Start every day in the New Year by connecting with children's hearts with a handshake. You can pick and choose which ones will
work best for the age level that you teach. Choose a different handshake each week and use it every
day. Write the handshake on a
sentence strip and cut out a picture clue as shown. When you’ve demonstrated all of the handshakes, then
you can select a child each day choose the one that they like best.
Butterfly – Hook right thumbs together. Extend the other four fingers to make
the butterfly’s wings. Pretend to
flutter the butterfly’s wings as you move your hands in a circular motion.
Squirrel – One friend extends her arm. The other friend quickly runs fingers
from the wrist up to the shoulder.
Switch places.
Farmer – The teacher crosses her fingers and points
thumbs down to represent the cow’s utter.
The child grabs the thumbs and pretends to milk the cow.
Cool Dude – Partners knuckle bump and then open their
fist and slide it back as they say, “Pssshhh!”
Lumberjack – Partners hold up right thumbs and grab them
with the left hand. Partners then
clasp right fingers and pretend to saw back and forth.
Builder – Shake hands and move them up and down
vertically as you say, “Here’s a hammer.”
Move hands horizontally back and forth as you say, “Here’s a saw.” Gently twist wrists as you say, “And
here’s a screwdriver.”
Potato – Bump fists as you say, “Baked potato.” Bend index fingers and touch as you
say, “Tader tot.” Open fingers and
wiggle with your partner as you say, “And fries.”
Ghost – Extend arms and swish back in forth as you say,
“Woooo!”
Buzz!
Extend index finger and touch to your partner’s index finger as you make
a buzzing sound.
Fisherman – Place right hand on each other’s right
forearm and tap gently like a fish tail.
Bend right arm back as if reeling in a fish as you say, “Good morning!”
Thumb Kiss – Hold up thumbs and touch as you make a
smacking sound.
Hand Hug – Hold up right palms and touch in the
air. Bend thumbs around and gently
squeeze.
Burger – Children bump fists and say, “Burger.” Open fists and wiggle fingers together
as they say, “Fries.” Hands in the
air and shake fists and hips as they say, “Shake.”
Spiderman – Partners hold up four fingers and
intertwine. Spiders have 8 legs
and you have 8 wiggly fingers.
Biker – Children hold out fists and stick up
thumbs. The teacher grabs the
thumbs and pretends to turn them while making a “Brrrrmmmm” sound. “Now your brain is revved up and you’re
ready to learn!”
Body Parts – Call out different body parts and challenge
children to greet partners by gently touching elbows, knees, heads, ankles,
toes, chins, etc.
Jellyfish – Bump fists and then open and close fingers
as you pull them back like a jellyfish.
Bow Wow – Partners bow and then make “w’s” by sticking
up three middle fingers. Open
mouth and place “w’s” on either side to create the word “WOW!”
4-H Hello – Children can choose one of these “H’s.”
High
Five (High five partner.)
Handshake
(Shake hands.)
Hug
(Hug each other.)
Hollywood
kiss (Place arms on each other’s
shoulders and air kiss on left
and right.)
P.S. Go to my website (drjean.org) to download picture cues for the handshakes.
P.S. Go to my website (drjean.org) to download picture cues for the handshakes.