Classroom Theme Resources

The Best Counting Nursery Rhymes to Make Learning Numbers Fun!

Counting nursery rhymes are a fantastic way to introduce young children to numbers in an engaging and memorable way. Through rhythm, repetition, and storytelling, these songs help develop number recognition, sequencing, and early math skills.

Whether you’re a teacher looking for classroom resources or a parent wanting to make learning fun at home, these classic counting rhymes will delight little learners while reinforcing essential numeracy concepts.

Why Use Counting Nursery Rhymes?

Counting nursery rhymes are a powerful tool for teaching early numeracy skills in a way that is engaging and memorable for young learners. The rhythm and repetition help reinforce number sequences, while the storytelling element makes counting meaningful.

These rhymes also support oral language development, listening skills, and cognitive recall, making them a great cross-curricular resource. Additionally, incorporating actions or props encourages hands-on learning, helping children develop: one-to-one correspondence and an understanding of basic addition and subtraction in a playful, stress-free environment.

Whether used in whole-class lessons, small group activities, or independent learning stations, counting nursery rhymes brings maths to life in a fun and accessible way.

Benefits of Counting Nursery Rhymes

Counting nursery rhymes are perfect for engaging multiple learning styles. They appeal to auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learners, ensuring that all children can connect with the material in a way that suits them best.

The repetitive nature of these rhymes encourages number fluency, helping children build confidence in counting and understanding number concepts.

Most importantly, counting nursery rhymes foster a love of learning. Their playful nature keeps the learning process enjoyable, helping children develop a positive relationship with numbers and encouraging them to view math as fun and accessible.

Linking Counting Nursery Rhymes to the Australian Curriculum (Version 9)

Counting nursery rhymes aligns with the Australian Curriculum (Version 9), particularly in the Mathematics – Number strand for Foundation to Year 1.

These songs help children develop essential numeracy skills such as counting sequences, one-to-one correspondence, and early subtraction through engaging, hands-on learning experiences.

Using familiar rhymes supports learning outcomes related to understanding numbers, representing quantities, and developing fluency with counting.

How to Use Counting Nursery Rhymes in Learning

To make counting nursery rhymes even more effective in the classroom, try incorporating interactive learning.

Encourage children to act out the actions in each rhyme, such as jumping, falling off the bed, or marching, to reinforce the number concepts through physical movement.

You can also enhance the learning experience by using visuals, like number cards or small toys, to help children visualize the numbers as they count.

Repetition is key—sing the rhymes multiple times to help children reinforce their counting skills and become familiar with the number sequence.

Additionally, hands-on activities using objects like counting blocks or stuffed animals can be a fun way to provide a tactile learning experience, helping children interact with numbers in a more concrete way.

These counting nursery rhymes not only teach basic maths concepts but also provide a fun, interactive way to engage young learners in developing essential numeracy skills. By incorporating songs like these into your classroom routines, you can make counting and number recognition both enjoyable and effective!

What’s Included in Our Counting Nursery Rhymes Pack?

Our Counting Nursery Rhymes Pack is designed to make learning interactive and easy to implement in the classroom. The pack includes:

• A cover sheet for storage to keep all your materials organised.
• A song sheet for class singalongs.
• A lesson plan with activity ideas to bring counting rhymes to life.
• Student colour & black-and-white puppet sheets, so children can colour, cut, and use puppets for retelling.
• Teacher demonstration pieces, including:
  • Lesson plan
  • Powerpoint of the Nursery Rhyme
  • Number cards
  • Character cutouts with & without numbers
  • Callout speech bubbles
  • Blank background scenes for interactive storytelling

How to Use This Pack in the Classroom

Sing & Act It Out – Use the song sheet to sing the rhyme together. Encourage students to act out the story using the puppets and teacher demonstration pieces.

Hands-on Counting – Place the character cutouts on the background scene as students count along. Remove one at a time to model subtraction.

Interactive Storytelling – Let students use their puppets to retell the rhyme independently or in small groups.

Maths Integration – Use the number cards to practice counting forwards, backwards, and matching numerals to quantities.

By combining music, storytelling, and hands-on activities, this resource makes counting engaging, meaningful, and aligned with the Australian Curriculum. Perfect for early years educators looking to make maths fun!

Ready to bring these fun counting nursery rhymes into your classroom? Download our complete Counting Nursery Rhymes resource packs today and start engaging your students with interactive songs, hands-on activities, and visual aids that reinforce key math concepts. Click below to get started and make learning numbers an enjoyable experience for your little learners!