Five Little Fishies Song and Counting Printable

Looking for ocean counting activities for preschoolers that are super fun? You’ll love this adorable “Five Little Fishies” song and printable counting activity! It’s a playful, interactive way to teach counting and number recognition, and plain easy to add it to your circle time activities. There’s even fun hand movements, so preschoolers really get into it.

You’ll be singing, counting, and laughing along as kids practice numbers from five to zero while the little fishies tease Mr. Shark. Grab your free printable and let the fishy fun begin!

There’s something magical about combining music, movement, and math—and that’s exactly what this fish-themed counting activity does! This printable features the playful “Five Little Fishies” rhyme that counts down from five to zero as each little fishie gets caught by a very sneaky Mr. Shark. This song will have your preschoolers giggling!

This preschool math activity is ideal for circle time, small groups, or one-on-one practice, but our favorite way to use it is during our preschool circle time activities. The simple, repetitive rhyme structure makes it easy for kids to join in and anticipate what comes next.

Trust me, this ocean theme circle time song will be your preschoolers’ new favorite!

Read this: Educational Ocean Games and Activities

What Kids Learn with the Five Little Fishies Counting Activity

This ocean counting activity is packed with learning! Kids build early math skills while singing and playing. Here are some key skills they’ll practice:

SKILL #1: Number Recognition

Each page gives kids a double dose of number fun with both the numeral and the number word side by side. It’s a simple way to help them connect what they hear with what they see. They get to sing the song and count the remaining fish.

SKILL #2: Counting Backwards

As the rhyme progresses, children count down from five to zero. This builds basic subtraction skills, and supports sequencing and memory. And doing the hand actions along with the song really cements these counting skills into memory.

SKILL #3: One-to-One Correspondence

Singing the song while pointing to each fish teaches one-to-one correspondence as each number is matched to a single fish picture on the counting mat.

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The Five Little Fishies Song and Counting Printable

By now, all my preschoolers know this song by heart. No other song we sing is met with the same enthusiasm, and so I was confident that this printable would go over well, too. Especially since it involved fish crackers (or fish candies, or fish counters).

What’s Included

• Printable pages for each number from five to zero
• Rhyming text for each number

Additional Materials

• Laminator (optional, for durability)
• any fish counter or snack

The Set Up

Print and laminate each fish counting page for durability, and then organize them in order from five to zero for easy sequencing. You’re ready to start singing and counting!

Read this: Free Ocean Lesson Plans for Preschoolers

How to Teach Counting Using the Five Little Fishies Printable

Here’s a step-by-step guide to making the most of this printable:

Step 1: Introduce the Activity

Gather your group and show them the counting mats, and talk about how many fishies are swimming in the sea. Ask them to guess what might happen in the story. Read or sing the rhyme on the first card and count the fish together.

Step 2: Act It Out

Sing the song, doing hand motions for each part of the song, including being Mr. Shark as he snaps up the fish! Watch the video below for the hand motions and for the tune of the song.

Step 3: Count Together

As each verse is sung, pause to count the remaining fishies. Point to each one while saying the number and emphasize the number word and numeral on the card.

Step 4: Repeat and Reinforce

Sing the song again and again and again! Repetition helps build confidence and memory, and your preschoolers will love it enough they’ll want to keep going! Once they master the song, have your preschoolers try practicing on their own.

My daughter began by placing a fish cracker on each fish printed on the mat. “Three!” she called out, and then she sang the song to herself.

When she got to the best part, the part of the song where the shark sneaks up on the fishies, she grabbed up a fish cracker and yelled, “Snap!” as she dropped it into her mouth.

And the fun continued until there were no little fishies left.

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Ocean Counting Activities for Preschoolers

During ocean week in preschool, you can never have enough counting activities for preschoolers. Try some of these activities.

• Ocean Roll and Cover Counting Cards
• Ocean Counting Clip Cards
• Fishbowl Counting Mats
• Number Octopus Craft
• Ocean Ten Frame Counting Mats
• Ocean Counting Games for Preschool
• Under the Sea Grid Counting Mats
• Odd and Even Number Fishing
• Ocean Counting Mats
• Shark Roll and Cover Game
• Subitising Fish Game
• Ocean Animal Count and Clip Cards
• Ocean I Spy Printable

Get Your Five Little Fishies Song and Free Printable

Think this is a song and counting activity you need in your ocean preschool theme? You can download a copy here.

Read this: 20+ Ocean Printables for Preschoolers