Rhyme Time with Finger Patterns

Using Finger Patterns with Rhymes for Counting

My busy boys love to dance, sing, jump and rhyme.  I started looking for preschool rhymes that we could incorporate with finger patterns.  Below are just a few of our favorite rhymes that can be used with finger patterns to encourage memory, visualization and counting forwards.

Finger Pattern Rhymes for Counting Forwards

Five Fat Peas

This is a great one to use fire away. Start with all fingers in a fist, the thumb holding the other fingers in place. Count from one to five with just one hand then count one to five with both hands at the same time. 

Five fat peas in a pea pod pressed 

(children hold hand in a fist) 

One grew, two grew, so did all the rest. 

(put fingers up one by one starting with pointer finger ending with thumb) 

They grew and grew 

 (raise all five fingers in the air very slowly) 

And did not stop, 

Until one day 

The pod went POP! 

(clap hands together)

Turtles 
My two year old loves this rhyme because you can make all the motions while you make the finger pattern.  When we say, "Two baby turtles crawl to the sea." we make the number two on our fingers and the two "crawls."   

One baby turtle alone and new. 

Finds a friend, and then there are two. 

Two baby turtles crawl down to the sea. 

They find another, and then there are three. 

Three baby turtles crawl along the shore. 

They find another, and then there are four. 

Four baby turtles go for a dive. 

Up swims another, and then there are five.

For more rhymes:

http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/preschool-rhymes.htm

http://www.nurseryrhymes4u.com/NURSERY_RHYMES/COUNTING.html