16mo–2.2y7 minMusicFamily time
Two Little Birds Count
A short sing-and-count fingerplay that uses a familiar counting rhyme (e.g., ‘Two Little Dickie Birds’) to support early number words and noticing ‘one’ and ‘two’ changing in a playful way.
What you'll need
Essentials
- your hands (fingers)
- a comfortable place to sit together
Nice to have
- two small socks or cloths to pop on your fingers as ‘birds’
- a favourite toy to ‘watch’ and join in
Movement level: low
What you'll do
The 4-step guide, with what to look for at each step, is for signed-in parents.
What this develops
- MilestoneParticipates in songs and rhymesMind· 14mo–2.3y· core
- MilestoneShows interest in play with sounds, songs and rhymes.Mind· 16mo–2.2y· core
- MilestoneCopies simple gestures or actionsMind· 6mo–2.3y· stretch· Step 1
- MilestoneCopies heard wordsMind· 8mo–20mo· stretch· Step 2
- MilestoneUses single meaningful wordsMind· 8mo–20mo· stretch· Step 2
- MilestoneUnderstands simple questionsMind· 14mo–2.2y· core· Step 2
- MilestoneClaps handsBody· 9mo–17mo· stretch· Step 4
- MilestoneUnderstands simple spoken instructionsMind· 14mo–18mo· core· Step 4
- MilestoneJumps with both feet leaving the groundBody· 2y–2.8y· stretch· Step 4
What it practices
- Recites some number names in sequence.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Uses some language of quantities, such as ‘more’ and ‘a lot’.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Begins to make comparisons between quantities.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Creates and experiments with symbols and marks representing ideas of number.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
Where it comes from
- Source
- Development Matters in the EYFS (DfE, 2012)
- Original guidance
- “Sing counting songs and rhymes which help to develop children’s understanding of number, such as ‘Two Little Dickie Birds’.”
- License
- Open Government Licence v3.0
- Attribution
- © Crown Copyright 2012 (Development Matters in the EYFS, DfE)