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Read moreFinger rhyme: Tommy Thumb song
What you need
Your lovely singing voice and your fingers.
Benefits
Finger rhymes combine words and music with hand movements. As babies and toddlers are usually fascinated with their hands, finger rhymes are popular with the under-twos. This baby finger song encourages babies and toddlers to tune in to the sounds of the language being spoken, help children to associate keywords with actions, encourage babies and toddlers to explore hand movements, support coordination and children’s attachments with the other person engaging with them.
The experience
Place your baby on your lap so that they can enjoy feeling close to you. With toddlers, make sure that you have their attention and eye contact. Say or sing the tommy thumb rhyme, emphasising some of the movements or words. Repeat the rhyme, but do so slowly, and note the parts that the child seems to recognise. Consider repeating the rhyme again immediately if it seems to engage the child, or otherwise introduce it again later in the day or session.
Sing the song Tommy Thumb and wiggle each finger as you sing about it in the song.
Tommy Thumb, Tommy thumb, where are you?
Here I am, here I am. How do you do?
Peter pointer, Peter pointer, where are you?
Here I am, here I am, how do you do?
Toby tall, Toby tall, where are you?
Here I am, here I am, how do you do?
Ruby ring, Ruby ring, where are you?
Here I am, here I am, how do you do?
Baby small, Baby small, where are you?
Here I am, here I am, how do you do?
You could also try changing the finger rhyme’s words to match members of your family or characters from books and TV that your child likes such as ‘Postman Pat, Postman Pat, where are you? Here I am, here I am, delivering to you.’