Ten Green Bottles

by Anonymous

Ten Green Bottles is a popular counting-down game in the United Kingdom, and can be sung to the same tune as the popular American drinking song, "NInety-Nine bottles of beer on the wall." For Pre-K learners, starting with 10 rather than 99, and avoiding a song involving alcohol, makes good sense to us!

An illustration for the story Ten Green Bottles by the author Anonymous

Ten green bottles hanging on the wall
Ten green bottles hanging on the wall
And if one green bottle should accidentally fall,
There'll be nine green bottles hanging on the wall.

[Repeat the lyrics, counting down one bottle at a time, 
until the number of bottles reaches one, and then sing:]

One green bottle hanging on the wall,
One green bottle hanging on the wall,
And if that green bottle should accidentally fall,
There'll be no more bottles hanging on the wall.

Adapt the song to start with a higher number as your child learns to count higher. For example, change it to "20 Green Bottles," then "50 Green Bottles," etc. and count down from there. Then the song becomes an in-the-car game and will take longer to pass the time!

If you enjoyed this counting song, you might also like One, Two, Buckle My Shoe. Explore more Pre-K Wordplay!