Over the years I have seen and invented several hand games that engage children. I would not call these lessons but they open a type of dialogue with children who speak very little English. Here are a few:

1. In Korea some children can overlap the fingers of both hands and make a very convincing snake head. Cool. Then I show them the one I learned in Newfoundland that goes with this little rhyme....

2.
Here's the Church
Here's the steeple
Open the doors
And see all the people

Make two fists and hold them together with knuckles touching. This is the church. Now raise your two pointer fingers and touch the tops to make a steeple (kids may know the word tower). The two thumbs together are the doors (open them) and see all the people, the many fingers inside (wiggling). This activity appeals to small children and they want to copy it endlessly.

3. Make a Square or Diamond.

The next activity is to take the 4 longest fingers on both hands and touch them at 90 degree angles making a perfect square. Square is an important word to teach small children. Change the angle and make a diamond. Next touch the 2 thumbs and pointer fingers and you will see a small space in the middle. This is a tiny star or diamond everybody owns. Move your fingers and make it bigger or smaller, make it twinkle. This leads into the Twinkle Twinkle Song if you want to teach it. Best to put the words up on the board if the kids can read. I came up with this activity a few years back.

4. Hand Shadow Puppets

Everybody knows how to make these.

5. The Spock Vulcan Hand Salute, From the Star Trek Show

Satute with a gap between the longest finger and the ring finger. This is difficult and children find it a challenge. Then make the two sides sissor together. This is even harder. Next try the sissor action with the smallest finger, harder still. Children and teens of all cultures are facinated with this task. It makes bridges and smiles.

6. Funny Hand Shakes

1. Ask someone to interlock the fingers of both hands and then turn the hands over so that both thumbs point down. Then reach out with your hands and milk the thumbs. This is the farmer's handshake. Very funny.

2. Take someone's hand and tickle the inside of their palm with the longest finger. I was told this is a Mason's handshake but I doubt it. It shocks some people and others say it is flirting. It is a good way to teach tickle tickle to ESL kids.

3. Take someone's hand and wave it all about saying "It's a very windy day!"

4. Take another hand and move it in and out like a saw, saying "Have you been cutting wood?", or, " Are you a carpenter?"

5. Take another hand and make circles in and out, round and round like a train's linked wheels and say "Did you just get off the train?"

6. Take another hand and squeeze it repeatedly, saying "Are you a heart doctor (surgeon)?"

7. Take another hand (shy girl) and try to kiss it saying " Hello Juliette, I am Romeo".

Teddy Bear

Around around the circle goes the Teddy Bear
One step (your two fingers walk up the arm)
Two steps (further up)
Tickly under there.

The singer of the song goes around and around the palm of the child with one finger and the child does not know they are going to get tickled under the arm at the end of the song. Very popular.

There are many many of these hand activities and they help with bits of vocabulary.

Copyright Robin Timothy Day 2006