Learning to Count with Frogs

Two Frogs on Motorcycle with Umbrella and Flowers
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How many frogs are in the picture?

How many other things can you count in this picture?

Very young children are learning one to one correspondence. At first it can be very difficult for them not to count things more that once, skip things or make a connection between the number words they are saying and the items being counted.

Sit your child in your lap and start to play this game:

1. Put a frog counter on a frog in the picture and say one frog.

2. Put a frog counter on the other frog and say two frogs.

3. Take off each of the frogs as you count to two again.

4. Now ask your child to try playing the game.

One Little, Two Little, Three little Froggies.

Photo Credit: Three frogs on Flickr, Creative Commons.
Photo Credit:Two Frogs on Motorcycle with Umbrella and Flowers Buy at AllPosters.com
Photo Credit: Three Frogson Flickr, Creative Commons.

Four little, five little, six little froggies,

Photo Credit: Four Frogson Flickr, Creative Commons.
Photo Credit: Five Frogs in the Public Domain
Photo Credit: Six Frogs on Flickr, Creative Commons.

Seven little, eight little, nine little froggies,

Photo Credit: Eight Frogs Available on Amazon
Photo Credit: Nine Frogs on Flickr, Creative Commons.

The picture of the four froggies was taken by a second grade teacher while her students were choosing jobs for the week. She was holding those frogs in her hand as she took the picture.

You can tell that this is a work in progress. I am searching for pictures of arts and crafts depicting frogs while at the same time illustrating different styles of art. Pictures like these can be used to illustrate the Ten Little Froggies song.

Later on as the children make various art projects, I will ask them to take pictures of the various different numbers of frogs and we will make them into a class book to show off all our artwork to our families. I will make this book the focus of a Literacy Bag so that it can make the rounds of all the homes in the class.

Photo Credit: Folk Art Frogon Flickr, Creative Commons.

Line up your crouching little froglets all facing the direction of the pond. The frog in the back starts counting as he or she leaps over all the rest of the little frogs and count each one.

Five Men Playing Leap Frog
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We played leapfrog to the door to recess. As each frog leaped over the last frog he got to hop off to play. It was a great incentive to get the room quickly picked up. The first child ready started at the back of the line and was the first out to recess.

This poem is one of the first poems I ever learned. It was one of my Grandma Dewey's favorite poems and she loved to recite it to my sister and I.

You can use frogs and logs to count out twenty frogs and have them sit on two logs. Recite the poem and then practice counting by 10' to twenty or by 20's as high as you can.


Twenty froggies went to school
Down beside a rushy pool.
Twenty little coats of green,
Twenty vests all white and clean.

"We must be on time," said they,
"First we study, then we play.
Always heed the golden rule,
When we froggies go to school."

Mister Bullfrog, grave and stern,
Called the classes in their turn;
Taught them how to nobly strive,
Likewise, how to leap and dive.

From his seat upon a log,
Showed them how to say "KER-CHOG!"
Also how to dodge a blow
From the rocks that children throw.

Polished now in high degree,
As all froggies ought to be,
Proudly sit upon their logs,
Teaching all the little frogs.

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