Happy Earth Day!  While I’m not a die-hard environmentalist, I do my fair share of trying to help out the planet and definitely love taking any opportunity to celebrate unique holidays with my preschool music groups.  Every Earth Day I do a recycling themed class where I incorporate many songs and games that aim to teach the children about ways they can help the protect the planet even as kids.

One of the songs we did this Earth Day is called “10 in a Bin.”  This song works on counting, group participation, turn taking, and of course environmental awareness.  I brought in one of my recycling bins from home along with 10 soda cans to use as visuals.  We started by counting all of the soda cans then took turns adding them in the recycling bin one by one.  The children would listen intently for their name to be called in the song and then help count the cans.  The song is below:

A can went in and another went in.  Recycle!  Recycle!

So we all recycled and (name) added a can

There were two in the bin and another went in

Recycle! Recycle!  So we all recycled and (name) added a can

There were three in the bin and another went in

Recycle!  Recycle!  So we all recycled and (name) added a can

There were four in the bin and another went in…. etc to 10 

This picture shows one of my students counting the cans after his turn.  He got it correct–7 cans!  I hope you found inspiration in this idea and try it sometime soon.