Confession: I have been on a math song kick as of late. Our last tune was coin identification. My kids are having a blast with it and one child even requested to “record it.” Luckily for him, the song is available to listen (below). That’s one of the reasons I started this project. It is so much easier to share songs with parents, teachers, and other therapists involved in a child’s care!
Who doesn’t love a great counting song? With this one in particular I made it long enough (and slow enough) to count from 1-100. I really enjoyed adding xylophone to the fill in the blank version to facilitate the rhythm while everyone is counting.
Tips & Tricks
Visuals. Use a hundreds chart as you sing.
Adapt. Whether your child is working on counting 1-10 or 1-100, the song is easily adaptable. You can repeat one set of ten over and over again or you can keep going higher and higher!
More time needed? If you need more time for singing each word, hit “pause” and sing as needed. When you are ready, resume and clap or stomp in rhythm during the xylophone part.
Lyrics
Counting up, up, up. How high can you go?
Up to the sky where the wind blows.
Counting up, up, up. How high can you go?
Show me what you know?
1, 2, 3, 4, 5
6, 7, 8, 9, 10
11, 12, 13, 14, 15
16, 17, 18, 19, 20
(count higher or repeat in subsequent verses)
Are you working on counting? I would love to hear all about it! Send me a note — mary@musictherapykids.com.
Sing on,
Mary
Counting Up, Up, Up
Want a few ready-to-use pediatric session materials?
If you’re building up your music therapy toolbox, I also have a free 3-Song Pediatric Session Pack you can download and use right away.
It includes simple, low-prep songs and supports designed for music therapists working with children — perfect for days when you want something practical, structured, and easy to pull into a session.
