Children Counting Songs for Hand Puppets

Young children love singing and puppets, and combining the two provides an entertaining and learning experience for toddler and preschool ages. Many songs for puppets involve counting and numbers.

The puppets provide young audiences a visual presentation of things being subtracted and added while the number is being sung, thus fostering the development of math concepts and skills. The following article focuses on glove and stick puppets for songs that involve counting.

Finding the Puppets

Many puppets can be purchased, but they are also easily made. Glove puppets can be made by using a garden glove and felt pieces or other material glued to each finger. Some glove puppet makers use pom poms and googly eyes to make animals.

Stick puppets can be created with the use of large popsicle sticks or chopsticks and pictures on firm paper, preferably laminated, attached to each stick. Pictures can be downloaded on the computer or coloring book images can be copied. Alternatively, foam is a useful craft material for making stick puppets.

Singing with Puppets

In early childhood settings, the adult caregiver will use the puppet as a visual presentation for the young children to enjoy. In smaller group settings or home environments, the children themselves can be the puppeteers.

Either way, number recognition with the use of the puppet and lyrics still occurs. The songs can be sung by all those participating or listened to through recorded music. One album which holds a fair amount of songs appropriate for glove puppet use is Raffi's Singable Songs albums which can be bought in a collection containing all three CDs or by purchasing the individual albums.

Counting Songs with Things that Grow

The following songs correlate well to glove puppets and stick puppets, and they can all be used as poems instead of singing.

"Five Little Pumpkins"

Five little pumpkins sitting on the fence

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 we don’t care”.

The fourth one said, "Let’s run and run and run”.

The fifth one said, “I’m ready for some fun”.

Ooooh went the wind, and out went the light

And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.



"Way Up High in an Apple Tree"

Way up high in an apple tree

Five little apples working looking at me

I shook that tree as hard as I could

And down came an apple, mmm, it was good.

Continue singing down until there are no apples left.

"Five Tulips in the Ground"

Suggested tune: "Down By the Station"

Five tulip bulbs planted in the ground,

Waiting very quiet without a sound.

The sun came up and the rain came down,

And one little tulip popped out of the ground.

Puppet Songs about Animals

The following songs are appropriate for counting and number recognition for they are about animals leaving and sometimes returning. By clicking on the title, the reader will be connected to further information, such as lyrics and tune.

• "Five Green and Speckled Frogs"
• "Five Little Ducks"
• "Five Little Monkeys"

Toddlers and preschool children learn through play, and the use of puppets to teach math concepts falls into this theory incredibly well. The puppets can easily be made and presented to young audiences with songs enjoyed through singing and listening.

Online Workshops in Early Childhood Education

Raffi

Raffi Cavoukian is a Canadian singer-songwriter who has been enyoyed by children audiences for over three decades. Since one of his earliest album, Singable Songs for the Very Young (1976), he has delighted young listeners with his albums and music.

Many of Raffi's published songs have become staples for early childhood caregivers throughout North America and beyond. His folk style music with mainly his voice and a guitar is conducive to teachable moments with children. The adult can put his music on, and if uncomfortable with public singing, then simply use additional aids like felt stories to encourage learning for the young children listening. If the adult likes to sing, then with our without Raffi being played, she/he can use his songs in any early childhood settings at circle time, for creative movement and so forth.

Raffi Songs for Counting

Many songs by Raffi correlate well to counting activities, particularly the songs with Five in the title. All songs with five in them can be transfered to glove puppets and other fingerplay activities. Try making these songs into felt board pieces to place on the flannel board as the song is being listened to. Similarly, making or buying glove puppets work well with Raffi counting songs.

In this way, the young children can hear the words and visually see the items being removed or added. Some suggestions that help with number recognition which are both from his album, Singable Songs for the Very Young are "Five Green and Speckled Frogs" and "Five Little Pumpkins".

Raffi Songs for Creative Movement

Many songs sung by Raffi can turn into action songs for young children simply by acting out the lyrics and adding some movements to go along with the music.

1. "There's a Spider on the Floor" (Singable Songs for the Very Young, 1976): this song talks about a spider that goes up the body right to the head and then jumps back to the floor. For this song, find a toy spider for children to use when following the lyrics. This action works well with a group of children sitting in a circle.
2. " Brush Your Teeth" (Singable Songs for the Very Young, 1976): when the lyrics are being sung, pretend to brush your teeth and act out any part of the song you can, such as knocking with the words, " ...and you think you hear a knock on the door".
3. "Shake My Sillies Out" (More Singable Songs, 1977): this is a wonderful song for children to have creative movement with, doing everything Raffi suggests in his song.
4. "Down By the Bay" (Singable Songs for the Very Young, 1976): the rhythm of this song provides many options for action, even by simply doing a follow me activity with children, such as clapping your hands, then hitting your head and patting your stomach.

Raffi Songs for Teaching Lessons

Many songs written by Raffi hold wonderful lessons for children and provide teachable moments as the words are being listened to. The following list provides just a handle of such songs.

1. " The More We Get Together" (Singable Songs for the Very Young, 1976)---friendship
2. " The Sharing Song" (Singable Songs for the Very Young, 1976)---friendship and sharing
3. "Everything Grows" (Everything Grows, 1987)---life, growth
4. "Big Beautiful Planet" (Rise and Shine, 1982)--environment
5. " Willoughby Wallaby Woo "(Singable Songs for the Very Young, 1976)--rhyming

Raffi is more than an accomplished musician, he is an active environmentalist. For more information on Raffi, visit RaffiNews.com.

This article, written by Christine Moore, was originally published by suite101.com