The 20 signs in ‘Where is the Bird?’
Use these signs whenever you speak the word. It might feel odd at first, but it will soon feel natural. The more you use the signs, the quicker your child will pick them up. Please don’t be disheartened if your child takes a while to sign back, they will understand you, and it’s nice to be able to talk to children at a distance.
If everyone in the UK knew these 20 signs, not only would there be far fewer frustrated toddlers, but the affiliated awareness of BSL would be a huge step forward for improving integration between the British Deaf and Hearing communities.
bird
Place your hand next to your mouth and snap your thumb and forefinger together, like a beak opening and closing
where?
Both palms facing upwards and arms apart slightly beyond your shoulders. Rotate your palms in a circle. You can also raise your eyes, tilt your head, or shrug your shoulders, anything that says ‘Where?’ with your body. Can also mean almost any basic question, like How? Why? What? Who? Who knows?
flower
Make a circle with your thumb and forefinger and splay your remaining fingers in the shape of a small flower. Then place the point of your thumb and forefinger first on one cheek then the other.
swing
Make two fists and hold them your sides like you are holding onto the ropes of a swing. Then move your arms back and forward as if swinging.
slide
Hold one hand flat facing down (this is your slide). then with your other hand flat, slide your hand down the back. Smile!
ball
Draw a ball with your hands. The ball can be big or small, it’s up to you!
plane
Make a fist, then extend your thumb and little finger to make ‘wings’. this is your plane. It can fly however you want to fly. It can do tricks or it can shoot-up like a rocket.
banana
Create a fist with one hand. This is your banana. Now use the other hand and pretend to peel it.
hat
Make two fists with both hands, hold them both above your head and pull them down, like you’re putting on a hat. How big or heavy is the hat?
buggy
Make your hands into fists and hold them as if you are holding the bars of your buggy. Now push both hands away at the same time in a nice strong push.
tree
Hold one arm horizontal to the ground with your hand flat. This is your ground. Now allow the elbow of your other arm to grow out of your hand. this hand should grow upwards, tall like a tree. Spread your fingers like leaves and turn your hand so the branches move in the wind.
milk
Place your hand as a fist and then keep your hand still and slightly pump your fingers open and closed. A bit like the action of milking a cow. But not too much.
drink / thirsty
Make your hand into the shape it would take if holding a cup. Then make the action of drinking: bring that cup up to your mouth, to tip imaginary liquid into your mouth, and then move your hand away again, still holding the cup.
eat / hungry
Hold the tips of your fingers together like you are holding a small piece of bread between them all. Now move the tips of your fingers to your mouth and away again. Quickly or slowly, it might depend on how hungry you are!
more
Hold both your palms flat. With palms towards your body hold one hand still, palm towards your tummy. Hold the other hand in the same direction and gently tap the back of your still hand with the palm of the moving hand. How much your hands moves might depend on how badly your want more!
hot
Hold a hand like a strong claw. Put it over you mouth and then move your hand away from your face, like you’re wiping something off your mouth. Accompany this with a painful expression that you associate with that kind of heat.
sleep
Hold your hands flat, palms together in a prayer position. This is your pillow. Hold that by one of your ear, and tilt your head onto the pillow. You can also yawn, or close your eyes.
nappy
Using both hands in unison, hold your first two fingers together, and pinch them against your thumb in a snapping action. This represents the elastic on the nappy. Now place your hands by your hips, in the position that elastic is on a child’s body.
all gone
Using both hands in unison, fingers together, place you fingers roughly under your arms with the backs of your hands facing away from your body. Now sweep your hands together and away from you, like you are sweeping a something in front of you away.
hurt
Open your hand with fingers spread wide. Move your hand up above the area that hurts. It doesn't matter which hand you use. Accompany the hand sign with a facial expression that asks if it is sore, like a questioning expression, or a wincing expression, or both. It depends how badly it hurts. If you want to ask if it hurts in a certain place, then use a questioning face. Can be combined with the sign for ‘Where?’ This is very useful for toothache!