There simply isn’t any substitute for traditional old favourites like Two Little Dickie Birds. This finger rhyme has been around for centuries and I’m sure it’ll be handed down for many more.
I remember being completely baffled by my Great Grandmother, who would sing this finger rhyme to us when we were little. To improvise as birds, she’d lick two little pieces of paper to make them stick to the end of each forefinger. This kept us amused for ages with her “magic tricks!’
Ah! Things were more simple in those days!
Two little dickie birds sitting on the wall, (waggle both forefingers)
One named Peter, the other named Paul, (waggle left then right finger)
Fly away Peter, fly away Paul, (each finger flies away behind back)
Come back Peter, come back Paul (each finger flies back again)
You can sing this song with any toy birds or finger puppets. But in the absence of either of those props, kids won’t even mind just wiggling fingers.
Younger babies and toddlers are very happily amused by just simply hiding the birds behind the back and then having them peep out again. But older children really enjoy the ‘magic’ where you change fingers behind your back. This really does convince them that the birds have flown away, and then magically reappear again – but of course you’re just switching the fingers over behind your back all along!
It’s the sort of little rhyme that can come in very handy while waiting in a queue or on a train journey.
Two Little Dicky Birds finger Rhyme Sheet Music
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