Rhyme Time Free Printable Storytime Fingerplays: Clapping, Hands, Rabbits

Rhyme time is an essential part of Baby Storytime.

Rhyming is important for a baby's early literacy because it helps them recognize and predict sound patterns in language, which supports phonemic awareness—a key foundation for reading. Hearing and playing with rhymes strengthens memory and listening skills while making language fun and engaging. Rhyming also helps babies notice similarities and differences in words, building their vocabulary and boosting their ability to decode new words later on.

Enjoy these free printable action rhymes in your classroom, for homeschool, or in the library.

Clapping Rhyme

Clip in front, nice and slow.

Clap in front, here we go!

Clap, clap, clap,

Now Freeze!

Open, Shut Them

Open shut them x2

Give a little clap, clap, clap!

Open shut x2

Put them in your lap, lap, lap!

Little Rabbit

I saw a little rabbit go 

hop, hop, hop!

I told that little rabbit to 

stop, stop, stop!

He wiggled his ears and crinkled his nose,

and wiggled, wiggled, wiggled right 

down to to his toes!