These finger puppets are so cute and just perfect for teaching young students the finger numbers for their instrument. They could be used for any instrument, really. I included numbers 1-5 so they can be used for piano or other instruments that use five fingers, but instruments that use fewer finger numbers, such as strings, can simply use the ones they need.
I have two sizes of these finger puppets - small for the student and large for the teacher/parent - and there are both color as well as black and white options for each size.
Click below to download:
I recommend printing your own set on cardstock, cutting them out, and then laminating them for durability. You can then fasten them with a staple, or perhaps there's a glue out there that will stick together laminated surfaces. If you choose not to laminate, of course glue or tape would hold the back together.
I had in mind that the student could perhaps use the black and white version to color and make their own.
So how exactly could these be used?
Finger Taps. I like to do a game called Finger Taps. For violin, since we use 4 fingers, I have the student tap the appropriate finger against their thumb as I call out a number. For piano or other five-finger instruments, you can have the student tap the piano, a chair, or tabletop. I mix it up and get faster as we go. Sometimes, I give the student a chance to call out the numbers and we both tap together. You could slowly remove one finger puppet at a time until they don't have the extra help.
Copy Cat. This is actually the same as Finger Taps, but a little more advanced.
Basically, you will do a series of finger taps while saying the finger numbers out loud. For example, "Four-one-three", tapping each finger as you say its number. The student will then have a turn to copy what you do. Then you can make it more difficult as the student progresses by increasing the speed and/or the number of fingers you do in each sequence.
These are only a couple ideas for how to use these finger puppets to teach finger numbers to your music students. How would you use these? What other games could you play with these to reinforce finger numbers? What other uses can you find for them? Please leave a comment below!
