Download the words of the song:
♦ One Potato, Two Potato Song
One Potato, Two Potato
Languages: English, French
Ressource Type: song, nursery rhyme
Theme: numbers
Age-range: infant-preschool, 3 – 7 years
“One Potato, Two Potato” is a children’s counting-out game that was first recorded 1885 in Canada. The rhyme was widely popular in England in the mid-20h century. Although “One Potato, Two Potato” is recited all over the English speaking world, it’s especially loved in Ireland given the importance of potatoes in Irish cuisine.
“One Potato, Two Potato” is the perfect song for practicing numbers. Through this counting-out game, the students can memorize the numbers and familiar to the plural form. There are a few versions in Youtube.
When we sing the song, all of the kids put our their two fists. One kid goes around tapping the other kids’ fists with his fist. The one whose fist he ends the rhyme on is out (that kid puts that fist behind his back). Then go around again and again until only one fist is left. The one that is left at the end of all the rounds is “It”.
English version:
One Potato, Two Potato
One potato, two potato,
Three potato, four,
Five potato, six potato,
Seven potato, more!
French Translation:
Une patate, deux patates
Une patate, deux patates,
Trois patates, quatre,
Cinq patates, six patates,
Sept patates, encore !
Culture and Vocabulary:
- numbers one to seven: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
- potato, more.
Grammar:
- plural (potato/potatoes).
Phonology:
- letter “P” of “Potato”.
- “four” and “more”.
- accentuation of the word /‘ potato’/.
- pronunciation of numbers one /wʌn/, two /tuː/, three /θɹiː/, four /fɔː/, five /faɪv/, six /ˈsɪks/, seven /ˈsɛvən/.
Teaching suggestions:
- learn numbers.
- replace the name “potato” with another three syllable word.
- listen to the music “Let’s call the whole thing off” by Ella Fitzgerald.
“One Potato, Two Potato” Flashcards:
Download the Flashcards:
♦ One Potato, Two Potato Flashcards
Videos of the song “One Potato, Two Potato” in English:
This footage was filmed in London in 1957 and shows a group of boys performing the well-known counting out rhyme ‘One Potato, Two Potato’.
Video of the song “One Potato, Two Potato” in French:
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