Tommy Thumb is a traditional action rhyme that gives each finger a different name.
Nursery rhyme, England (UK)
“Tommy Thumb” is a classic English nursery rhyme that introduces young children to their fingers in a fun and interactive way.
In this post, you’ll find everything you need to bring the rhyme to life—karaoke audio, an easy activity for toddlers, background information about the song, sheet music, and printable lyrics.
Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or caregiver, this playful finger rhyme is a great way to support early language and motor skill development.
Scroll down to explore all the resources and sing along with “Tommy Thumb”!
Table of Contents
- Tommy Thumb Karaoke Video
- Tommy Thumb Activity for kids
- Tommy Thumb Lyrics
- More Children’s songs in English
- Tommy Thumb karaoke (Free mp3 download)
- Tommy Thumb Sheet Music
- Tommy Thumb Sheet Music PDF for Printouts
- Song Info
Tommy Thumb Karaoke Video
Watch and sing along with our fun karaoke video to help kids enjoy the rhyme while learning finger names and movements.
Tommy Thumb Activity for kids
Your toddler will love the chance to wiggle their fingers one by one as you sing the rhyme together.
Encourage them to follow along with the motions—start with the thumb and move to each finger in turn. As you go through the verses, point to and gently move each finger to help your child make the connection between the song and their own hand.
Take a moment to talk about each finger:
– What do we call this one?
– What jobs can our fingers do?
– Why might this one be called ‘Peter Pointer’ or ‘Ruby Ring’?
This simple activity isn’t just fun—it helps build fine motor skills, coordination, and vocabulary. You can also highlight how their fingers will help them do all sorts of important things as they grow—like drawing pictures, turning book pages, or learning to write their name.
Now take a look at the words to the rhyme below.
You’ll notice that the chorus, “Here I am, here I am, how do you do?”, stays the same each time.
What changes is the finger you’re wiggling—making each verse a playful way to meet the whole “finger family”!
Tommy Thumb Lyrics
1. Tommy Thumb,
Tommy Thumb,
where are you?
Here I am, here I am.
How do you do?
2. Peter Pointer,
Peter Pointer,
where are you?
Here I am, here I am.
How do you do?
3. Finger Tall,
Finger Tall,
where are you?
Here I am, here I am.
How do you do?
4. Ruby Ring,
Ruby Ring,
where are you?
Here I am, here I am.
How do you do?
5. Baby Small,
Baby Small,
where are you?
Here I am, here I am.
How do you do?
6. Fingers All,
Fingers All,
where are you?
Here we are, here we are.
How do you do?
More Children’s songs in English
Tommy Thumb karaoke
(Free mp3 download)
Download the free MP3 karaoke version and take the song anywhere—perfect for playtime, car rides, or classroom singalongs.
To download your free karaoke mp3 of this song, right click on the following link, then choose “Save link as…”
“Tommy Thumb” free mp3 download (karaoke instrumental, 2:03 – 4/4 – 114 bpm)
Commercial License (karaoke)
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Tommy Thumb Sheet Music
Play or teach the melody with our easy-to-read sheet music, ideal for piano, recorder, or classroom instruments.
Tommy Thumb Sheet Music PDF for Printouts
Click to download and print the sheet music PDF—great for music lessons, home practice, or early childhood education resources.
Tommy Thumb Free Sheet Music PDF to download and print out
Song Info
“Tommy Thumb” is a traditional English nursery rhyme that has been cherished by generations of children. “Tommy Thumb” can be seen as an early forerunner and inspiration for the song “Finger Family“, popularized globally via YouTube in the early 2000s.
It is closely associated with the earliest printed collections of nursery rhymes, notably Tommy Thumb’s Pretty Song Book, published in London in 1744 by Mary Cooper. This publication is recognized as the oldest surviving anthology of English nursery rhymes, containing many tunes that remain popular today, such as “Baa Baa Black Sheep” and “London Bridge is Falling Down” .
The rhyme “Tommy Thumb” itself serves as an engaging fingerplay, introducing children to each finger with playful verses and movements, aiding in the development of fine motor skills and early language acquisition.
The character of Tommy Thumb also has roots in English folklore, where “Tom Thumb” is depicted as a tiny hero whose adventures were first recorded in the 17th century. Over time, the name “Tommy Thumb” became synonymous with early children’s literature, symbolizing the transition of oral traditions into printed form.
Mary Cooper’s pioneering work in publishing Tommy Thumb’s Pretty Song Book marked a significant moment in literary history, as it was among the first books specifically designed for children’s entertainment and education . The enduring popularity of the “Tommy Thumb” rhyme underscores its importance in the canon of English nursery rhymes and its role in the cultural heritage of early childhood learning.
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