Teaches

This is a GREAT little activity you can do anytime, anywhere…with one child or 100. It’s simple, fun, and requires nothing more than your hands and your imagination.

Preparation

Before singing the song, practice making the hand gestures (rock, paper, and scissors) first. Make sure all of the children can make the gestures and then call out "ROCK" and get all of the kids to make a "rock" gesture. Continue calling out "ROCK" "SCISSORS" or "PAPER", challenging the kids to make the corresponding gesture as fast as they can. You can have the kids take turns calling out rock, scissors, or paper, too.

With slightly older kids (4 and over), spend a little bit more time practicing "right hand" and "left hand." You can say, "Show me your right hand!" (demonstrate holding up your right hand). "Show me your left hand!" (demonstrate holding up your left hand). "Right hand! Left hand! Right hand! Right hand! Right hand! Left hand!" etc.

Once the children show command of the gestures, you are ready to sing the song!

Lyrics and Actions

Rock scissors paper. [Make rock, scissors, and paper gestures with your hands.]
Rock scissors paper. [Make rock, scissors, and paper gestures with your hands.]
One, two, three. [Count to three with your fingers.]
Play with me. [Point to your chest with your thumbs.]
Right hand ROCK! [Make a fist.]
Left hand PAPER! [Place your left hand out flat.]
(playful music) [Place the PAPER hand on top of the ROCK hand and fly your two hands around like a helicopter.]
It’s a Helicopter! [Fly your helicopter up and down and all around…if you like, pause the music here and spend some time flying around the room!]

Rock scissors paper.
Rock scissors paper.
One, two, three.
Play with me.
Right hand ROCK!
Left hand ROCK!
(playful music) [Place your fists in front of your nose and make a long nose like Pinocchio.]
It’s PINOCCHIO! [Make your nose grow by moving one fist farther and farther from your face!]

Rock scissors paper
Rock scissors paper
One, two, three
Play with me
Right hand SCISSORS!
Left hand PAPER!
(playful music) [Place the paper on top of the scissors and move the "paper" hand up and down like a seesaw]
It’s a SEESAW ! [If you like, pause the music, have all of the students pair off and pretend to ride on see-saws by squatting down and up, down and up, down and up.]

Rock scissors paper
Rock scissors paper
One, two, three
Play with me
Right hand SCISSORS!
Left hand ROCK!
(playful music) [Place the rock on top of the scissors so that it looks like and ice cream cone.)
It's an ICE CREAM CONE! [Pretend to lick your ice cream cone! Say, " I have chocolate. What flavor do you have?" Ask each of the students.