Sports Themed Preschool Songs and Fingerplays

Preschool Fingerplays

Fingerplays are a great way to introduce preschoolers to some simple poetry. They add motion to songs and short poems and help young children develop both their fine and gross motor skills. Learning short verses also helps develop children’s language and literacy skills as they learn about the rhyme and rhythm of language. These simple sports themed preschool songs and fingerplays are a fun addition class.

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Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Preschoolers will have a blast singing and acting out this classic baseball song. It’s a great song to sing when your little ones need to move around and burn off a little energy!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Take me out to the ballgame. (Pretend to be swinging a baseball bat.)

Take me out with the crowd.

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks. (Use one hand to motion like you are popping a piece of popcorn into your mouth.)

I don’t care if I never get back. (Shake your head back and forth like you are saying no.)

Oh it’s root, root, root for the home team. (Pump your fist three times like you are cheering.)

If they don’t win it’s a shame. (Hold both hands out with the palms facing up.)

For it’s 1, 2, 3 strikes - you’re out (Count to three on your fingers and then point out to the side like a baseball umpire.)

at the old, ball game!

Three Little Balls

This fingerplay not only fits into a sports theme, it lets your preschoolers practice counting. Bring in three different sized balls and practice putting them in order from smallest to largest and largest to smallest to help students practice comparing and ordering things of different sizes.

Here’s a little ball. (Make a small with your thumb and index finger.)

And here’s a bigger ball. (Make a bigger ball using both thumbs and both index fingers.)

And a great big ball, I see. (Make a ball by holding your arms up over your head and touching your fingers together.)

Shall we count them?

Are you ready?

One, two, three! (Count to three with your fingers.)

More Fingerplays

Here are a few more preschool fingerplays about specific sports. They can all be sung to the tune of “Frère Jacques.”

Baseball Player

Baseball player, baseball player

Swing the bat, hit the ball (Pretend to swing a baseball bat.)

Run around the bases, run around the bases (Pretend to be running.)

Homerun, homerun

Football Player

Football player, football player

Throw the ball, (Hold one hand back like you are going to throw a football.)

catch the pass. (Pull both hands to chest as if catching a football)

Run and don’t get tackled, run and don’t get tackled. (Pretend to run.)

Touchdown, touchdown (Hold both arms straight up to signal a touchdown.)

Basketball Player

Basketball player, basketball player

Dribble the ball,

down the court (Pretend to be bouncing a basketball.)

Stop and shoot a basket, stop and shoot a basket. (Pretend to shoot a basketball.)

Two points, two points. (Hold up two fingers.)

Add a few of these preschool songs and fingerplays to your circle time to make your sports theme a winner!

Image by lisa runnels from Pixabay