GAMES TO PLAY WITH ONE-YEAR-OLDS
12-15 MONTHS
Wibbleton to Wobbleton (bounce)
Where Are the Baby Mice (Finger Play)
From Wibbleton to Wobbleton is fifteen miles,
From Wobbleton to Wibbleton is fifteen miles,
From Wibbleton to Wobbleton,
From Wobbleton to Wibbleton,
From Wibbleton to Wobbleton is fifteen miles!
(sit your toddler on your knees and bounce your
legs up and down as you chant this rhyme)
Where are the baby mice? (put arms out to
sides and shrug)
Squeak Squeak Squeak (put hand to ear)
I cannot see them (cover up your eyes)
Peek Peek Peek (peek between your fingers)
Here they come from a hole in the wall (put one
hand in a fist and place it behind your other
hand)
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, That's all! (pop the fingers of your
fisted hand up from behind the other hand, one
at a time)
Smooth Road (bounce)
A smooth road, a smooth road, a smooth road,
a smooth road
(gently sway toddler side to side)
A bumpy road, a bumpy road, a bumpy road, a
bumpy road
(gently bounce toddler up and down)
A rough road, a rough road, a rough road, a
rough road
(bounce harder but watch to be sure your
toddler is enjoying it!)
A rough road, a rough road, A HOLE!!!!
(Open your knees and dip toddler between
them)
Head and Shoulders (body awareness)
(touch each body part as you sing this song)
Head and shoulders, knees and toes
Knees and toes, knees and toes,
Head and shoulders, knees and toes
Eyes, ears, mouth and nose!
15-18 MONTHS
Old MacDonald (animals)
Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O
And on the farm he had a pig, E-I-E-I-O
With an oink, oink here, and an oink, oink there
Here an oink, there an oink, everywhere an
oink, oink
Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O
(use stuffed animals at home as props and use
sounds to suit the animals. Feel free to be silly
and use robots or dinosaurs or other things that
may not normally be found on a farm!)
This is the Way We Wash Our Hands (daily
routine)
(Tune: Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush)
This is the way we wash our hands,
Wash our hands, wash our hands,
This is the way we wash our hands,
To get them nice and clean!
(this song can be adapted to fit almost any
activity you are doing. Just change the last line
if needed to make sense with whatever it is you
are doing. For example “this is the way we
brush our hair to make it nice and soft” or “this
is the way we eat our dinner to grow up nice and
strong” or “this is the way we wear our coat to
keep us nice and warm”)
Teddy Bear (Action game)
Teddy bear, teddy bear, turn around
(turn in a circle)
Teddy bear, teddy bear, touch the ground
(touch the ground)
Teddy bear, teddy bear, show your shoe
(lift or wiggle one foot)
Teddy bear, teddy bear, that will do
(put foot down)
Teddy bear, teddy bear, go upstairs
(pretend to be climbing stairs)
Teddy bear, teddy bear, brush your hair
(pretend to brush hair with hand)
Teddy bear, teddy bear, turn out the light
(pretend to flick off a light switch)
Teddy bear, teddy bear, say goodnight
(lay head against hands and close your eyes)
Ring-a-Round-a-Rosie (Action game)
There Was a Little Turtle (Finger Play)
(Hold hands and dance in a circle, and fall to the
ground at the end)
Ring-a-round-a-rosie,
A pocket full of posies,
Ashes, ashes,
We all fall down!
There was a little turtle (cup your hands
together)
He lived in a box (make a box with both hands)
He swam in a puddle (make swimming motion
with hands)
He climbed on the rocks (climb fingers up one
hand)
He snapped at a mosquito (clap hands)
He snapped at a flea (clap hands)
He snapped at a minnow (clap hands)
And he snapped at me! (point to yourself)
He caught the mosquito (mimic catching a bug)
He caught the flea (mimic catching a bug)
He caught the mosquito (mimic catching a bug)
But he didn't catch me! (point to yourself,
shaking head)
Rain is Falling Down (bath time game)
Rain is falling down, splash!
Rain is falling down, splash!
Pitter patter, pitter patter,
Rain is falling down, splash!
(gently drip bath water over your toddler or
poke holes in a plastic container to make a
bathtub “rain sprinkler”)
Burnaby Public Library
www.bpl.bc.ca
Children’s Services