Learning Numbers with a Fun Song

This is a, a song that we did for pirate day, and it just gets the kids kind of moving, but it also means they have to listen to know when to do the motions. There’s also a number component to it. I did want to point out I do not play the guitar, I cheat. When I played the guitar, and you can do this too, I just tune the guitar to a major chord. So then, all I have to do is block off the fret to get 1-4-5. To get the other chords if you hold it down right, you get a better sound, unless you can actually play the guitar, but kids can play it this way too. This song goes like this, when I was one I had some fun on the day I went to sea. I hopped aboard a pirate ship and the captain said to me, we go this way, that way, forward, backward over the deep blue sea. When I was two I tied my shoe on the day I went to sea. I hopped aboard a pirate ship and the captain said to me, we go this way, that way, forward, backward over the deep blue sea. When I was four I swabbed the floor on the day I went to sea. I hopped aboard the pirate ship and the captain said to me, we go this way, that way, forward, backward over the deep blue sea. And, at this point I could continue with the words, oh when I was five I took a dive. Usually I just go up to five, or I can ask the students for other rhyming words. And then, we can incorporate those in, or we could even change the lyrics. It doesn’t even have to be a pirate ship, you can make up whatever you want. It’s just, the important thing is, that they’re moving and they’re hopping and then they’re singing along with you. And then, they’ve got the number component as well.