Fish songs for toddlers and preschoolers with free printable template to make your own little fishies! Perfect for circle time at the daycare or at home in your living room.
Toddlers are a busy bunch, especially when they are cooped up in the winter. One way I found to pass the time and have a lot of fun in the process is to have ‘circle time’ right in our living room!
Before I was a mom I was an Early Childhood Educator, so my boys were born into a house full of puppets and patterns for kids. Lucky them! My day care bin was and has remained one of their favourite things to pull out and play with and it provides hours of fun.
You can quickly and easily make your own circle time box at home!
Let’s start with some fish songs for toddlers and preschooler, you can even make some cute fish props to go with them. I made mine out of orange fun foam that you can pick up from any craft store, and probably even the dollar store as well.
In the day care I would give each child their own fish to hold while we sang our fun fishy songs. At home the boys play with the whole lot!
To make yours just print out this pattern I have provided and use it as a template to make your own fish on fun foam, construction paper or bristol board. Any colour is fine and even having a variety of colours would be lots of fun too. Just add the eye with a marker or glue on a googly eye if you wish!
Fish Songs for Toddlers
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Once I Caught a Fish Alive
One, two, three, four, five,
Once I caught a fish alive,
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten,
Then I let it go again.
Why did you let it go?
Because it bit my finger so.
Which finger did it bite?
This little finger on the right.
One, two, three, four, five,
Once I caught a crab alive,
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten,
Then I let it go again.
Why did you let it go?
Because it bit my finger so.
Which finger did it bite?
This little finger on the right.
One, two, three, four, five,
Once I caught an eel alive,
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten,
Then I let it go again.
Why did you let it go?
Because it bit my finger so.
Which finger did it bite?
This little finger on the right.
All The Fish
All the fish are swimming in the water
Swimming in the water
Swimming in the water
All the fish are swimming in the water
bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble
SPLASH! (clap hands)
I’m a Little Fish
Sung to: I’m a Little Teapot
I’m a little fish, I like to swim
You can’t catch me, ’cause I have fins
When I swim past my friends, I hear them say
Stop your swimming and come and play!
Fish Are Swimming
Sung to: “Frere Jacques”
Fish are swimming, fish are swimming,
In the sea, in the sea,
A-splishing and a-splashing,
A-splishing and a-splashing,
Look and see, look and see.
5 Little Fish
Sung to: “5 little monkeys (teasing the alligator)”
5 little fish swimming in the sea
Teasin’ Mr. Shark
You can’t catch me, You can’t catch me!
along came the Mr. Shark as quiet as can be
Snap! The little fish right out of the sea.
4 little Etc…
One little fish swimming in the sea
Teasin’ Mr. Shark
You can’t catch me, You can’t catch me!
along came the Mr. Shark as quiet as can be
Snap! The little fish right out of the sea.
Now Mr. Shark is lonely can’t you see.
5 Little Fishes
5 little fishes swimming near the shore
1 took a dive and then there was 4
4 little fishes were swimming out to sea
One went for food and then there was 3
3 little fishes said now what should we do?
One swam away and then there were 2
2 little fishes we are having great fun
One took a plunge and then there was 1
1 little fish said I like the warm sun
Away she went and then there were none!
I like to print songs onto recipe cards and keep them together with the fish in a zip lock style bag. I do this method for each activity to keep my circle time bin organized, puppets and related songs all go in one bag.
Original Author Unknown for all songs
For other circle time activities, check out these Ice Cream Songs and Colour Learning Game
These Fishing Cupcakes go perfect with the Fish theme!
I am going to be singing these tomorrow to my granddaughter, she is getting tired of the same ole songs I keep singing, so time for some new ones, I don’t have any foam for the fish, but I do have foam animals, I will have to let you know if she liked these new songs!!
If you don’t have foam, regular construction paper or anything will do fine. The foam is good if it will be handled a lot like in a day care because it doesn’t tear or crease but kids just love to hold things and make the fish swim during the songs
I had to laugh, my granddaughter was looking at me like I was an alien, apparently she is not used to these songs…lol
Keep singing them, she’ll pick them up! 1,2,3,4,5 is a really popular and catchy one!
I love those,thanks for something new and fresh,sure to bring a smile to the little ones
I remember the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Once I Caught a Fish Alive from when I was a kid and that is over 60 yrs ago. Thanks for the memories 🙂
wow! It’s a classic for sure then!
My daughter is finishing her last yr of ECE.
My little guy has a fish that swims with him in the bathtub! Thanks for the songs I can sing with him with he’s in the tub.
Great idea!
So cute and a great idea
Super cute! Q goes through his own themes – we had to sing all the boat songs we knew last week lol
that sounds fun!
Love the interaction
Awe cute ideas, thank you
These songs and props are so cute!
Thanks!
My little grandson is 6 months it’s time to sing some of those Fish songs !
These are so cute to sing with my grandchildren. Thanks for sharing.
I like your blog