Action Poems

Pat-a-Cake
Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake,
Baker’s man!
Bake us a cake
As fast as you can,
[Alternate clapping baby’s hands and yours.]
Mix it and prick it
[Pretend to stir bowl, then prick cake.]
And mark it with B,
[Make a ‘B’ in the air.]
And put it in the oven
For baby and me.
[Alternate clapping baby’s hands and yours.]

Five Fingers
Five fingers on this hand.
(hold up one hand)
Five fingers on that:
(hold up the other hand)
A dear little nose.
(point to nose)
A mouth like a rose.
(point to mouth)
Two cheeks so tiny and fat.
(point to each cheek)
Two eyes, two ears
(point to each)
And ten little toes;
(point to toes)
That’s the way the baby grows.

Ten Fingers
I have ten fingers
(hold up both hands, fingers spread)
And they all belong to me,
(point to self)
I can make them do things-
Would you like to see?

I can shut them up tight
(make fists)
I can open them wide
(open hands)
I can put them together
(place palms together)
I can make them all hide
(put hands behind back)

I can make them jump high
(hands over head)
I can make them jump low
(touch floor)
I can fold them up quietly
(fold hands in lap)
And hold them just so.

My Head
This is the circle that is my head
(make large circle with both hands)This is my mouth with which words are said
(point to mouth)
These are my eyes with which I see
(point to eyes)
This is my nose that’s a part of me
(point to nose)
This is the hair that grows on my head
(point to hair)
And this is my hat all pretty and red
(place hands on head, fingers pointing up and touching)

My Hands
On my head my hands I place.
(Place hands on head)
On my shoulders,
(Place hands on shoulders)
On my face,
(Place hands on face)
On my hips,
(Place hands on hips)
And at my side,
(Drop hands to sides)
Then behind me they will hide,
(Hide hands behind back)
I will hold them up so high,
(Raise hands high above head)
Quickly make my fingers fly,
(Wiggle fingers)
Hold them out in front of me,
(Hands in front of body, arms extended)
Swiftly clap them. One, two, three!
(Clap, clap, clap)

This is a family
This is a family
(hold up one hand, fingers spread)
Let’s count them and see,
How many there are,
And who they can be
(count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

This is the mother
(touch pointer finger)
Who loves everyone
And this is the father
(touch big finger)
Who is lots of fun.

This is the sister
(touch ring finger)
She helps and she plays,
And this is the baby
(touch little finger)
He’s growing each day.

But who is this one?
(touch thumb)
He’s out there alone,
Why it’s Jackie, the dog,
And he’s chewing a bone.
(wiggle thumb)

Baby’s Storybook

Here is baby’s storybook,
(Palms together, like in prayer)
Opening up wide.
(’Open’ the book, palms facing upward,
with pinkies touching each other)
Here are birdies flying high
(Thumbs together, use other fingers
to flap, like wings)
That you’ll find inside.

Here’s a little windmill
Whirling ’round and ’round.
(Pointer fingers facing each other,
spin them around in circles)
And here is baby’s rattle,
(Hand in fist, as if holding a rattle)
Such a noisy sound! Chh, chh, chh!
(Pretend to shake rattle while making ‘chh’ sound)

Here is baby’s cradle,
(Fingers intertwined, with pointer
fingers up — like church steeple)
Soft and warm and white.
This is how the baby
Goes to sleep at night.
(Cup hands together at shoulder,
resting head on hands, eyes closed)

Here’s the big round sun
(Make big circle with arms over head)
That wakes the baby up.
And this is how she takes a drink
From her little cup.
(Hand fisted, as if holding a cup.
Bring cup to mouth to ‘drink’)

This Is The Church
This is the church,
(children hold hands down with fingers interlocked) This is the steeple.
(Now put up both index fingers in the shape of a steeple)
Look inside.
(children turn hands over)
And see all the people.
(everybody wiggle fingers)

Here Is the Sea
Here is the sea, the wavy sea
[Wave hands from side to side.]
Here is my boat,
[Cup hands like a boat.]
And here is me
[Point to self.]
All of the fishes
[Wiggle your fingers.]
Down below
[Point downwards.]
Wiggle their tails
[Wiggle your fingers.]
And way they go.
[Wiggle your fingers behind your back.]

My Garden
This is my garden
(Extend palm)
I rake it with care
(Pretend to rake with three fingers)
And then I plant flower seeds in there
(Pretend to plant)
The sun will shine
(Hold arms in circle over head)
And the rain will fall
(Wiggle fingers on both hands as move downwards)
And my garden will blossom
(Cup hands)
And grow straight and tall
(Stretch arms/hands up slowly)

Little Plant
In the heart of a seed buried down so deep
[Make a fist.]
A little plant lay fast asleep
Awake said the sun
[Make large circle over head with arms.]
Come up through the earth
Awake said the rain
[Flutter fingertips down.]
We’re giving you birth
The little plant heard with a happy sigh,
[Open hand, turn fingers upward, raise arm slowly.]
And pointed its petals up to the sky.

Relaxing Flowers
Five little flowers
[Hold up five fingers.]
Standing in the sun
See their heads nodding
[Make fingers nod.]
Bowing, one by one.
[Make fingers bow.]
Down, down, down
Falls the gentle rain,
[Flutter fingers downward.]
And the five little flowers
Lift up their heads again!
[Hold up five fingers.]

Ten Brave Firemen
Ten brave firemen sleeping in a row,
(extend both hands, fingers curled)
Ding dong goes the bell
(pull bell cord with one hand)
And down the pole they go
(close both fists, put one on top of other, slide down pole)
Off on the engine, oh, oh, oh.
(steer engine with hands)
Using the big hose, so, so, so.
(pretend to put fire)
When all the fire’s out, home so-o slow
(steer engine with hands)
Back to bed again, all in a row.
(extend both hands with fingers curled)

Policeman
This is a car driving down the street
(right fist travels down extended left arm)
Here’s a policeman walking his beat
(right index and middle fingers walk down left arm)
Now he is checking the stores at night
To see that the stores are locked up tight
(right index finger and thumb turn key in keyhole formed by crook of little finger of left hand, other fingers in a fist.)
And this is the friendly traffic cop,
(left hand in fist, index finger straight up)
Who tells the cars when to Go and Stop!
(on Go index finger beckons, on Stop, raise fist up)
When cars get in a traffic jam
(on jam fists together)
He help them better than anyone can.
(left index finger as cop stands erect)

Go Bananas!
Bananas unite!
(Put hands together over head)
Bananas split!
(Hands at side)

Go bananas!
Go go bananas!
Go bananas!
Go go bananas!
(Turn in circle, moving arms up and down
during these four lines)

Bananas to the left
(Point left)
Bananas to the right
(Point right)
Peel your banana and, mmmmmm, take a bite!
(Motion of peeling banana and biting it)

Little Turtle
There was a little turtle,
[Make small circle with hands.]
He lived in a box,
[Make a box with both hands.]
He swam in a puddle,
[Wriggle hands.]
And climbed on the rocks.
[Climb fingers of one hand up over the other.]
He snapped at a mosquito.
[Clap hands.]
He snapped at a flea.
[Clap hands.]
He snapped at a minnow.
[Clap hands.]
He snapped at me.
[Point at self.]
He caught the mosquito.
[Hold hand up, palm forward; quickly bend fingers shut.]
He caught the flea.
[Repeat.]
He caught the minnow.
[Repeat.]
But he didn’t catch me.
[Bend fingers only half-way shut.]

Two Mother Pigs
Two mother pigs lived in a pen
[Show thumbs.]
Each had four babies, and that made ten
[Show fingers and thumbs.]
These four babies were black as night
[Hold up hand, extend fingers, thumb in palm.]
These four babies were black and white
[Hold up other hand, thumb in palm.]
But all eight babies loved to play
And they rolled and rolled in the mud all day.
[Roll hands.]
At night, with their mother, they curled up in a heap,
[Make fists, palms up.]
And squealed and squealed till they went to sleep.

Elephant
The elephant walks
Like this and like that
[Get down on all fours and walk back and forth.]
He’s very tall,
[Stand and stretch arms up.]
And he’s very fat.
[Stretch arms out to sides.]
He has no fingers,
[Hold hands up, making fists to hide fingers.]
But he does have toes,
[Reach down and touch toes.]
And, goodness gracious,
What a nose!
[Grab nose between fingers and thumb of left hand; insert right arm through loop to form elephant’s trunk.]

I Am a Snowman
I am a snowman, cold and white
[Stand up tall.]
I stand so still through all the night
With a carrot nose
[Point to nose.]
And head held high,
And a lump of coal to make each eye.
[Point to eyes.]
I have a muffler made of red,
[Pretend to tie a muffler.]
And a stovepipe hat upon my head
[Place hands on top of head.]
The sun is coming out, oh my!
[Make big circle with arms over head.]
I think that I am going to cry.
[Wipe tear from eyes.]
Yesterday, I was plump and round.
[Form large circle with arms.]
Now, I’m just a river on the ground!
[Sink to floor.]