Ten Cartons of Milk

Materials

10 clean, empty 1/2 pint milk cartonsacrylic paint and brush, or foam or felt numerals (1 to 10) and glue (optional)

Instructions

1. If desired, paint or glue the numerals 1 to 10 on the sides of 10 milk cartons.

2. Place the milk cartons on the edge of a desk, table, or shelf. If numerals are on the cartons, place the cartons in order from 1 to 10.

3. Ask the children to count from 1 to 10 with you while you point to each carton in ascending order. Then ask them to count from 10 to 1, while you point to each carton in descending order.

4. Sing the following song to the tune of "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall."Ten cartons of milk on the wall,Ten cartons of milk,If one of those cartons should happen to fall,Nine cartons of milk on the wall. (remove one milk carton)Nine cartons of milk on the wall...Eight cartons of milk on the wall...

5. Continue counting down and removing milk cartons until you get to "No more cartons of milk on the wall."6. Once everyone knows the song, let children take turns removing a carton. If it's the end of the day, and the children are getting antsy, pretend to knock down each carton "accidentally" in turn, always acting surprised or shocked that another carton has fallen.