Le ditina si cercano e si trovano. Un gioco di dita semplice che piace molto ai bimbi.
Tommy Thumb = Pollice
Peter Pointer = Indice
Toby Tall = Medio
Ruby Ring = Anulare
Baby Small = Mignolo

Tommy Thumb, Tommy Thumb
Where are you?
Here I am, here I am
How do you do?
Peter Pointer, Peter Pointer
Where are you?
Here I am, here I am
How do you do?
Toby Tall, Toby Tall
Where are you?
Here I am, here I am
How do you do?
Ruby Ring, Ruby Ring
Where are you?
Here I am, here I am
How do you do?
Baby Small, Baby Small
Where are you?
Here I am, here I am
How do you do?
Fingers all, Fingers all
Where are you?
Here we are, here we are
How do you do?

Per sapere come la si canta ascoltatela qui.

Immagine da A Journey Round My Skull

Il piu’ classico dei girotondi, dal significato  imperscrutabile.

Ring a-ring o’ roses,
A pocketful of posies.
ah-tishoo, ah-tishoo.
We all fall down.

The cows are in the meadow,
Eating buttercups,
ah-tishoo, ah-tishoo.
they all jump up.

 La musica e’ esattamente la stessa del nostro girotondo.

Immagine da A Journey Round My Skull

This Little Piggy
This little piggy went to market,
This little piggy stayed at home,
This little piggy ate roast beef,
This little piggy had none.
And this little piggy went…
“Wee wee wee wee wee”
All the way home…

As you say each line you wiggle each of the baby’s toes, starting with the big toe and wiggling each toe until you’ve done all five. On the last two lines you tickle the child up the leg – as if the “piggy” is running home. This Little Piggyis probably the most well-known rhyme that people do with babies in the English speaking world

Round and Round the Garden (also known as Teddy Bear)
Round and round the garden…
(Run your index finger around child’s palm.)
Like a teddy bear.
One step, two step…
(Walk your fingers up the child’s arm.)
Tickle you under there!
(Tickle under armpit!)

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 wide your little mouth,
But do not let them in.

Open and close your hands when you sing “Open, shut them” and then follow the words to the song and make the corresponding hand movements while you sing. On “do not let them in” hide your hands behind your back.

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes,
Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes,
And eyes and ears and mouth and nose,
Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes.

Touch your head, then shoulder, then knees, then toes then all over again. At each iteration go a little faster, until you burst into laughter.

How Big is Baby
This is a simple game where you say “How big is (Child’s name)?” Then in a high voice you answer, “So big!” while gently putting the baby’s arms up in the air.
Little kids love that one.

Shoe a Little Horse
Shoe a little horse,
Shoe a little mare,
But let the little colt go
Bare, bare, bare.
Here’s one to recite while gentle tapping the bottom of the baby’s feet…

Brow brinky
Brow brinky,
Eye winky,
Chin choppy,
Nose noppy,
Cheek cherry,
Mouth merry.
Here’s one to say while gently touching the different parts of the baby’s face…

Two Little Hands Go Clap, Clap, Clap
Two little hands go clap, clap, clap,
Two little feet go tap, tap, tap,
Two little legs kick high, high, high,
Two little lips go kiss, kiss, kiss,
Two little arms go hug, hug, hug,
Two little arms wave bye, bye, bye.
 While saying this rhyme you can help the child make the associated motions…

Oxbridge Baby- Nursery Rhymes, questo è sicuramente il mio CD preferito. Gli arrangiamenti sono molto curati e moderni, quindi le canzoni sono orecchiabili e piacevoli sia per adulti che per bambini, spesso mi ritrovo a canticchiarle per strada. Le nursery rhymes inglesi sono in genere davvero molto belle. Si distinguono molto dalle canzoncine per bambini italiane sia nelle melodie che nei testi, alcune sono molto antiche e raccontano in modo cifrato di personaggi storici o eventi realmente accaduti. I testi e le storie delle nursery rhymes si possono trovare su vari siti, eccone un paio tanto per iniziare, ma la lista non è minimamente esaustiva: Lyrics for Nursery Rhymes,testi e storia delle nursery rhymes.

Lullaby: a Beautiful and Soothing collection of Night Time songs for Children and Grown Ups by Sophie Barker. Questo CD inizialmente non mi è piaciuto molto, lo trovavo troppo lento, ma è piaciuto molto a mia mamma e ad A. e piu’ lo ascoltavo piu’ mi piaceva. E’ diventato IL CD per la nanna, A.lo ascolta sempre prima di dormire, e ora piace moltissimo anche a me. Mentre le nursery rhymes possono essere anche molto allegre e energetiche, le lullabies sono delle ninna nanne, molto dolci e pensate per fare addormentare i bambini. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Rock a bye baby e Bah Bah Black Sheep fanno miracoli!

Se li avete gia’ o cercate dell’altro qui trovate indicazioni per altri CD.