Five Brand New Pets

Materials

five or more soft toy pets, including a cat and dog

Instructions

Engage the children in a conversation about pet stores; about how they work
and what they sell.
2. Teach the children the following poem:
Five Brand New Pets by Anne Adeney
Five brand new pets in an old pet store,
A kitten, a puppy, and many more.
Along came (child's name) with a
dollar one day,
Bought a brand new pet and took
it right away.
Four brand new pets in an old pet
store,
A kitten, a puppy, and many more.
Along came (another child's name)
with a dollar one day,
Bought a brand new pet and took
it right away.
Three brand new pets in an old
pet store....
3. Place five soft toy pets in the middle of the group and use them to act out
the rhyme.
4. Younger children can count how many pets are left each time.
5. At the end, ask the children how many dollars the pet store owner has made.
6. Help the children count the money the pet store owner received.
Teacher - to - Teacher Tip
* Sing the song with the same number of pets as you have children, so every
child has a turn buying each time. Extend the activity by labeling the pets
with different prices, from $1 to $5, then adding up the costs.
Assessment
To assess the children's learning, consider the following:
* Can the children tell you why they need the dollar in this song?
* Can the children tell you where they would go and what they would need to
do if they were to get a new pet?