies and toddlers.
Finger-play songs are a popular way to communicate with babies who can’t speak yet and a favorite play activity for toddlers.
Once you start a finger-play song, kids get super interested—many will try to imitate you!
Beyond building a sense of rhythm, finger-play songs also help develop the body by encouraging children to move their hands and fingers as they intend.
They’re almost always incorporated in childcare settings.
We’ve gathered finger-play songs that are popular with toddlers, as well as ones that babies can enjoy just by listening, so be sure to give them a try!
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Hand games toddlers and babies can do. Popular hand game songs in childcare (11–20)
Vegetable Song
This fingerplay song, featuring various vegetables like tomatoes and carrots, is called “Vegetable Song.” It’s a fun piece with sound-play elements that let you enjoy the sounds that branch off from the vegetables’ names.
You clap to certain sounds, strike a ninja pose, pretend to cry—each vegetable is expressed with a different movement to match its sound.
It’s also fun to find vegetables not mentioned in the song and enjoy the same kind of sound play and hand motions with them! Hopefully even kids who don’t like vegetables will learn to love them through this song.
Panda, rabbit, koala
“Panda, Bunny, Koala” features three animals beloved even by very young children: a panda, a rabbit, and a koala.
You call these three animals, who are over there in the distance, by saying “Come over here!” and use your hands to beckon them while also representing each animal’s distinctive traits.
It works like a call-and-response, so it’s great for moms and dads to do first and then have the babies imitate them! Even if the babies end up making different movements, seeing mom and dad express various things with their hands while singing will naturally get their bodies moving too.
mixed juice
Its title says it all: “Mixed Juice,” a song about making a delicious juice filled with lots of fruits.
In this mixed juice, we add apples and grapes, strawberries and cherries.
And believe it or not, each fruit is hidden inside a face! Let’s find the fruits hidden in the face and put them into the blender.
Once they’re in, mix the fruits in the blender! When the tasty mixed juice is ready, please give it as a gift.
It might also be fun to try finding different fruits in the face and adding those, too.
Crocodile family
Featuring a family of five crocodiles—Dad, Mom, Big Brother, Big Sister, and Baby—this song is aptly titled “The Crocodile Family.” Each crocodile’s traits and movements are acted out with hand motions to match the lyrics.
At first, all the crocodiles use big arm movements to show mouths opening and closing.
Only for the baby crocodile, since its mouth is small, it’s fine to use just your fingers or the palm of your hand.
After that, use your hands to portray each family member’s characteristic actions, like moving their eyes or putting on makeup.
Crocodiles might seem a bit scary, but a cute family like this isn’t scary at all!
Yakiimo goo-choki-pa
Yakiimo Goo-Choki-Paa is a hand-play song starring roasted sweet potatoes that you’ll want to eat in the cold season.
As the title suggests, the hand motions include rock, scissors, and paper to match the lyrics.
In the other parts, you use big hand movements to show the sweet potato itself and the way you eat it.
At the end of the song, you finish with a round of rock-paper-scissors.
The rock, scissors, and paper that appear during the song lead into the final game.
Babies who can’t play rock-paper-scissors yet can enjoy it without that part, of course! Just singing it might make you hungry.