Finger Play Friday: There Was a Little Turtle AND Tiny Tim (song with motions)

NOTE: This finger-play is written out as I learned it.  I do not know its original source. Most finger-plays, like “mother goose” rhymes, have been passed down from mother-to-daughter or from teacher-to-teacher, with slight variations.  When finger-plays are included in books, the author is usually listed as “unknown” or “traditional.” If anyone knows the original source of this finger-play, please let me know so that I can give credit where credit is due.

There Was a Little Turtle

(NOTE: To make turtle, hold hands out with thumbs touching. Keeping hands in the same position, lay one hand on top of the other. There should be one thumb on both sides of your hands. To make “turtle” swim, twirl thumbs in a circle.)

There was a little turtle (make turtle, twirl your thumbs)

Who lived in a box (use pointer fingers to draw a box)

He swam in a puddle (use hands and arms to “swim”)

He climbed on the rocks (use hands to pretend to “climb.”)

He snapped at a mosquito, he snapped at a flea, he snapped at a minnow and he snapped at me. (say slowly; on the word, “snapped”, clap outwards like you are snapping at something)

He caught the mosquito, he caught the flea, he caught the minnow (do the same as you did on the word “snapped”)

But he didn’t catch me! (say phrase slowly and with emphasis; wag pointer finger from side-to-side)

(you can also SING this one; the tune is the same one that is used for Tiny Tim. <click to hear tune>)

Tiny Tim Song (with motions)

I had a little turtle, his name was Tiny Tim (make turtle as above)

I put him in the bathtub, to see if he could swim (make swimming motions)

He drank up all the water, he ate up all the soap (make eating motions)

And now he’s blowing bubbles, out of his tiny throat.

Bubbles, bubbles, bubbles………etc till at the end of the phrase, when you shout, “pop!”