How Can Teachers Use Ten In A Bed To Teach Counting?

I love quick, playful ideas — and 'Ten in the Bed' is a goldmine. Grab ten toy figures, a small blanket, and a camera. Line them up, sing the verse, and let one toy ‘fall out’ each time; have kids say the new number aloud and show it on fingers. For a twist, roll a jumbo foam die to decide how many tumble out so children practice subtracting numbers greater than one.

You can swap in ten-frames, counters, or even a laminated number line for visual learners. I often make it a photo strip: snap a picture each round and print a mini comic that shows “10 → 9 → 8,” which helps link the spoken count to symbols. For assessment, ask a child to predict the number before you sing the next line — that prediction tells you whether they’re tracking the pattern or still recounting from one each time. It's fast, flexible, and kids actually beg to sing it again.

On slow mornings when the rug smells faintly of crayons and someone’s still in pajamas, I like to turn 'Ten in the Bed' into a tiny ritual of discovery. Start with the song and ten small toys or stuffed animals lined up on a blanket. I sing the verse once through and then pause to have the kids show me how many are left after one “rolls out.” That pause is gold: it’s where counting, hands-on subtraction, and prediction happen.

After a few rounds, I ask different kids to be the counter, to place the toys on a ten-frame (or two five-frames) so they can see the pattern of “one less” each time. I vary the activity by using a dice or a spinner — sometimes two animals tumble out, and we practice saying “ten minus two equals eight” but in playful language: “Oh no, two tumbled! How many are still snuggling?” I also layer in movement: for older groups we count backwards from ten while doing jumping jacks, and for very young learners I let them press down a finger on a hand chart each verse.

Beyond the counting itself, I tie it to drawing and emergent writing. Kids draw a bed and write numerals, or we make a class book called 'How Many Are Left?' with photos from our circle time. I watch for who can subitize on the ten-frame, who needs one-to-one correspondence practice, and who’s ready to write equations. It’s cozy, repeatable, and surprisingly revealing of a child’s number sense — plus no one minds singing the chorus again.

When I'm planning quick, high-impact activities I like to zoom in on the learning objective: strengthen one-to-one correspondence, introduce subtraction as ‘taking away’, and build fluency with numbers to ten. 'Ten in the Bed' is perfect because every verse naturally reduces the set, giving repeated chances to practice the same mathematical idea in different modalities.

A clear sequence works best: begin with a modelling round (I count with the children as one toy is removed), then move to guided practice where pairs manipulate counters and verbalize “ten, nine, eight…” After that I use a representational tool like ten-frames or number lines — asking learners to show me the remaining quantity in two ways (objects and numeral). For assessment, I listen for accurate counting, watch for fingers being used to keep track, and note whether learners can predict the next total without recounting everything.

Differentiation is easy: offer stickers or larger manipulatives for tactile support, or challenge fast finishers by asking them to create word problems (e.g., “If three roll out, how many are left? Show me two ways.”). Technology can extend it too — a quick slideshow that hides one animal per click reinforces the same concept visually for kids who are ready for screens. The key is repetition with variation so the counting pattern becomes intuitive.