Tommy Thumb, Tommy Thumb, Where are you?
Here I am, here I am,
How do you do?
Peter Pointer...
Timmy Tall...
Ruby Ring...
Baby Small...
Fingers all...
It's important to introduce or revisit traditional rhymes with young children. Those that encourage them to manipulate individual fingers have the added advantage of supporting fine motor skill development that underpins early writing skills.
Rhyme time
Introduce the rhyme to the children and encourage them to join in, to observe the actions accompanying the words and to try them out themselves:
* Both hands start 'hidden' behind children's backs and the individual digits 'appear' as they are called. In the first verse the two thumbs are wiggled and the rest of the fingers are clasped together. As the rhyme says 'How do you do?' the thumbs are moved to 'nod' towards each other.
* This continues until all the fingers have been wiggled in pairs.
* During the final verse, all the fingers are wiggled and then used to wave at each other.
Chant the rhyme again, with the children joining in all the actions. It is easy to change the names to reflect the children in the setting - for example, Tekin Tall, Rima Ring or Patrick Pointer. This offers lots of opportunities to discuss vocabulary, such as why one finger is called 'Ruby Ring', or initial sounds in words, such as Polly and Pointer alliterated.
Extension idea
Use the rhyme as a starting point for manipulative and malleable experiences. Consider finger painting using hypoallergenic shaving foam, powder paint and glitter for a change.
