Ten in the Bed - singalong with art/craft functionality!

With mummy

 If you have a good idea - which I rarely do! - then the smartest thing to do is try to do it again, better...or differently, or backwards...and I have actually seen some young learners trying to use scissors backwards, so bear with me!?

Primary Music Box (CUP) is the starting point for this numeracy activity, to go with the  "10 in the Bed" Nursery Rhyme. Obviously, if you have ten or more kids in your class, you can skip this posting! Most language schools, though, usually have up to about 6 in the room - and not a lot of rolling around on the floor room at that!

Confident gluing team

Set about this by numbering the 10 children from the photocopiable resource, and adding a step - using Super Simple Learning's I see something blue/pink songs (still needed two extra verses myself add black & grey). Another excuse to recycle a familiar song/add a 'listening' challenge; depending on the intensity of your colourers, pause between verses?

We made these!

For very young learners this is where the adventure ends, resume next week with the 'bits' cut out - it is very fiddly & time consuming (you'll be re-attaching more arms than it's worth!). For 5/6 year olds plus, should be able to manage the cutting out phase. Do this again with the song so everyone is focused on the same task, not racing away and chopping like fury?

With a small class (2 max!) you might be able to cut as you go yourself, and keep ahead of the next step!

Winking optional!

Whatever glue you use, use sparingly and demonstrate what you want your children to do CLEARLY - prevent eager starters and shut down yapping! Suggest you also do this by nominated colours to prevent chaos/mixed up bits/early finishers/glue everywhere but where it was supposed to be!

Teacher tip; enlarge the set you are making for yourself - fat fingers do not go into the A4 size intended for your nippers!

Count the finger puppets you've all got made now - should be ten! Ask them to find the green/blue orange one etc. Help children getting them all on to digits!

Scissor skills

Press play, and sit together but be able to pause the song at each verse-end; build in a "roll-over" action. Drop ONE finger puppet off and recount the ones remaining. Continue to one ("I'm lonely!" - Give it a hug and ask which colour is left).

Remove table/stand up, have another go without pauses and a 'turn around' action to 'roll over'.

So, think about your class in terms of eye-hand co-ordination (scissors - beware lefties as they will need proper left-handed scissors), how much glue you can cope with on surfaces/are prepared to clean up, time available, for the art/craft bit vs production.

NB Learning the song? Not important - but they'll have heard it & picked up subliminally all lesson if you are good with BGM :)