Hickory Dickory Dock Color and Number Matching Activity

Hickory Dickory Dock is one of my toddler’s favorite nursery rhymes. It’s great little rhyme that helps little ones to learn their numbers and time in an easy and fun way. In Hickory Dickory Dock activity, we used clothespins to reinforce fine motor skills, match numbers, colors and learn to tell time.

Today we bring you different activities related to Hickory Dickory Dock rhyme, all of these activities are age appropriate for toddlers and preschoolers, to help them learn about numbers and time.

Supply Needed to Make Hickory Dickory Dock Activity

To make a clock for number and color matching activity you will need:

• piece of sturdy cardboard (from recycle bin)
• something round to trace on cardboard (plate or bowl)
• 2 scraps of cardboard in different colors (for arms)
• split pin
• scissors
• piercing tool
• markers in 12 different colors

To make counting mouse, you will need:

• 12 standard size wooden clothespins
• printable with counting mouses (free download for subscribers, use form below)
• piece of yarn or twine
• scissors and glue

How to Set Up Hickory Dickory Dock Activity

To make a clock:

• Use plate or bowl to trace round shape for the clock on the cardboard and cut it out.
• Mark numbers from 1-12 on clock face using 12 markers in different colors.
• Pierce the hole in the middle of the clock’s face and attach arms using split pins. You now have your clock!

To make mouse counters:

• Use same markers used for numbers on the clock to color clothespins.
• Download, print and cut mouses.
• Cut twine or yarn into 2-inch pieces, you will make tails for each of the mouse (cut 12 pieces).
• When you have all of this prepared, just glue tails on clothespins and counting mouses over. Make sure you follow colors from the clock to match with color and number on the clothespins.

How to Play Hickory Dickory Dock Activity?

If you’re not familiar with Hickory Dickory Dock nursery rhyme, it’s about a little mouse who climbs the clock and each time clock rings the time, it flees down the clock. Rhyme promotes learning numbers through repetition.

Toddler’s task is to match clothespins with the right number as it comes up in a rhyme.

Our homemade cardboard clock has moveable arms, and we moved them along as rhyme called. Each time the mouse climbed and new time mentioned, we would change the time on the clock and add new clothespin.

I have decided to use 12 different colors for each of the numbers on the clock to turn this activity into self-correcting activity where my toddler can match numbers and color.

Hickory Dickory Dock activity is an excellent way to teach numbers to tiny toddlers who still don’t know numbers. Toddlers should be able to name and match colors, and as they do the color matching, they will also learn the numbers.

We hope you will have fun learning how to tell time, colors and numbers with your toddlers while they practice their fine motor skills with clothespins!

Learning Opportunities for kids

As they play and sing Hickory Dickory Dock nursery rhyme, children work on:

• sensory system (visual and auditory)
• attention retention and concentration
• fine motor skills
• math (counting numbers)
• time telling

EXPLAND THE PLAYTIME WITH A BOOK

This twist on an old favorite features some serious antics on the part of a busy little mouse. As a huge grandfather clock strikes each hour from one o’ clock in the afternoon to midnight, a different animal passes by, and the mouse has a funny interaction with each of them. Find the book here: United States | Canada | United Kingdom

PICK AN AUDIOBOOK WITH 135 NURSERY RHYMES!

Over 100 popular classic nursery rhymes to take along on long car drives as you head on your vacation. Of course, you can play this to your child every day. Singing is the best way to expand vocabulary and learn to properly pronounce words. Download this audiobook for free with Audible Trial.

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR KIDS AS YOU SING HICKORY DICKORY DOCK

And here are other activities I mentioned at the beginning. Our friends created these fun activities to make learning numbers and time more fun with Hickory Dickory Dock:

• make a rock clock like Danya Banya
• make and use a felt clock on your felt board like Crafty Kids at Home
• and you can also learn shapes using this rhyme as seen on Teach Me Mommy

Other nursery rhymes your toddlers can sing along as they learn and play:

• Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Potato Stamp Art for Kids – Potato stamping is one of our favorite art activities because it’s simple to prepare and all you need is a potato, paint and paper.
• Wheels on the Bus Learning Activities – Download and enjoy learning with 3 different activities associated with kids’ favorite nursery rhyme.
• 1-2-3-4-5 Fish Crackers Counting Activity – We provided a simple printable you can freely download and use at home for counting activity with your kids!
• Little Bo Peep Color Match – An easy sheep color matching activity for little toddlers.
• Mary, Mary Quite Contrary Roll & Build Flower – A dice game is a perfect opportunity to work on number recognition with your toddler!