Good morning, blog readers, and happy Tuesday! It is time for another fun Top 10 Tuesday music activity, and today we will be learning how music can bring awareness to math with preschoolers.
To begin, you will need a couple of instruments from our Top 10 Tuesday music instruments list. (Click HERE to see the complete list of instruments each under $40 that will help promote music education at home.) You will need:
(1) A Triangle
Click HERE to view one for purchase on Amazon.com.
(2) An egg shaker
Click HERE to view one for purchase on Amazon.com.
(3) A Guiro
Click HERE to view one on Amazon for purchase.
The Activity
Music is the greatest way to teach children about counting and grouping. Simple songs and nursery rhymes can easily be played with instruments. When using instruments with children, it will be necessary for them to count and to follow careful instructions on when and how to play.
Once song that is great for grouping instruments along with words is “Five Green and Speckled Frogs.” To begin, the song’s lyrics naturally count backwards from 5 to 0. In addition, we can group instruments with specific words within the songs:
Five Green and Speckled Frogs
Five green and speckled frogs sat on a speckled log
Eating some most delicious bugs — YUM YUM! (Rub tummy during Yum Yum!)
One jumped (Sound triangle on the word Jump) into the pool where it was nice and cool (Shake egg shaker on the word cool)
Then there were four green and speckled frogs. Ribbit Ribbit! (Play guiro along to Ribbit Ribbit)
Four green and speckled frogs sat on a speckled log
Eating some most delicious bugs — YUM YUM! (Rub tummy during Yum Yum!)
One jumped(Sound triangle on the word Jump) into the pool where it was nice and cool (Shake egg shaker on the word cool)
Then there were three green and speckled frogs. Ribbit Ribbit! (Play guiro along to Ribbit Ribbit)
Three green and speckled frogs sat on a speckled log
Eating some most delicious bugs — YUM YUM! (Rub tummy after during Yum Yum!)
One jumped(Sound triangle on the word Jump) into the pool where it was nice and cool (Shake egg shaker on the word cool)
Then there were two green and speckled frogs. Ribbit Ribbit! (Play guiro along to Ribbit Ribbit)
Two green and speckled frogs sat on a speckled log
Eating some most delicious bugs — YUM YUM! (Rub tummy after during Yum Yum!)
One jumped(Sound triangle on the word Jump) into the pool where it was nice and cool (Shake egg shaker on the word cool)
Then there was one green and speckled frogs. Ribbit Ribbit! (Play guiro along to Ribbit Ribbit)
One green and speckled frogs sat on a speckled log
Eating some most delicious bugs — YUM YUM! (Rub tummy during Yum Yum!)
One jumped(Sound triangle on the word Jump) into the pool where it was nice and cool (Shake egg shaker on the word cool)
Then there were no green and speckled frogs. Buzz Buzz!
If you do not know the song, here is a link to listen to it on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVPmtaHmL4g&list=PL384A08DB651D1455
By giving your child the opportunity to count while playing musical instruments at a specific point during a song, you are building their future math skills and enhancing their love of music at the same time.
I hope you have enjoyed this week’s Top 10 Tuesday activity. Please check back every Tuesday for some more musical fun. For previous Top 10 Tuesdays activities, click HERE to go to our archive. Please check back every Tuesday and help spread the love of music on to your child and all the children in your life. Until next week, play on!