Hand gestures are a powerful form of communication. Many babies will understand and use hand signals before they can talk.
Early childhood educators can help children use hand gestures in their daily lives, to communicate ideas, express themselves, and develop fine motor skills.
Try these gestures:
Clapping, clicking fingers, crossing fingers, fist bumps, hands on hips, high fives, jazz hands, palms down, palms up, peace signs, pointing, rubbing hands together, saluting, thumbs down, and thumbs up.
EYLF learning outcomes
The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) asks children to take increasing responsibility for their own physical learning (3.2), which includes the motor skills used in hand gestures.
Hand gestures can be a method of communication, allowing children to interact non-verbally with others (5.1) and use symbols and pattern systems (5.2).
Action songs and games teach learning dispositions such as curiosity, confidence, creativity, enthusiasm, and imagination (4.1).
Learning experiences
Learn sign language
Children can learn sign language with the purpose of promoting inclusion and disability awareness. An alternative system is baby sign language, which is for children who have limited verbal skills.
Sing songs with hand actions
Many early childhood songs use hand actions. Sing the ones on this list or invent your own!
- Incy wincy spider
- Twinkle, twinkle, little star
- If you're happy and you know it
- Open, shut them
- Five little ducks
- Heads, shoulders, knees and toes
- The wheels on the bus
Use hand communication in daily routines
Create routines and rituals with hand communication. Teach children the same simple signal and encourage them to use it at familiar times throughout the day. Do you want more fruit? Thumbs up!