#24 RULES OF ENGAGEMENT - FINGER STORIES

Many finger plays tell simple stories. They engage children's hands, eyes, mouths and minds. They are a natural way to develop comprehension, sequence, and children's imaginations.

THIS LITTLE GIRL
This little girl is
Ready for bed. (Hold up index finger and wiggle.)
On the pillow
She lays her head. (Open palm and lay finger down.)
Wrap the covers
Around her tight. (Wrap fist around finger.)
That’s the way
She spends the night. (Rock hand.)
Morning comes,
She opens her eyes.
Off with a toss
The covers fly. (Open fist.)
She jumps out of bed, (Hold up finger.)
Eats her breakfast, (Pretend to feed finger some food.)
And brushes her teeth. (Pretend to brush teeth on finger.)
She gets dressed and (Pretend to dress finger.)
Brushes her hair. (Pretend to brush hair.)
Now she’s ready
And on her way, (Dance finger around.)
To work and play
At school all day. (Insert the name of your school.)

This little boy… (Do similar motions with the
opposite index finger.)

MISS MOLLY
Miss Molly had a dolly (Cradle arms and rock.)
Who was sick, sick, sick.
So she called for the doctor (Pretend to hold a phone next to your ear.)
To come quick, quick, quick.
The doctor came (Pretend to hold up bag.)
With his bag and his hat. (Touch head.)
And he knocked on the door
With a rat-a-tat-tat. (Pretend to knock.)
He looked at the dolly
And he shook his head. (Shake head.)
He said, “Miss Molly
Put her straight to bed.” (Point finger.)
He wrote on some paper
For some pills, pills, pills. (Pretend to write.)
“I’ll be back in the morning
With the bills, bills, bills.” (Wave good-bye.)

CATERPILLAR
A caterpillar crawled (Hold up right arm like a tree branch.)
To the top of a tree. (Crawl left pointer up right arm.
I think I’ll take a nap said he. (Wiggle left pointer.)
So under the leaf (Pretend to crawl left pointer
He began to creep. under right palm.)
He spun a cocoon, (Wrap right hand around left pointer.)
And he fell asleep. (Hold hands very still.)
For six long months
He slept in that cocoon bed.
Til spring came along and said,
Wake up, wake up,
You sleep head. (Shake pointer.)
Out of the leaf he did cry, (Clasp thumbs and open palms.)
Lo, I am a butterfly! (Fly hands around like a butterfly.)

PUT THE BABY TO BED
Now it’s time to go to sleep (Hold up right index finger.)
Put the baby to bed. (Place index finger on left palm)
Cover the baby in the bed. (Wrap left fingers around right index.)
Kiss the baby good-night. (Pretend to kiss finger.)
Waaa! Waaa! (Hold up right index finger and cry.)
The baby’s awake!
What can we do?
(Insert children’s suggestions and continue the rhyme. For example, give it a bottle, change its diapers, give it a toy, read a book, etc.)

HEIDI HI AND LOUIE LOW
Every time Heidi High speaks use a high, soft voice. Every time Louie Low
talks use a deep, loud voice. Begin by sticking up your thumbs. Wiggle
your right thumb and say, “This is Heidi High.” Wiggle your left thumb and
say, “This is Louie Low.” Tuck your thumbs in your hands and extend them
to either side of you as you begin telling the story below.
One day Heidi Highopened her door (open fingers), went outside (stick out right thumb), and closed her door (close fingers). She said (wiggle right thumb), “What a beautiful day! I’m going to visit my friend Louie Low.” So Heidiwent up the hill and down the hill and up the hill and down the hill (move right thumb up and down in front of body until it reaches your left fist). She knocked on the front door and said (pretend to knock on left fist with right hand), “Oh, Louie Low. Oh, Louie Low. Let me try the back door. (Knock on opposite side of left fist.) Oh, Louie Low. Oh, Louie Low. I guess he’s not home.” So Heidiwent up the hill and down the hill and up the hill and down the hill (move right thumb up and down back in front of your body). When she got home, she opened her door, went inside, and shut her door (open fingers, tuck in thumb, then close fingers to make a fist

The next day Louie Low opened his door (open fingers), went outside (stick out left thumb), and closed his door (close fingers). He said (wiggle left thumb), “What abeautiful day! I’m going to go visit my friend Heidi High.” Continue same as Heidi did on the previous day…

The next day both Heidi Highand Louie Low opened their doors (open fingers), went outside (stick out thumbs), and closed their doors (close fingers). Heidisaid (wiggle right thumb), “What a beautiful day! I’m going to go visit my friend Louie Low.” And Louie said (wiggle left thumb), “What a beautiful day! I’m going to visit my friend HeidiHigh.” So they both went up the hill and down the hill (move thumbs toward each other until they meet in front of your body) until they ran into each other. They danced and played and had the best time (wiggle thumbs). After a while Heidisaid, “Well, Louie, I better go home.” And Louie said, “Well, Heidi, I better go home.” So they gave each other a hug (hug thumbs), and they both went up the hill and down the hill (wiggle thumbs apart to opposite sides of the body). When they got home they opened their doors (open fingers), went inside (tuck in thumbs), closed their doors (close fingers), and went to sleep (quietly put hands together and lay your head on them).

Here are some videos where you can watch me demonstrate the finger plays and finger stories.