Free September Preschool Math Curriculum

Baa, Baa, Black Sheep (adapted)

Baa, baa, black sheep

Have you any wool? (hold your hands out questioning)

Yes sir, yes sir (nod your head)

Three bags full. (hold three fingers up)

One for the master. (hold one finger up)

Two for the dame. (hold two fingers up)

Three for the little boy (hold three fingers up)

Who lives down the lane.

Repeat 2-3 times with your child. 

Leap Frog Game

Place 3 to 5 pillows on the ground at intervals. These are your lily pads, and everyone is a frog. Make sure everyone has their ribbits ready.

Model for your child how to play the game. One person calls out directions, while the other person is the frog. Take turns being the frog, or follow your child’s lead. 

“Froggy, froggy! Jump _ times!” Use the numbers 1 to 3.

Count while jumping on the lily pads. Make sure to count each pad individually. Once on the correct number called out, the caller shouts:

“Catch a fly and spin around!” Pretend to gobble up a fly and spin around.

This is a simple movement game meant to reinforce counting. If your child is new to numbers use 3 pillows and the numbers 1 to 3. You may need to count for your child and have them repeat after you.

If your child is comfortable with more numbers, you can use as many pillows as you have. Make sure your child is not just running through the numbers, like a song, but actually using each number for each lily pad. 

This Old Man

This old man, (roll hands around each other)

He played one, (hold up one finger)

He played knick-knack on my thumb. (tap thumbs together, alternating top one)

With a knick-knack paddywack, (roll hands around each other)

Give a dog a bone. (pretend to give a dog a bone)

This old man came rolling home. (point your thumb over your shoulder)

This old man, 

He played two, (hold up two fingers)

He played knick-knack on my shoe. 

(repeat lines 3-6)

This old man, 

he played three, (hold up three fingers)

He played knick-knack on my knee.

(repeat lines 3-6)

Who Took the Cookie from the Cookie Jar? (adapted)

Who took the cookie from the cookie jar? (hold out questioning hands, look around)

Number ONE took the cookie from the cookie jar! (hold up one finger)

Who me? (point at yourself with both thumbs)

Yes you! (hold both hands out)

Couldn’t be. (shake head)

Repeat with Number TWO and Number THREE

If your child is comfortable with more numbers, you can continue with more numbers, you can also pause when it comes time to say the number and see if your child can fill in the next number in the sequence.

Here is the Beehive from Here Is The Beehive – Super Simple Songs 

Here is the beehive. (show a closed fist)

But where are all the bees? (shrug your shoulders & put your free hand out to question)

Hiding away where nobody sees. (point at your closed fist)

Here they come flying out of their hive. (look surprised)

One, two, three, four, five! (bring out each finger and touch it with your pointing finger as you count the numbers)

Bzzzzzzz. (use your hand of 5 bees to buzz around in the air)

Repeat 2-3 times. Invite your child to count the bees while touching them as they come out. See if they can count slowly while touching each finger correctly. Finish with this final verse, while standing up and buzzing around the room together. 

Buzz up high. Buzz down low. 

Buzzing fast. Buzzing slow.

Buzz to the left. Buzz to the right.

Buzz all day but sleep at night. 

Ring Around the Rosie (adapted)

Stand up and hold hands while going around in a circle.

Ring around the rosie

Pocket full of posie

One Two, Three Four

Five fall down!

Everyone fall to the ground

Repeat as many times as your child wants to play. This is a simple adaptation of a favorite children’s game to include numbers.

One for Sorrow (adapted)

One for Sorrow (hold up one finger, make a sad face)

Two for Joy (hold up two fingers, make a joyous face)

Three for a Girl (hold up three fingers, point to a girl if you have one)

Four for a Boy (hold up four fingers, pretend to look around for a boy)

Five for Silver (hold up five fingers, rub fingers together like your rubbing money)

And there isn’t any more! (shrug shoulders)

Repeat 2-3 times with your child. If you have a boy, point to him and look around for a girl.

Toy Counting Game

Sit down with your child and some of their toys. Ask your child if they can give you blank number of a specific toy. Help them count each toy as they give it to you or help them touch each toy with a finger as they count it. Encourage them to ask you for a specific number of things. 

You could use pretend food and ask for three carrots, then pretend to gobble them up. You could use cars and ask for four cars, then pretend the cars are having a race.

You could ask for small dolls and pretend they are all getting in a bus together. 

One Little Piggy (adapted)

One little piggy went to market (wiggle one of your child’s fingers)

Two little piggies stayed home (wiggle two of your child’s fingers)

Three little piggies had roastbeef (wiggle three of your child’s fingers)

Four little piggies had carrots (wiggle four of your child’s fingers)

And five little piggies went wee, wee, wee (wiggle five of your child’s fingers)

All the way home (hide their hand behind their back)

Bunny, Bunny Hop Game

For this game, tell your child that you are going to pretend to be bunnies together.

Call out “Bunny, bunny, bunny, hop ___ times!” then hop together while counting the number of hops.

This is a very simple game that you can play as long as your child enjoys it. My three-year-old loved this game and ended up hopping like a bunny for nearly 15 minutes. If your child is unable or unwilling to hop, a stuffed bunny can be used instead. 

Old McDonald Had a Farm (adapted)

Old McDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O

And on that farm he had ONE dog, E-I-E-I-O

With a woof, woof here and a woof, woof there

Here a woof, there a woof, everywhere a woof, woof

Old McDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O

Old McDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O

And on that farm he had TWO sheep, E-I-E-I-O

With a baa, baa here and a baa, baa there

Here a baa, there a baa, everywhere a baa, baa

Old McDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O

Old McDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O

And on that farm he had THREE chickens, E-I-E-I-O

With a cluck, cluck here and a cluck, cluck there

Here a cluck, there a cluck, everywhere a cluck, cluck

Old McDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O

Old McDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O

And on that farm he had FOUR goats, E-I-E-I-O

With a maa, maa here and a maa, maa there

Here a maa, there a maa, everywhere a maa, maa

Old McDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O

Old McDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O

And on that farm he had FIVE geese, E-I-E-I-O

With a honk, honk here and a honk, honk there

Here a honk, there a honk, everywhere a honk, honk

Old McDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O

Sharing Snacks with Toys

This is a fun little game where children can count out snacks for some of their toys. We used raisins and pumpkin seeds with some of our wooden animals. We put down a small quilt to cover the carpet for the animals to stand on, and I poured out two small piles of snacks on the quilt. 

As my daughter snacked she “shared” her snack with the animals. She decided how many each animal would get and I helped her count out the exact number for each animal. If your child has action figures or princesses that they would like to share a snack with instead, go for it. My daughter enjoyed sharing her snack so much we have now done this multiple times. 

Johnny Works with One Hammer

Johnny works with one hammer, (move one arm up and down like hammering)

One hammer, one hammer.

Johnny works with one hammer,

Then he works with two.

Johnny works with two hammers, (move both arms up and down like hammering)

Two hammers, two hammers.

Johnny works with two hammers,

Then he works with three.

Johnny works with three hammers, (move both arms & head up and down)

Three hammers, three hammers.

Johnny works with three hammers,

Then he works with four.

Johnny works with four hammers, (move both arms, your head & one foot up and down)

Four hammers, four hammers.

Johnny works with four hammers,

Then he works with five.

Johnny works with five hammers, (move both arms & head up and down while jumping)

Five hammers, five hammers.

Johnny works with five hammers,

Then he is all done.

Your child may want this song multiple times. Try to get them “hammering” with you.

Throwing Apples Game

This is a simple game you can play with real apples. If you don’t have any apples or are not willing to let an apple get bruised, balls also work.

Toss the apple back and forth with your child while counting together to see how many times you can toss them without dropping them.

Start the game by counting “1, 2, 3, 4, 5 flying apples!” Then toss the apple to your child and count for each toss. When the apple falls to the ground, call out “Apples down!”

If you and your child are really good at throwing together, then you can go as high as your child is comfortable before “winning” the game and calling out “Flying Apples Win!”

Then play again! 

The Itsy Bitsy Spider (adapted)

The itsy-bitsy spider went up the waterspout, (touch your thumb to your opposite pointer finger and repeat with your other hand while moving upwards to create a spider)

Down came the rain and washed the spider out. (motion rain coming down, then sweep your hands outwards)

One, two, three, four, five the rain all dried (count with your fingers)

And the itsy-bitsy spider went up the spout again. (make a hand spider again)

Repeat as many times as your child wants and help them with the motions as well. 

Crashing Cars Game

In this game, two or more people all have cars. The cars face each other from about 3 to 5 feet away on a hard floor.

Count from 1 to 3, 5, 10, or 12 depending on your child’s ability, then say “go!”

Push the cars into each other to “crash.”

Model how to play first, then count with your child, then have your child count on their own to make the cars go.