Here are some examples of songs and rhymes you could use to explore numeracy and/or growing with your children.  Most of them have very familiar tunes and links to them can be found below each one.  Happy singing!

Songs

Dingle Dangle Scarecrow

There are lots of opportunities for adding your own actions to the basic ones in this favourite song. You can listen to samples of the tunes here if you don’t know them already

When all the cows were sleeping
and the sun had gone to bed
up jumped the scarecrow
and this is what he said!
I’m a dingle, dangle scarecrow
with a flippy floppy hat
I can shake my hands like this
and shake my feet like that

When all the hens were roosting
And the moon behind the cloud
Up jumped the scarecrow
And shouted very loud
I’m a dingle, dangle scarecrow
With a flippy floppy hat
I can shake my hands like this
And shake my feet like that

When the dogs were in the kennels
And the doves were in the loft
Up jumped the scarecrow
And whispered very soft
I’m a dingle, dangle scarecrow
With a flippy floppy hat

I can shake my hands like this
And shake my feet like that
I’m a dingle, dangle scarecrow
With a flippy floppy hat
I can shake my hands like this
And shake my feet like that

Here’s a video of the tune

The Farmer’s in his Den

One person is stands in the middle of a circle of children who hold hands. Everyone sings

The Farmer’s in his den,
The Farmer’s in his den,
E I de addy oh,
The Farmer’s in his den.

The Farmer wants a wife,
The Farmer wants a wife,
E I de addy oh,
The Farmer wants a wife.

“The Farmer”, the child in the middle, chooses a wife to join him in the centre of the circle. They hold hands and circle round while the others sing

The wife wants a child,
The wife wants a child,
E I de addy oh,
The wife wants a child.

The Farmer’s wife chooses someone to stand in the centre. The farmer, wife and child hold hands and circle round while the others sing and circle:

The child wants a nurse,
The child wants a nurse,
E I de addy oh,
The child wants a nurse.

The child chooses a nurse who joins the inside circle. As before, everyone sings:

The nurse wants a dog,
The nurse wants a dog,
E I de addy oh,
The nurse wants a dog.

A dog is chosen by the nurse and joins the others in the centre of the circle. Everyone sings and pats the dog on the head:

Everyone pat the dog,
Everyone pats the dog,
E I de addy oh,
Everyone pats the dog.

When the dog has been chosen and the final part of the song sung, the dog then becomes the farmer and the game starts again. I remember this song from primary school and we ended it with the dog wanting a bone and then all patting the bone. It makes more sense ending here I think. I have also heard a version when the bone is patted in to shape.

Here’s a link to the tune

Five Currant Buns

Five currant buns in a bakers shop,
Round and fat with a cherry on the top.
Along came (choose and name a child from the class),
With a penny one day.
Bought a currant bun and took it away.

Four currant buns in a bakers shop…etc.

Here’s the tune

Oats and Beans and Barley Grow

This could be played with everyone doing the actions simultaneously or as a circle game with a different farmer in the middle for each verse, choosing the next farmer at the end. I think the actions are fairly self explanatory but you make up your own.  I remember circling first one way for the first two lines of the chorus and then the other for the second two and taking ease was a big sigh with hands on hips.

Oats and beans and barley grow,
Oats and beans and barley grow.
Do you or I or anyone know
How oats and beans and barley grow?

First the farmer sows his seed,
Then he stands and takes his ease,
Stamps his feet and claps his hands
And turns around to view the lands.
Oats and beans and barley grow,
Oats and beans and barley grow.
Do you or I or anyone know
How oats and beans and barley

Next the farmer waters the seed,
Stands erect and takes his ease,
He stamps his foot and claps his hands,
And turns around to view his lands.
Oats and beans and barley grow,
Oats and beans and barley grow,
Can you or I or anyone know
How oats and  beans and barley grow?

Next the farmer hoes the weeds,
Stands erect and takes his ease,
He stamps his foot and claps his hands,
And turns around to view his lands.
Oats and beans and barley grow,
Oats and beans and barley grow,
Can you or I or anyone know
How oats and beans, and barley grow?

Last the farmer harvests his seed,
Stands erect and takes his ease,
He stamps his foot and claps his hands,
And turns around to view his lands.
Oats and peas beans and barley grow,
Oats and beans and barley grow,
Can you or I or anyone know
How oats and beans and barley grow?

Here’s the tune

Old Macdonald’s Farm
 
Sing the song and choose children to name the next animal on the farm for a variation perhaps the animals are doing crazy things instead of making noises like on the farm in Little Red Hen

Here’s the tune

10 little seeds
To the tune of 10 green bottles
 
10 little seeds planted in a row
10 little seeds planted in a row
If one little seed should never ever grow
There’d be 9 ears of corn standing in the row

Here’s the tune

This is the way we plant the seed
(To the tune of here we go round the mulberry bush)

This is the way we plant the seed
Plant the seed, plant the seed
This is the way we plant the seed
To make our bread in the morning.

This is the way we cut the wheat,
Cut the wheat, cut the wheat
This is the way we cut the wheat,
To make our bread in the morning.

This is the way we grind the wheat
Grind the wheat, grind the wheat
this is the way we grind the wheat
to make our bread in the morning.

This is the way we knead the dough
Knead the dough, knead the dough
this is the way we knead the dough
to make our bread in the morning.
This is the way we bake the bread
bake the bread, bake the bread
this is the way we bake the bread
to make our bread in the morning.

Here’s a link to the tune

A rhyme

Hickety Pickety

Hickety Pickety my red hen
She lays eggs for Farmer Ben.
Farmer Ben comes every day
To count how many eggs I lay.

(POP POP POP POP POP)
She has laid 5 eggs today.
Repeat verse with different number of eggs
Eggs could be laid in numerical sequence or randomly indicated by holding up fingers
Chook chook chook

Chook chook chook
Good morning Mrs. Hen
How many chickens have you got?
Madam I have ten,
Four of them are yellow
And four of them are brown,
And two of them are speckled red
The nicest in the town.