Five Little Monkeys is a counting song that helps to teach numbers, similar to Five Little Ducks and Alice the Camel. In the rhyme, the five monkeys are all jumping on the bed until one of them gets hurt. The doctor has to be called and the monkeys are reprimanded for their behavior.
A series of Five Little Monkeys books by Eileen Christelow helped to make the nursery rhyme more widely known in the late 1980s, but the author acknowledges the fact she wasn’t the original creator. No one knows who wrote the song and lyrics, but it bears a strong resemblance to the plantation song of the late 19th century, Shortnin’ Bread.
The gestures that accompany Five Little Monkeys are quite boisterous and children will enjoy jumping up and down like little monkeys, whilst repeating the rhyme over and over again. It’s certainly wise to play this game on the floor rather than recreating it by jumping on your bed together!
Five Little Monkeys Lyrics
Five little monkeys jumping on the bed,
One fell down and bumped his head,
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
No more monkeys jumping on the bed!
Four little monkeys jumping on the bed,
One fell down and bumped his head,
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
No more monkeys jumping on the bed!
Three little monkeys jumping on the bed,
One fell down and bumped her head,
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
No more monkeys jumping on the bed!
Two little monkeys jumping on the bed,
One fell down and bumped his head,
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
No more monkeys jumping on the bed!
One little monkey jumping on the bed,
She fell down and bumped her head,
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,
Put those monkeys back to bed!
Five Little Monkeys Music Sheet
