Child development opportunities
* To learn a rhyme with matching actions.
* To find a useful way to remember left and right.
* To use a rhyme to find out how to learn-to-learn and self-correct.
* To find out that self-achievement can be fun.
How to play
* Explain that the children are going to say a rhyme that uses both right and left hands. The aim is to self-correct until their own actions match the words of the rhyme exactly. There is no winner.
* Ask the children to sit or stand in a line facing you.
* Stand or sit in front of the children with your back to them, so that your right and left sides are the same as theirs.
* Begin by saying the rhyme yourself slowly.
Show me your right hand,
Now show me your left,
Put right on your hair,
And left on your nose,
Clap both together,
And touch your toes.
* Repeat the rhyme, gradually increasing the speed.
* As the children pick up the rhyme, let them say it alone and show others how well they can do it.
Tips
* Pause after each action so children have time to feel the sensation of touching their hair or even making a noise through their nose. (Linking sensations with different hands appears to support memory.)
* If children make a mistake in saying the rhyme, encourage them to start again until they get it correct. Make sure it remains a fun activity.
* Suggest to children that they practise at home ready for the next session.
For more games, see Acker Backa BOO! - Games to Say and Play From Around the World by Opal Dunn (Frances Lincoln, 10.99). Copyright Opal Dunn. The author disclaims responsibility for any adverse effects resulting directly or indirectly from the game outlined.
