Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree Song

Preparation: Use a crocodile hand puppet and five monkeys that can be removed from a glove puppet. If you have a tree prop, like one for Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, place monkeys on the tree.Children count and snap. Children of all ages enjoy the rhythm/chant of the song and the snapping. Adults with babies can gently give them a surprise snap with a big smile. Toddlers and preschoolers count and like the repetition.

Five little monkeys sitting in a tree   (Hold up five fingers and bounce hand up and down) Teasing Mr. Crocodile, teasing Mr. Crocodile (Wave fingers forward) Can’t catch me; can’t catch me. (Shake head no.) Along comes Mr. Crocodile as quiet as can be. (Whisper with index finger over nose and mouth.) And SNAPS that monkey out of the tree!

To make this rhyme more interactive between adults and children, when you repeat it, have the adult be the five little monkeys, holding up one hand. The child is the crocodile making a mouth with one hand. Optional: Reverse roles.

Early Literacy Aside--Example: In this rhyme, we are counting backwards with our children in a fun way. Counting is part of learning concepts which support your child's background knowledge.

Submitted by Katie Rinenbach, Bucks County (PA) Public Library