• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds

  • Home
  • Start Here
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Printables Terms of Use
  • Subscribe!
  • Printables
    • Free Printables
    • Circle Time Printable Packets
    • Fall Printable Packets
    • Themed Printable Packets
    • Fine Motor Printable Packets
    • Dramatic Play Printable Packs
    • Literacy and Story Time Printable Packets
    • Color Recognition Printable Packets
    • Winter Printable Packs
    • Spring Printable Packets
  • Preschool
  • Toddlers
  • Lesson Plans
    • Preschool Lesson Plans
    • Toddler Lesson Plans
You are here: Home / Literacy / Favorite Fingerplays for Toddlers and Preschoolers

This post might contain affiliate links. Click here for more information. Thanks for visiting!

Favorite Fingerplays for Toddlers and Preschoolers

August 13, 2014 by Sheryl Cooper

Share
Pin
Tweet
Email

Inside: These favorite fingerplays build multiple skills, such as language, counting, and following directions. Try some of these during circle time, or when you want some calm time at home.

Reciting favorite fingerplays is an important part of our curriculum. We not only perform them during circle time, but we use them during transitions throughout the day.

Preschool fingerplays encourage children to participate verbally, follow directions, learn number concepts, and follow directions. I keep a notebook of all our favorite fingerplays and songs that I can pull out at any given time. (This is especially helpful when we need to calm the children down.) I also have props to many of the fingerplays that I keep in a basket nearby.

While we love so many different fingerplays, I thought I’d share 5 of our favorites. I’m including various activities that you can do with each one as well. I hope you and your children enjoy these as much as we do!

Favorite Preschool Fingerplays

Favorite Fingerplays for Toddlers and Preschoolers

New! I now have printable props to go with each of the fingerplays below. Scroll down to find the link! Plus more!

Five Little Speckled Frogs

  • Download the Five Little Speckled Frogs song.
  • Have the children make their own frog puppets for circle time.
  • Use the free printable and invite the children to make their own frogs on a log while counting to 5.
  • Make a fun craft for this finger play using egg cartons, from Rainy Day Mum.
  • Print the free cards and add this counting activity to your table activities.
  • Put plastic frogs in your water table.
  • Set up a small world activity, from The Imagination Tree.
  • Download the sheet music, from Let’s Play Music.
  • Do you use pocket charts? Here’s a free pocket chart download from Pre-Kinders.
  • Check out this collection for more ideas: 15 Frog Activities

Five Little Ducks

  • Download the Five Little Ducks song.
  • Create a water table with ducks (using 5 ducks instead of the 10 in the post).
  • Make this playset, from Inner Child Fun.
  • Invite the children to count ducks, from It’s a Long Story.

Itsy Bitsy Spider

  • Download the Itsy Bitsy Spider song.
  • Make a spider snack (with free printable!).
  • Make a spin art spider.
  • Make a spider finger puppet to go along with the song, from Lalymom.
  • Strengthen fingers by putting the legs back on the spider, from Miss Mancy’s Blog.
  • Add spiders to your sensory table, from Teach Preschool.
  • Make an Itsy Bitsy Spider prop, from Red Ted Art.

Five Little Monkeys

  • Download the Five Little Monkeys song.
  • Make a monkey face, from Learn, Create, Love.
  • Create a monkey snack, from Diapers to Diplomas
  • Learn how to sign it, from Cullen’s ABCs.

The Wheels on the Bus

  • Download The Wheels on the Bus song.
  • Put together this bus snack, by Juggling with Kids.
  • Make a cool bus, by No Time for Flashcards.
  • Get cooking with some sweet and savory wheels, from Rainy Day Mum.
  • Try these theme ideas, from PreKinders.

Printable Circle Time Props!

Preschool Songs & Rhymes Props
preschool song & rhymes pack #2
TPT fall props

Favorite Preschool Fingerplays

 

FREE CIRCLE TIME PLANNER!

Get your FREE circle time planner as a gift when you subscribe to my free weekly newsletters.

Here is my Privacy Policy

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit
Share
Pin
Tweet
Email

Filed Under: Literacy, Music and Movement, preschool, Preschool Literacy, Toddler Literacy, Toddlers Tagged With: circle time, literacy, music & movement, preschoolers, teachers, toddlers

About Sheryl Cooper

Sheryl Cooper is the founder of Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds, a website full of activities for toddlers and preschoolers. She has been teaching this age group for over 20 years and loves to share her passion with teachers, parents, grandparents, and anyone with young children in their lives.

Previous Post: « How to Make Frozen Sparkly Watercolors
Next Post: Favorite Breakfasts for Kids »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Michelle

    August 18, 2014 at 7:13 pm

    Thanks

  2. Theresa Elliott

    August 19, 2014 at 2:09 am

    Can you email me the like for the fingerplay activities for 2 & 3s?

    • Sheryl

      August 21, 2014 at 9:53 pm

      Hi Theresa,
      In the right sidebar of my blog, and at the end of most posts, you will see how you can sign up to get all my posts delivered to your e-mail address. This would be the easiest method. Please let me know if you have difficulties doing this.

  3. Katie Pinch

    August 27, 2014 at 4:50 am

    Hi Sheryl I LOVE this collection of songs and activities, I think it’s so resourceful! I am planning on featuring your post on the #lovetolearnlinky and would like to invite you to visit again this Thursday. Have a great day 🙂

    • Sheryl

      August 28, 2014 at 4:04 am

      Thank you so much, Katie!

  4. Lily Winzil

    August 30, 2014 at 9:46 pm

    Hi there,
    I have been using some of your ideas at work and the children’s loves it. I would like receive newsletter from you please.

    thanks
    lily

    • Sheryl

      September 2, 2014 at 10:36 pm

      Thank you, Lily! On the sidebar of my post (and at the end of each post), you will see where you can enter your name and e-mail address to receive my free newsletters. If you have a hard time, you can e-mail me at teaching2and3yaerolds@gmail.com and I can help.

  5. RaisingCreativeChildren

    June 24, 2015 at 6:00 pm

    We love how you connected other related activities to each fingerplay – what a great idea! We wrote about fingerplays a while back with a bit more of a focus on the musical aspects and some related research that demonstrates the benefits of fingerplays with young children here: http://raisingcreativechildren.net/fun-with-fingerplays/

    We agree that fingerplays are important for young children!

Primary Sidebar

You can also find us here!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Looking for something specific?

Categories

Welcome! I'm Sheryl Cooper, teacher of 2 and 3 year olds for over 22 years. Read more about me here!

More Printables!

preschool printables

Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds is a participant in Amazon Associates.

preschool printables

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds · Privacy Policy