3 Interactive Counting and Subtraction Song Activities for ages 2 to 6
Ever tried to get a kid to sing or count along with you, but they were too distracted?
Getting a little one to start counting when there are more interesting distractions around (cocomelon, classmates, toys, or kids playing games on youtube) can be a challenge. This list of 3 interactive counting activities and songs can help you compete with all of the distractions stopping the child you’re working with from counting along with you.
4 behavioral management tips for educational activities with young children.
- The first tip is to remove all distractions. Television, smart board, i-pad, and/or cell phones must be off and put away.
- Remove the child from any toys that are not a part of the activity.
- Before you begin clearly let the child or children know that it is time to count or sing. This is important because then they know what will come next and can be mentally prepared for what you expect from them.
- Give signals that counting will be a fun activity. This can be as easy as a smile or happy voice. If counting has been a fussy or tantrum causing activity in the past, then the prior tip is of the utmost importance.
Make Counting Songs Interactive
There are plenty of children’s nursery rhymes that include numbers, counting, addition, and subtraction skills. This article will highlight 3 of these songs.
- 5 Little Speckled Frogs
- 5 Little Ducks
- 5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the bed
How to use the interactive Song boards in a Pre-K or Kindergarten classroom –
Below you will find a FREE interactive board to go along with each song. It’s simple to use. Sing the lyrics on the board, while cueing the child(ren) to remove an animal as the number gets smaller.
A full classroom can interact by taking turns pasting the frogs, ducks, or monkeys on the velcro board or an individual child can bond with an adult while singing the song.
“The children in the Pre-K classroom loved this interactive game during circle time.”
The printouts provided for FREE will be good for small groups or an individual child. Teachers can choose to write the lyrics of the song out on a poster board to make the activity more group friendly. Children can take turns pasting the animals on the board or removing them as the song goes on. The children in the Pre-K classroom loved this interactive game during circle time. Make sure you sing the song at least 2 times to give each child a turn or sing more than one of the interactive songs.
Items Needed
- Printer
- Laminator
- Velcro
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**** If you do not have a laminator or velcro you can store the pieces in a zip lock bag and do the activity at a table. Placing each piece on the paper as you sing the song. ****
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