Preschool
Fingerplays, Action Poems, Nursery Rhymes, and Songs

Finger plays, action poems, nursery rhymes, and songs are grouped according to early childhood education themes.  Just click on the navigation links to your left.

Animal Rhymes

Counting and
Number Rhymes

Community Helper 
Rhyme Theme
 

Self and Family
Rhyme Theme

Transition  Time 
Rhymes

Transportation 
Rhyme Theme

Site Map

Home

Five Fat Peas
A counting fingerplay especially
useful in the spring and summer.

Five fat peas in a pea pod pressed
(children hold hand in a fist)
One grew, two grew, so did all the rest.
(put thumb and fingers up one by one)
They grew and grew
 (raise hand in the air very slowly)
And did not stop,
Until one day
The pod went POP!
(children clap hands together)

Four little monkeys jumping 
on the bed, three little monkeys jumping on the bed, (and so on).

I have ten fingers    hold up both hands, fingers spread
And they all belong to me,  point to self
I can make them do things-
Would you like to see?

I can shut them up tight   make fists
I can open them wide    open hands
I can put them together   place palms together
I can make them all hide   put hands behind back

I can make them jump high   hands over head
I can make them jump low   touch floor
I can fold them up quietly   fold hands in lap
And hold them just so.
 

Uno, dos, y tres,
Cuatro, cinco, seis.
Siete, ocho, nueve,
Cuento hasta diez.
La la la la la;  La la la la la,
La la la la la;  La la la la la.
La la la la la;  La la la la la.

One, two, and three,
Four, five and six.
Seven, eight, and nine,
I count to ten.
La la la la la;  La la la la la.
La la la la la;  La la la la la.
La la la la la;  La la la la la.

For an entire Spanish Rhyme Theme go to the Resource Room

Here's a ball     make ball with thumb and index finger
And here's a ball   make ball with other thumb and index
A great big ball, I see   put arms up and touch fingers

Shall we count them?
Are you ready?
One, Two, Three    make all three balls in succession

Three little nickels in a pocketbook new,
   hold up three fingers
One bought a peppermint, and then there were two,
   bend down one finger
Two Little nickels before the day was done,
One bought an ice cream come, and then there was one
   bend down another finger
One little nickel I heard it plainly say,
"I'm going into the piggy bank for a rainy day!" 
 

Substitute two, three, etc. for one as you finish the verse.

The Bird Activity Theme is in the
Rainbow Resource Room.

Here is the beehive, where are the bees?
     clench fist and bring out fingers quickly one by one
Hidden away were nobody sees
Watch and you will see them come out of their hives,
One, two, three, four, five,
Buzz, buzz, buzz. 
 

Two little bees, busy as could be--
Along came another and that made three.

Three little bees, wanted one more,
Found one soon and that made four.

Four little bees, going to the hive.
Spied their little brother, and that made five.

Five little bees working every hour--
Buzz away, bees, and find another flower.
 

Five little birdies, flying around our door,

Four little birdies sitting in a tree,
The yellow one flew away and then there were three.

The little birdies didn't know what to do,
So the red one flew away, and then there were two.

Two little birdies sitting in the sun, 
The Brown one flew away, and there was one.

The little green birdie felt so all alone,
He/she flew away and then there was none.
Later on that very day,
five little birdies came back to play.
 

The Bird Activity Theme is in the Rainbow Resource Room.

There were ten in a bed and the little one said, 
"Roll over, roll over."   rolling motion
So they all rolled over and one fell out.
There were nine in the bed and the little one said, 
"Roll over, roll over."
So they all rolled over and one fell out....

Five red apples
Hanging on a tree    five fingers held up
The juiciest apples you ever did see!
The wind came past
And gave an angry frown     shake head and look angry
And one little apple came tumbling down.
Four red apples, etc. 

Away swims Mr. Crocodile
As full as he can be!!!

Four enormous dinosaurs
Crashing down a tree--
One went away, and 
Then there were three.

Three enormous dinosaurs
Eating tiger stew--
One went away, and 
Then there were two.

Two enormous dinosaurs
Trying to run--
One ran away, and then there was one.

One enormous dinosaur, 
Afraid to be a hero--
He went away, and
Then there was zero.

Take a look at the  Dinosaur Theme
 

I'm the shoe brush
I'm the shoe
Polish one and polish two
Brush, brush, brush.

I'm the dustpan
I'm the broom
We can see a dusty room
Sweep, sweep, sweep

I'm the candle
I'm the wick
It's getting dark now
Light up the wick, tsk, task, task.

I'm the letter
I'm the stamp
We stick together if we're damp.