MORE ADVENTURES IN NUMBER LAND

What better way to develop counting and cardinality with a song or a rhyme!

Over In the Meadow (Traditional Tune - Silly Songs CD)

Over in the meadow in the sand and the sun

Lived an old mother froggie and her little froggie one. (Hold up 1 finger.)

“Hop,” said the mother. “I hop,” said the one. (Pretend to hop finger around.)

So they hopped and were glad in the sand and the sun.

Over in the meadow where the stream runs blue

Lived an old mother fishie and her little fishies two. (Hold up 2 fingers.)

“Swim,” said the mother. “We swim,” said the two. (Pretend to swim fingers.)

So they swam and were glad where the stream runs blue.

Over in the meadow in the nest in the tree

Lived an old mother birdie and her little birdies three. (Hold up 3 fingers.)

“Fly,” said the mother. “We fly,” said the three. (Fly fingers over your head.)

So they flew and were glad in the nest in the tree.

Over in the meadow by the old apple core

Lived an old mother wormie and her little wormies four. (Hold up 4 fingers.)

“Squirm,” said the other. “We squirm,” said the four. (Wiggle fingers.)

So they squirmed and were glad by the old apple core.

Over in the meadow by the big beehive

Lived an old mother bee and her baby bees five. (Hold up 5 fingers.)

“Buzz,” said the mother. “We buzz, “ said the five. (Fly fingers in front of you.)

So they buzzed and were glad by the big beehive.

Activities: Assign children to be the different animals in the song. Have them move hop, swim, fly, wiggle, and buzz around the room when their verse is sung.

Fold 3 sheets of paper in half. Staple. Let children illustrate a number book to go with the song.

Make up additional verses for numerals 6-10. For example, “Over in the meadow in a nest made of sticks lived an old mother beaver and her little beavers six…”

Number March (“The Ants Go Marching” - Totally Math CD)

The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah. (Hold up 1 finger.)

The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah. (Put fist in the air and cheer.)

They all were red and the first one said:

“You’d better catch up, I’m way ahead.”

And they all went marching one by one by one.

The spiders go crawling two by two hurrah, hurrah… (Crawl 2 fingers.)

They were side by side and the second one cried,

“I wish I had someone to give me a ride.”

And they all went crawling two by two by two.

The birds go flying three by three hurrah, hurrah… (Hold up 3 fingers and

Their feet were bare as they flew through the air and pretend to fly.)

The third one said, “I’d like shoes to wear.”

And they all went flying three by three by three.

The rabbits go hopping four by four hurrah, hurrah… (Pretend to hop 4 fingers.)

They hipped and hopped and bounced and bopped—

The fourth one got tired and down she plopped.

And they all went hopping four by four by four.

The horses go galloping five by five hurrah, hurrah… (Gallop 5 fingers

The fifth in line said “I feel fine; tapping them on your thigh.)

“I love to gallop all the time.”

And they all went galloping five by five by five.

The fish go swimming six by six hurrah, hurrah… (Pretend to swim 6 fingers.)

Their tails went swish and the sixth one wished

He wouldn’t end up as a tasty dish.

And they all went swimming six by six by six.

The mice go creeping seven by seven hurrah, hurrah… (Creep 7 fingers up the

The seventh was meek, he let out a squeak: front of your body.)

“I can’t see a thing; I’m afraid to peek!”

And they all went creeping seven by seven by seven.

The worms go wiggling eight by eight hurrah, hurrah…(Wiggle 8 fingers.)

The eighth one thought, “It’s awfully hot—

I’d like to rest in a shady spot.”

But they all kept wiggling eight by eight by eight.

The monkeys go swinging nine by nine hurrah, hurrah… (Swing 9 fingers.)

The ninth one called to one and all,

“I hope you’ll catch me if I fall!”

And they all went swinging nine by nine by nine.

The kids go walking ten by ten hurrah, hurrah… (Hold up 10 fingers and

The tenth one knew they were so cool, pretend to walk.)

‘Cause they were on their way to school.

And they all went walking ten by ten by ten.

You can download a free book that goes with this song at drjean.org June. Click “Free Activities” and scroll down to Number March.

Activities: Let children take different verses and illustrate them. Put their pictures together to make a class book.

Five Little Hot Dogs (“Five Little Ducks” - Just for Fun CD)

Five little hotdogs frying in the pan. (Hold up five fingers.)

The grease got hot, and one went BAM! (Clap.)

Four little hotdogs… (Four fingers.)

Three… (Three fingers.)

Two… (Two fingers.)

One… (One finger.)

No little hotdogs frying in the pan. (Hold up fist.)

The pan got hot and it went BAM!

Cut hotdogs out of paper and glue them to spring clothespins. Draw a pan similar to the one shown on a file folder and make a slit along the middle of the pan. Attach the hotdogs and remove one at a time as you sing the song. When the pan goes “Bam!” close the file folder.

*Change the words to: “Five little kernels sizzling in the pot. When the oil got hot one went ‘POP’!”

Five Little Monkeys (Totally Math CD)

Five little monkeys jumping on the bed. (Hold up 5 fingers.)

One fell off and broke her head. (Touch palm to head.)

Momma called the doctor, and the doctor said, (Hold hand to ear.)

“That’s what you get for jumping on the bed.” (Point finger.)

Four…three…two…one…

No little monkeys jumping on the bed. (Shake head “no.”)

They’re all sick with broken heads! (Hold palms up in the air.)

Activities: Choose five children to act out the rhyme.

Ten in the Bed and Ten in the Sled

There were ten in the bed and the little one said,