6. Open Shut Them
Open, shut them, open, shut them,
Give a little clap, clap, clap.
Open, shut them, open, shut them,
Put them in your lap, lap, lap.
Creep them, creep them,
Creep them, creep them,
Right up to your chin, chin, chin.
Open up your little mouth,
But do not let them in.
You will have baby’s full attention with this classic finger play song. Start by showing your palms to baby and closing them into fists as you sing “open, shut them.” After you’ve clapped your hands and rested them on your lap, you’ll crawl them slowly up the baby, from feet all the way to chin, which should result in many giggles. Just as you reach baby’s mouth, gasp, then hide your fingers behind your back as you sing “Do not let them in.”
7. Five Little Monkeys
Five little monkeys jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head
Mama called the doctor,
And the doctor said,
“No more monkeys jumping on the bed”
Four little monkeys jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped her head
Mama called the doctor
And the doctor said,
“No more monkeys jumping on the bed”
Using your hand to represent the five monkeys, start by bouncing your open palm up and down. Hold up one finger for “one fell off” and then gently tap your own head to show that one monkey got hurt. Bend your three middle fingers and make a phone shape out of your pinkie and thumb and hold it up to your face to call the doctor. Then be the doctor, wagging your finger in an exaggerated “No” motion. Repeat the process as you count down to one monkey (they never learn!) and end with the doctor saying “Put those monkeys back to bed.” This song grows with your baby; as he enters toddlerhood, he’ll become the monkey, standing up to jump and fall down.
8. I’m a Little Teapot
Short and stout
Here is my handle
Here is my spout
Hear me shout
“Tip me over and pour me out!”
Yes it’s true
Here let me show you
What I can do
I can change my handle
And my spout
Just tip me over and pour me out!
Not many of us use an old fashioned steam kettle anymore, but this baby classic never goes out of style. Perform it standing up, putting your hand on your hip to make a handle and stretching out your opposite arm to form a spout. When it’s time to tip over, bend sideways at the waist so that your spout arm dips towards the floor. The second verse is a fun option if you’d like to keep going. Want to take it to the next level? With each repetition of the song, go up one key and sing until you can’t reach the high notes anymore.
9. Bingo
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
B-I-N-G-O
B-I-N-G-O
B-I-N-G-O
And Bingo was his name-o.
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(clap)-I-N-G-O
(clap)-I-N-G-O
(clap)-I-N-G-O
And Bingo was his name-o.
This rousing song about a dog named Bingo is not only fun, it also teaches babies the letters of the alphabet–well, five of them anyway. Each time you repeat the verse, replace one more of the letters in B-I-N-G-O with a clap. (So by the end, you’re clapping five times and saying zero letters.) For whatever reason, this one makes babies giggle like crazy.
