#action rhymes

[little-explorers-sensory-blog]

Action Rhymes 2 (and the sixth and seventh senses)

www.born-angels.co.uk

So, here’s the second post in the action rhymes series with two more fun rhymes to add to your library.  These are about the body so your baby can begin linking words to body parts whilst also developing their listening and attention skills– both part of the EYFS areas of Communication and Language.  As with all action rhymes, they also develop the two lesser known senses, Vestibular and Proprioceptive – yes, there are 7 senses!

  Two Little Feet Go Tap, Tap, Tap

Two little feet go tap, tap, tap (tap soles of both feet together)

Two little hands go clap, clap, clap (clap hands)

Two little fists go thump, thump, thump, (lift arms high above head and then bring down by sides of body)

Two little legs go jump, jump, jump, (lift legs high and back down)

One little baby turns slowly around, (lift baby in air and do a full turn)

One little baby lays quietly down (lay back down)

  Put Your Finger On Your Nose

(to the tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It)

Put your finger on your nose on your nose (touch nose x2)

Put your finger on your nose on your nose (touch nose x2)

Then turn yourself around (pick up baby and turn 360)

Jump your feet upon the ground (bounce on the ground and up high in the air)

Put your finger on your nose on your nose! (touch nose x2)

  The Sixth and Seventh Sense

The sixth and seventh senses

Action rhymes are great for developing the Vestibular and Proprioceptive senses - you may not have heard of them but you instinctively do movements that develop them, such as whooshing your baby above your head.  These two senses help our babies understand their bodies and the space around them.  So, what exactly are the sixth and seventh sense?!

www.guardian.co.uk

The Proprioceptive sense is how your baby’s body communicates with its joints, tendons and muscles to bend or stretch or be able to navigate round furniture.  For those of you who have ever had one too many glasses of wine you will know what it is like to NOT have your Proprioceptive sense!  Try some massage and or stroke different parts of your baby's body using different toys and materials. 

The Vestibular sense develops balance, movement and gravity, which helps your baby, coordinate themselves and move with control and grace.  Get spinning, lifting, rocking, swinging, pulling and pushing with your baby to develop this sense.

So what are you waiting for?  Do these rhymes a few times over and then get dancing round the room! 

www.lazylightening.co.uk

[little-explorers-sensory-blog]

Action Rhymes 1

Action rhymes are great fun and extremely simple so today we combined rhymes with another way to play with texture using the whole body; I’ll be posting a whole series of action rhyme play over the next few months, giving just a few each time so you can build your library as you go.  The EYFS focus for this play was, Communication and Language: Listening and Attention.

Repetition of play like this is great for babies as it helps them feel comfortable as they can guess what is coming next and then feel really happy and secure they were correct.  It also strengthens the connections in their brains created through the sensations of touch and sight and sound.

The simplicity of action rhymes means you can add them to your bath time massage or at nappy changes or, like we did, make it a play activity during wakeful times.

I popped on a patterned glove to provide a real visual focus for Arthur and to give a soft and warm texture.  My hands are also now crumbling from the constant washing and sterilising so using my real fingers wouldn’t have been too sensuous for Arthur!

We started with Round and Round the Garden, starting on the tummy and progressing to each hand and foot in turn which prompted lots of giggles.  We repeated this a few times over and you could see Arthur beginning to anticipate what when the tickles would happen!

Next we did a finger rhyme called, Fingers Sparkle, which Arthur really enjoyed.  He stared so intently at my hand as it moved in the air and delighted as it stroked and tickled his body. Again, we repeated this several times.Fingers Sparkle (Wiggle fingers in the air above the face)

Fingers close (snap them shut)

Creep them, creep them, to your toes (stroke down the body and then tickle the toes and feet)

Fingers Sparkle (Wiggle fingers in the air above the face)      

Fingers close (snap them shut)

Creep them, creep them to your nose! (Stroke down the body and then tickle the toes and feet)

Finally, we sang Tommy Thumb a good few times.  This action song is especially great for newborns as it helps them open and become aware of their fingers and hands. As you sing about each finger, stroke and gently pull each digit.  At the end, with ‘fingers all’, play with them altogether.

Tommy Thumb, Tommy Thumb, where are you?

Here I am, here I am and how do you do?

Peter Pointer, Peter Pointer, where are you?

Here I am, here I am and how do you do?

Toby Tall, Toby Tall, where are you?

Here I am, here I am and how do you do?

Ruby Ring, Ruby Ring where are you?

Here I am, here I am and how do you do?

Sally Small, Sally Small where are you?

Here I am, here I am and how do you do?

  Fingers all, Fingers all where are you?

Here we are, here we are and how do you do?

Incidentally, singing with boys is really important as it requires them to use both sides of their brain, meaning the connections link between the two separate sides.  Testosterone is a bit of a barrier for connections trying to cross over the two sides and more often, the connection doubles back on itself; this is why more often than not boys tend to be more scientific, mathematical and spatially aware then girls as it is this side of the brain that the connections tend to double back onto whilst girls tend to be more linguistic, speaking earlier and finding communication.  So if you have a boy, make sure you sing every day!