Learn Baby Sign Language - Winter

 

 

Most children probably already know and love the hokey pokey song, so I’d like to introduce to you a way to have a little more fun with it and learn baby sign language signs at the same time. In the cold winter months, you can’t help but to draw more attention to winter clothing and what you can do to keep warm outside. Your students will have a lot of fun singing and will be able to easily learn more vocabulary words and more about the winter season.

 

You can introduce the idea by teaching the sign for winter, which is to shake fists and arms in front of body as if shivering. For the song, instead of using body parts, I suggest you substitute winter clothing to put in and out of the circle, such as this:

 

You put your right mitten in,

You put your right mitten out

You put your right mitten in and

You shake it all about

You do the hokey pokey and

You turn yourself around

That’s what it’s all about

 

Continue the song and substitute “right mitten” with the following signs:

 

Right/Left mitten – Hold out one hand and keep the opposite hand in a fist as if putting on a glove

Right/Left boot – 1) Pretend to pull a boot onto foot, 2) Make upside down B’s with hands and put together, or 3) Sign shoes - Bump fists together

Hat – Place arms/hands over head as if to put on a hat, or pat your head

Scarves – Make the motion of wrapping a scarf around neck

Coats – Pull arms/hands over shoulders as if pulling on a coat

Snow pants – Make sign for snow by trickling fingers down in front of self, and follow by the sign for pants by brushing hands up on legs

Socks – Point two pointer fingers down opposite each other

 

Remember to have fun while singing and signing with your students. They’ll become much more engaged in the activity and learn while doing so. Stay warm!

 

You can find more ideas to help you learn baby sign language at www.babysignlanguageonline.com/blog.

Learn Baby Sign Language - Thanksgiving

 

With Thanksgiving coming up in just a few weeks, I thought it would be great to share a great Thanksgiving song that you can sing and sign with your child or pre-school classroom (and have fun learning baby sign language at the same time). For this particular song, you will need to know the following signs:

 

Thanks– Bring your hand from your chin and direct it towards the person you are thanking.

Thankful– This will be the same as “thanks,” but use both hands

Sun– Make a circle in the air above you and then open your fingers to point down on you like the sun’s rays

Moon- Make a crescent shape with your pointer finger and thumb next to your eye and extend it out toward the sky

Friends– Link your pointer fingers together and again the other way

Family– Sign the letter F with both hands by making a circle with your pointer finger and thumb. Then, form a circle in front of you with your hands

See– Bring your pointer and middle finger out from near your eye

 

This song is sung to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star:”

 

“Let’s Be Thankful”

Thank you for the sun so bright

Thank you for the moon at night

Thanks for friends that play with me

Thank you for my family

Thanks for all that I can see

I am thankful yes indeed

 

This is a fun song to sing during the Thanksgiving holiday season. Children will have fun singing the song and they will be learning more signs as well.

 

For more fun ways to learn baby sign language, visit www.babysignlanguageonline.com/blog.

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving!