Fun Halloween Fingerplay Ideas for Preschool and Kindergarten

Halloween is the favorite time of the year for my daycare children. Their eyes light up at the scarecrow by the back door and they point to the bats and ghost hanging in the windows. Even the babies giggle at the smiling pumpkins displayed on the bulletin board.

A favorite preschooler activity is fingerplay songs and poems. Halloween fingerplays are even more exciting. The children all join in, acting out the Halloween rhymes and building their anticipation of the upcoming spooky Halloween night.

Here are some of my preschooler's favorite Halloween fingerplay songs:

Five Little Pumpkins by Iris Van Rynback

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate (Hold up open hand)

The first one says, "My, it's getting late." (Point at the thumb)

The second one says, "There are witches in the air." (Point to pointer finger)

The third one says, "But we don't care." (Point to the middle finger)

The fourth one says, "Let's run and run and run!" (Point to ring finger)

The fifth one says, "We're ready for some fun!" (Point to the little finger)

Ooooooooooo went the wind (Hold hands open beside mouth)

And out went the light (Clap hands together)

And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight. (Roll hands around each other)

This can be adapted to any movements you think the children will like. I have had the children play the parts of the five little pumpkins also. They really enjoy this, and love saying their part of the poem. At the end, they all roll out of the playroom door. Fun stuff.

The Monster Halloween fingerplay is the absolute favorite of the preschoolers in my daycare. They really get involved, waving their arms, showing

their claws, and especially stomping their feet. Acting out this fingerplay is a great way to use up some of their energy and have fun at the same time.

If You're a Monster (to the tune: If You're Happy and You Know It)

If you're a monster and you know it, wave your arms.

If you're a monster and you know it, wave your arms.

If you're a monster and you know it,

Then your arms will surely show it.

If you're a monster and you know it, wave your arms.

Added Verses: Show your claws, Gnash your teeth, Stomp your feet

Here is an original Halloween fingerplay that I wrote to the tune of The Bear Went over the Mountain. Any fingerplay can be easily adapted to a holiday, event, or theme. Just change the words to suit the lesson, and you have a brand new fingerplay.

The Witch Flew over the Blue Moon (Sung to: The Bear went over the Mountain)

The witch flew over the blue moon,

The witch flew over the blue moon,

The witch flew over the blue moon,

To see who she could scare.

To see who she could scare,

To see who she could scare,

The with flew over the blue moon,

To see who she could scare.

The children in their costumes,

The children in their costumes,

The children in their costumes,

Were out tonight to scare.

Were out tonight to scare,

Were out tonight to scare,

The children in their costumes

Were out tonight to scare.

The witch was oh so happy,

The witch was oh so happy,

The witch was oh so happy,

To see who she could scare.

HEH, HEH HEH!

I give half the children witches hats and brooms when we sing this fingerplay and the other half of the children choose costumes from out dress up box. The witches fly around the playroom on brooms while the children in costumes try to keep away from them. Everyone has a great time.

Be creative and adapt some of your favorite songs or fingerplays to the upcoming holidays. Fingerplays are the perfect way to introduce children to rhyming, poetry, music, and performing. Have fun!