Fun finger plays for babies and toddlers

The benefits of finger play for babies

Fingerspiele für Babys | Fingerspiel von Mutter und Kind

promote language development
strengthen the self-confidence and self-esteem
strengthen the father- or mother-child relationship
stimulate children's imagination
promote fine- and gross motor skills in a playful way
improve concentration and sensory perception

Child's play – tips and ideas for finger games with young children

It should be cozy

Make yourselves comfortable with your baby: sit your little one on your lap for the finger play or cuddle up with them in bed – that way your child can fully focus on your voice and the touches.

No pressure

Don't put pressure on them: don't force your baby if they are in a bad mood or distracted – maybe a better time for the finger play will come or maybe they simply prefer a different rhyme.

Let them imitate

Give your baby space: your child may soon try to imitate the finger play. Let your little one try quietly, but overlook it if they don't quite get the rhyme or the movements yet – the fun always comes first.

Which finger games do babies and toddlers enjoy?

Fingerspiele für Babys | Fingerspiele mit Papa

What makes finger plays appealing is the combination of movements and funny, child-friendly rhymes. Babies and toddlers like finger plays in simple language, which they can quickly remember and immediately join in with. The most important thing, of course, is the 'punchline' at the end – almost all popular finger plays end with a surprise or a little joke, which the children eagerly look forward to. We've compiled a few classics among finger plays as inspiration for you:

The 5 most popular finger games for babies and toddlers

Whether funny wriggling men and women, cute bunnies or fantastic dwarfs – there are many verses and rhymes for finger plays. So that you can get started with your babies right away, we've listed the five best movement guides for great finger rhymes and games where you can use all your fingers. The best part: you don't need any materials, just a big dose of good cheer and your hands – and let the fun begin!

The classic for the little ones: This is the thumb

Almost everyone knows this simple finger play – and even babies watch the playful touching of their little fingers to the rhyme with fascination. Starting with the thumb, the fingers are tapped or gently bent – one after the other – and each finger is named:

"THIS is the thumb, HE shakes the plums, HE picks them up, HE carries them home, and THAT little rascal eats them all, all, all up."

The little finger is not tapped, but gently shaken in time to 'all, all, all'.

Clapping and tickling: Here's your coin

Fingerspiele | Mama kitzelt Baby an Hand

This finger play for small children is very well known, even though the individual fingers don't really come into play. Take your child's little hand in your hand and clap gently on your baby's palm with the other hand while saying the following rhyme in time:

"There you have a coin, go to the market. Buy yourself a cow, and a little calf with it, the calf has a little tail, kille, kille, kille little gosling!"

On the last line 'kille, kille, kille little gosling' you tickle your baby on the belly and neck. Your child will learn the funny rhyme quickly and eagerly await the punchline with the little tickle. Many children insist on taking turns doing the finger play and will in turn thoroughly tickle Mom or Dad.

All together: Himpelchen and Pimpelchen

Himpelchen and Pimpelchen is an 'interactive' finger play where each participant moves their fingers independently to match the rhyme. You can even play this finger play with several children in a group, which is why it's very popular in kindergartens and at children's birthday parties.

For the game both hands are formed into fists, only the thumbs are raised and 'wobble'. Together the children recite the rhyme:

"Himpelchen and Pimpelchen climbed up the mountain. Himpelchen was a little gnome and Pimpelchen a dwarf." (The hands are slowly moved upward.)

"They sat up there for a loooong time and wobbled their pointed caps." (The thumbs wobble up and down.)

"But after 33 weeks they crawled into the mountain." (Now the thumbs are tucked into the fists – so the 'pointed caps' are no longer visible.)

"There they sleep in peace. Be quiet and listen carefully! Chrr-pphhh, Chhrr-pphhh..." (The fists are held up to the ears and the children make quiet snoring sounds.)

Finger play for several children: The tower that wobbles

Children can play this finger play again and again – and above all very young children enjoy it just as much as older kids.

One child makes a fist and sticks the thumb up. The next child wraps their fist around the thumb and sticks their thumb up. Another child adds their fist, and so on, until all the fists are built into a tower. Then the children say the rhyme together:

"The tower that wobbles, the tower that wobbles, the topmost tip falls off, clip-clap."

At 'clip-clap' the child whose hand is at the very top removes their fist, but the other children must continue to hold the tower together. This continues until all the hands are dismantled.

Animal finger play: Imse Bimse Spider

This international finger play about a little spider is equally popular with babies and children. From the English 'Itsy Bitsy Spider' it becomes 'Imse Bimse Spinne' in German. If you want to play this finger play with several children, sit in a circle and move your fingers to the following lines:

"Imse Bimse Spider, how long your thread is." (Both index fingers symbolically show a long thread.)

"Then came the heavy rain, whoops the thread snapped." (With your fingers mimic lots of raindrops that patter down.)

"Then the lovely sun came, and it soaked up the rain." (Form a big circle of a shining sun with your fingers.)

"Imse Bimse Spider climbs up again." (To imitate the little spider climbing up, alternately touch the left thumb to the right index finger and the right thumb to the left index finger.)