Toddler Programs Chapter
Wild About Counting
Books to Share
- Alfie's 1 2 3 by Shirley Hughes.
- Animal Antics from 1 to 10 by David Wojtowycz.
- Count to Ten, PiggyWiggy! by Christyan and Diane Fox.
- Look Whoo's Counting by Suse MacDonald.
- 123 Yippie by Lisa Jahn-Clough.
Books to Show and Booktalk
- Counting Kisses by Karen Katz.
- How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten? by Jane Yolen.
- Let’s Count the Puppies by Katharine Kunhardt.
- Rainbow Fish: Counting by Marcus Pfister.
- Seven Stars More! by Kathy Mallat.
Bulletin Board
Use die cuts to create a variety of numbers in different colors. Cut the numbers in various sizes if dies are available. Mount them on the bulletin board with a caption that says “Kids Count!.”
Nametag
Kids Count!
Use die cut numbers or any number pattern to create a nametag for each child.
Fingerplays
123 Action
(Adapted by Shelly Lane)
One, two,
Touch your head (Place hands on your head)
Three, four
Hands on ears (Place hands on your ears)
Five, six
Hands on eyes (Place hands on your eyes)
Seven, eight
Hands on knees (Place hands on your knees)
Nine, ten
Hands in lap (Place hands in your lap)
Songs
Hot Cross Buns
(Traditional)
Hot cross buns!
One a penny,
Two a penny,
Hot cross buns!
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe
(Traditional)
One, two, buckle my shoe,
Three, four, shut the door,
Five, six, pick up sticks,
Seven, eight, lay them straight,
Nine, ten, a big fat hen.
Five Brown Teddies
(Traditional)
Five brown teddies sitting on a wall,
Five brown teddies sitting on a wall,
If one brown teddy should accidentally fall,
There’d be four brown teddies sitting on a wall.
Four brown teddies…
Three brown teddies…
Two brown teddies.
One brown teddy …there’d be no brown teddies…
Sing “Four Red Apples” to the tune of “This Old Man.” The words are available in Piggyback Songs for Infants and Toddlers by Jean Warren.
Sing “Give It a Shakey-Shakey” to the tune of “The Hokey-Pokey.” The words are available in Sing a Song of Numbers by Jill Lustig and Jean Warren.
Audio Recordings
Play “1 2 3” on Waddaya Think of That by Laurie Berkner.
Flannel Boards
Happy Birthday Fun!
Make a flannel board birthday cake and candles. Place the birthday cake without candles on the flannel board. Let the children take turns placing candles on the cake to signify different ages.
Crafts
Wild Numbers
Materials
- Cover stock
- Flour
- Salt
- Water
- Food coloring
- Squeeze bottles
Directions
Precut numbers out of cover stock. Use a die cut if one is available. Prepare the Puff Paint just before the program. To make Puff Paint, mix equal amounts of flour, salt and water in a bowl. Pour into smaller containers and add a few drops of food coloring. Mix well. Pour each color into small squeeze bottles. Give each child a number and a squeeze bottle of Puff Paint. Or, put the Puff Paint into small paper cups and let the children apply it with a paintbrush. When the paint dries, it puffs up to create a textured number.
Activities
1 to 10 Activity Sheet
Create a 1 to 10 coloring and counting activity sheet for the children. Clip art such as those shown below, autos, and other shapes may be used to create the counting activity sheet. Give each child an activity sheet to color and take home.
CD-ROMS
Blue's Clues: 1, 2, 3 Time Activities.
Professional Resources
- Piggyback Songs for Infants and Toddlers by Jean Warren.
- Sing a Song of Numbers by Jill Lustig and Jean Warren.
