Counting- V

The leaves are starting to change color here in Maryland- creating a beautiful context in which children can learn. Seasons are a wonderful way to draw from children's awareness of their surroundings to make learning abstract concepts like numbers more relevant. Here are a couple of autumn number songs- one you'll probably know- "5 Little Pumpkins," and one maybe not- "5 Little Leaves."

"5 Little Pumpkins"
5 little pumpkins sitting on a gate
The first one said, "Oh my it's getting late!"
The second one said, "There are witches in the air!"
The third one said, "But I don't care!"
The fourth one said, "Let's run! Let's run!"
The fifth one said, "It's just Halloween fun!"
Then, "OOOooooooo," went the wind, and out went the light
And 5 little pumpkins rolled out of sight.

"5 Little Leaves"
5 little leaves, dancing in the tree
5 little leaves, happy as can be!
Along came the wind-
"OOoooooooooo!"
1 leaf came tumbling down.
4 little leaves, dancing in the tree...
(Repeat until you get to- "No little leaves," - I usually do that verse in a whisper).

In these videos, you'll find slight variations on the words above- the way I do these songs. I also do both songs as a chant, except for "'OOoooooooo!' 1 leaf came tumbling down," for which I sing a little minor-sounding melody. I like the way the videos demonstrate movements to do with the songs. I also use a felt board with 5 pumpkins and leaves so children can have a visual way to keep track of the quantity. Stay tuned for next time- I'll have more autumn songs for you- making this the last number song article (for now). Happy autumn!

Counting- II

I’m a little late posting today- I had a busy weekend. We all struggle with time sometimes- moments when time is just not on our side. We get “out of sync,” cranky, and a little bit mixed up until we can regain our “rhythm” once again. As adults, this could be a struggle to accomplish all that we set out to do at work- as well as at home. As little ones, this could be our sleep cycle, our need for sustenance- and even those young minds have goals they’d like to accomplish, getting a little out of sorts when/if they run out of time. 

As busy people, this is our lot, but there are ways to cope with this for sure. I believe this begins with establishing natural rhythms- day/night, meal times, etc- and with experiencing music as a reflection of those rhythms. If we feel “out of sync,” a way to quickly get back “in sync,” is surely with music, a reflection of balanced time. 

This is kind of a philosophical way to start this blog about counting songs, but it really makes sense to me at times like this how much music can help us hold on to balance and stay anchored within time, instead of feeling set adrift in our more chaotic moments. Here are some simple counting songs you can try with your little one (shown as videos because that it probably the best way to learn them). What is interesting about the first two of these songs is that they also involve a bit of a problem- the birds and ducks go away, but then they come back- and all is right again. Who knows, maybe songs like this will be a foundation for your little one's future ability to regain order in their lives- as well as knowing how to count to 5?

2 Little Blackbirds-

5 Little Ducks-

5 Green and Speckled Frogs-

These are just three of these types of songs. There are many, many more- not all of which you can find online (as of now). Like I said last week, number/time songs are a big topic, and I will be writing more about them over the next few weeks. Stay tuned!