Five Little Ducks
A nursery rhyme that tells the story of five ducklings who venture out, one by one, and then return to their mother, teaching counting and subtraction in an engaging way.
Lyrics
Five little ducks went out one day, Over the hills and far away. Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack," But only four little ducks came back. Four little ducks went out one day, Over the hills and far away. Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack," But only three little ducks came back. Three little ducks went out one day, Over the hills and far away. Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack," But only two little ducks came back. Two little ducks went out one day, Over the hills and far away. Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack," But only one little duck came back. One little duck went out one day, Over the hills and and far away. Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack," But no little ducks came back. No little ducks went out one day, Over the hills and and far away. Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack," And all the little ducks came back.
Actions
Simple, fun actions that can go along with this rhyme!
01.
Hold up your five fingers for the first verse, and then lower one finger with each successive verse to represent the disappearing ducks.
02.
Point over the hills and far away as you sing those lines to help children visualize the ducks' journey.
03.
Make quacking sounds with your mouth when Mother duck says, "Quack, quack, quack, quack."
04.
For the lines, "But only [number] little ducks came back," use your hand to mimic the return of the ducks by having the corresponding number of fingers pop up.
05.
You can add claps to emphasize the counting aspect, clapping your hands once for each duck that comes back.
06.
As you sing the line, "And all the little ducks came back," wiggle your fingers or open and close your hand to show all the ducks returning.
Activities
Fun activities that can go along with this rhyme!
Craft and Storytelling
After singing the rhyme, have children create their own duck family using craft materials like paper, googly eyes, and feathers. Then, encourage them to narrate their version of the story, making up their own adventures for the ducks.
Counting and Math Activity
Use the rhyme to introduce or reinforce counting and subtraction. Provide children with small duck figurines or counters, and have them act out the rhyme, physically moving the ducks as they leave and return. This helps with numerical concepts.
Story Extension
After singing the rhyme, extend the story by asking questions like, "Where do you think the ducks went?" or "What adventures did they have?" Encourage children to use their imaginations to create additional parts of the story.
Learnings
Learnings from this rhyme!
The rhyme helps children learn about numbers and subtraction as the ducklings leave and return, while also emphasizing the importance of family and coming together.
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