Five cuddly teddies sitting
on the wall
Five cuddly teddies sitting
on the wall
And if one cuddly teddy
should accidentally fall
Oh no!
There'd be four cuddly teddies
sitting on the wall.
Four/three/two/one cuddly teddies/teddy....
Rhyme time
* Introduce the rhyme to the children and encourage them to join in.
* Hold up five fingers to start with, and reduce this to four when the first teddy 'falls off'! Moving one finger or thumb independently will be quite difficult for some children, so model how to do this using the other hand.
* Chant the rhyme again, and this time, choose five children to be 'teddies' and fall off the wall. It's a good idea to provide props such as masks, teddy headbands or even teddy bear 'ears' for them.
* The rhyme can also be sung to the tune of 'Ten green bottles'.
Extension ideas
* Provide magnetic props of five teddies on a magnetic board or wedge so children can retell the rhyme.
* Provide a CD with this song or other teddy bear songs for children to join in.
* Line up five cuddly teddies on a real wall outdoors or wooden block wall indoors so the children can revisit the rhyme.
* Make a counting book about the rhyme using photos and drawings of the children's favourite teddies.
* Support the children to create their own versions of the rhyme - five slippery snakes, cute kittens or snappy crocodiles.
Judith Stevens is an early years adviser in London
