Tommy Thumb, Tommy Thumb,
Where are you?
Here I am, here I am,
How do you do?
Peter Pointer, Peter Pointer…
Toby Tall, Toby Tall…
Ruby Ring, Ruby Ring…
Baby Small, Baby Small…
Fingers all, Fingers all…
Why finger rhymes matter
Finger rhymes can:
- help to develop children’s fine motor co-ordination
- help children to make sense of the words within the rhyme
- help children to remember the rhyme
- support attachment, especially with babies
- encourage children to be active in their learning
Tips for sharing number rhymes
- Consider children’s level of hand co-ordination when choosing rhymes
- Exaggerate the gestures so that children can connect them to the words
- Repeat a rhyme several times so that children can increasingly join in
- Leave a slight pause between words so that children can anticipate the next movement
- Watch out for children who have difficulty in co-ordinating their movement
Suggestions for sharing this rhyme
Tommy Thumb, Tommy Thumb, where are you?
(Curl your hand into an upwards fist with your thumb tucked in.)
Here I am, Here I am,
(Keeping your fingers curled, put your thumb in the air).
How do you do?
(Waggle your thumb upwards.)
Peter Pointer, Peter Pointer, where are you?
(Do the same as before, but turn your hand to reveal the index finger. Then continue with the rest of your fingers.)
Ideas for extending the learning
- Try out finger painting using different fingers
- Make hand prints in dough
- Talk about the different lengths of our fingers
- Make some finger puppets with the children and incorporate them into your rhyme times
- Look out for other finger rhymes to share with children such as ‘Round and round the garden’
- Ensure the range of resources and activities that you provide enables children to refine their fine motor skills. For example, provide small-scale posting activities using mini pompoms or beads and a milk or juice carton.
For this and other rhymes, visit: https://kcls.org/
