Little ducks – an action song to encourage hand movements

Action songs and rhymes can be fun for you and your baby. At this stage, it's best to choose rhymes with actions that involve opening and closing their hands rather than ones that involve moving individual fingers.  

What to try 

• Before you start, position yourself so that your baby can see you as you say the rhyme and do the actions. They might begin to move their hands as they watch you.  
• Sing an action song, such as ‘Little Ducks’. You can use your hands to represent the ducks’ beaks opening and closing as you sing. 

Good to know 

Your baby might not have the control to copy the actions in ‘Little Ducks’ yet, but watching your movements will encourage them to move their hands. 

Little ducks go quack, quack, quack.

Quack, quack, quack.

Quack, quack, quack.

Little ducks go quack, quack, quack,

In the springtime.