Little Lambs Stars: Finger Play

Listen to a book about hands.

Say three things you learned about hands

Our thumbs help us to pick things up and use tools. Our hands help us to write, to hold, to carry things, to play games, to use a computer, etc.

Say a poem and use your hand to act it out

Hands
Hands are for loving, (fingers draw heart in the air)
Hands are for sharing, (hands pretend to give something to someone else)
Hands are for working (right hand fist closed bangs on left hand, fist closed, like a hammer on a nail)
And hands are for caring. (hands clapping to applaud someone)
Hands can protect
And hands can defend. (hands and arms create shield in front of child)
Reach out your hand (extend a hand towards another person)
And make a friend (shake hands)

My Hands
Sometimes you get discouraged
Because I am so small,
And always leave my fingerprints
On furniture and walls.
But everyday I'm growing,
I'll be grown up someday,
And all these tiny handprints
Will simply fade away.
So here's a final handprint
Just so you can recall,
Exactly how my fingers looked
When I was very small.

Make a craft that uses your hands as part of the project. (i.e., fingerpaint, trace hands)

Have the following supplies ahead of the meeting:

  • Ink pads
  • Paper
  • Crayons

Directions:

Show the children how to ink a fingertip (press child’s thumb directly onto an inkpad) and press the thumb onto the paper.  The thumb print forms the body portion of the small mouse.. Then show them how to add ears, whiskers and a tail to create a mouse out of their fingerprints. Let them fill up a sheet of paper with mice.

Complete an activity using your fingers

  • Acts of Service - Even small children can SERVE! Ahead of time:  Alert adults ahead of time to have each child bring one or more non-perishable cans or boxes from home (to give to the poor or an area food bank).  Have the children help stack the cans and boxes in unique shapes, walls, or towers (but be careful that they don’t drop cans on themselves).  Have some extra boxes and cans in case some forget to bring items.
  • Follow a beginning Sign Language video
  • Planting Seeds - Fill several shallow tubs or boxes with potting soil. Give the children a variety of dried beans to "plant". Other fun things to plant are twigs (trees), rocks, radishes, baby carrots, and small potatoes. The children can plant and harvest over and over. Spoons work well for shovels.