Monkey in Sign Language

Learn how to sign monkey in ASL (American Sign Language) and enjoy playing at being this silly creature swinging through the trees.

1. Bend both elbows in to your sides, fingertips down near your waist and curled in slightly like monkey paws.
2. Pull the hands up to your armpits and back down a few times.
3. This sign looks just like a monkey scratching an itch. Use this visual to help you remember the sign!

Teaching Tips – to learn how to sign monkey in ASL

• Go to the playground together and pretend to be a monkey! How would a monkey move around the play equipment? Sign monkey as you go and enjoy being as silly as possible.
• Learning songs for children are often subtle. For instance, the song “Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed” might just seem like a classic childhood favorite. But you can use it to teach counting backwards, safety, and signs! Point out to your child that the number of monkeys goes down by one each time, that they monkeys did not make safe choices, and that you can sign monkey each time the word appears in the song!

Transcript:
Monkey! Move your arms like a monkey. Monkey!