As November Winds Down, Finger Plays Keep Your Classroom Calm, Connected, and Learning

The last week of November is one of the trickiest times in early childhood classrooms. Between holiday excitement, routine disruptions, and upcoming assessments, teachers need activities that are calming, predictable, and developmentally rich.

That’s exactly why I love using finger plays in Pre-K during this stretch of the school year. They’re low-prep (or no-prep!), incredibly engaging, and packed with benefits for language development, fine-motor coordination, social interaction, and early literacy.

Whether you need a quick transition, a movement break, or a way to build vocabulary before winter themes begin, finger plays are your go-to teaching tool.

Why Finger Plays Matter in Pre-K

Finger plays may look simple, but they support a surprising number of essential readiness skills:

1. Language + Vocabulary

Repeating songs and rhymes strengthens:

• Phonological awareness
• Listening comprehension
• Vocabulary
• Sentence structure

Kids gain confidence because finger plays feel like play—not pressure.

2. Fine-Motor Skills

Every wiggle, tap, clap, or gesture helps children:

• Strengthen finger muscles
• Practice bilateral coordination
• Prepare for writing, cutting, buttoning, and zipping

3. Social-Emotional Skills

Finger plays:

• Build classroom community
• Help children follow a shared routine
• Promote turn-taking
• Offer predictable comfort during a busy time of year

4. Classroom Management Magic

Need a reset after outdoor play?
Need a quiet, regulated moment during transitions?
Need a speedy warm-up before circle time?

Finger plays deliver—every time.

5 Fun Finger Plays for the Last Week of November

These work beautifully as you shift from fall themes into early-winter activities.

1. “Five Little Acorns”

A simple, rhythmic rhyme with counting, disappearing actions, and fall vocabulary.

2. “Turkey Waddle”

Perfect right after Thanksgiving weekend—kids love waddling, stretching wings, and making quiet gobbles.

3. “Autumn Leaves Are Falling Down”

A calm, soothing rhyme for re-regulation after high-energy activities.

4. “Here Is the Beehive”

Any time you need giggles, predictability, and a fun surprise ending.

5. “Open, Shut Them”

A classic finger play that works for any season—and gives little hands a perfect fine-motor warm-up.

💡 Teacher Tip: Keep 3–5 finger plays on rotation. Predictability helps your students anticipate what’s coming next, lowering stress and increasing participation.

How to Use Finger Plays to Smooth Out Your November Transitions

By late November, children are tired, out of routine, and often overstimulated. Finger plays can anchor them.

Use Finger Plays…

• During lineup
• Before read-alouds
• After specials (PE, library, art)
• During cleaning transitions
• To ease into small-group rotations
• When you need a movement break that isn’t TOO energetic

Children know what to expect, and you get a calmer, smoother classroom.

A Natural Transition Into Winter: Counting Songs & Rhymes

Once your students are familiar with finger plays, they’re more than ready for the next step: counting songs and rhyming activities.

These build on the same skills—movement, rhythm, phonological awareness, and memory—while adding early math foundations, including:

• Counting forward & backward
• 1:1 correspondence
• Number vocabulary
• Patterning
• Rhyming and sound play

This is the perfect time to introduce these skills, especially as we move toward winter themes and December routines.

Want a Classroom Boost Before December? Try This!

Choose ONE finger play from today’s list and use it:

• At arrival

   

• Before lunch

   

• After recess

   

• Before dismissal

   

Notice how your students respond.

Notice how you feel—more regulated, more connected, more in control of transitions.

Finger plays bring simplicity and joy to a time of year that can feel hectic and overstimulating.

Before You Go…

The holiday season speeds up quickly—finger plays help slow things down.

If you’d like:

• more finger plays,

   

• more adapted early-learning activities,

   

• and a reminder when the Black Friday & TPT Cyber Sale begins…

   

Enter your name and email below and I’ll send your Fall Fingerplay Posters Freebie straight to your inbox!

Your free download includes:

• Five Little Acorns
• Turkey Waddle
• Autumn Leaves Are Falling Down
• Here Is the Beehive
• Open, Shut Them

Each poster includes simple motions and visual supports—perfect for early childhood, special education, and inclusive classrooms.

And don’t forget to check out the Counting Songs & Rhymes Bundle—it’s the perfect next step after finger plays.