This week we have an activity based on numbers and counting. Don't worry, we won't be doing sums or multiplication tables with the group, rather we will be stimulating memory and recall through questions, music and games all centred around how we use numbers in our everyday language and culture.
INTRODUCTION
Start by asking members to think about how we use numbers in our every day life - telling the time, telephone numbers, addresses, handling money etc. Numbers, it would seem, really are important in society!
Have members got a lucky number. Or a number they avoid? (Unlucky thirteen!)
What about members' ages - see if people can guess the youngest member in the group and their age (you could do oldest as well!).
IDIOMS
Complete a few of these well known phrases together, by way of a shout out...
Two's company. Three's a CROWD
A stitch in time saves NINE
Back to square ONE
One for the ROAD
Six feet UNDER
Nine to the DOZEN
Kill two birds with one STONE
Stand on your own two FEET
It takes two to TANGO
Dressed up to the NINES
Be in seventh HEAVEN
At the eleventh HOUR
Feel like a million DOLLARS
At sixes and SEVENS
Between two STOOLS
Catch TWENTY-TWO
On cloud NINE
Fifteen minutes of FAME
Seven year ITCH
The third DEGREE
The whole nine YARDS
Third time LUCKY
Zero TOLERANCE
A bunch of FIVES
Between two STOOLS
Cheap at half the PRICE
BOG OF - Buy One Get One FREE
Counting SHEEP
Double DUTCH
Goody two SHOES
Half HEARTED
Ménage A TROIS
Seven year ITCH
The third DEGREE
The whole nine YARDS
Third time LUCKY
Two heads are better than ONE
Three strikes and you are OUT
FIRST SONG. 'My Lucky Number', Lene Lovich - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pPIGJYeqB8 Go around the room and ask has anyone ever had a decent win on 'The National Lottery', 'The Pools', 'The Grand National', 'Bingo' etc.
What are member's lucky numbers?
If you want something quieter, there's this ...
NUMBER RHYMES
Have a go at saying (or singing) these rhymes from childhood together ... (only if members want to, as some might perceive them to be childish)
One man went to mow, went to mow a meadow
One man and his dog
Went to mow a meadow
Two men went to mow
Went to mow a meadow
Two men, one man and and his dog
Went to mow a meadow
Three men went to mow
Went to mow a meadow
Three men, two men, one man
And his dog
Went to mow a meadow
Four men went to mow
Went to mow a meadow
Four men, three men, two men, one man
And his dog
Went to mow a meadow
Five men went to mow
Went to mow a meadow
Five men, four men, three men, two men, one man
And his dog
Went to mow a meadow
Six men went to mow
Went to mow a meadow
Six men, five men, four men, three men, two men, one man
And his dog
Went to mow a meadow
Seven men went to mow
Went to mow a meadow
Seven men, six men, five men, four men, three men, two men, one man
And his dog
Went to mow a meadow
Eight men went to mow Went to mow a meadow Eight men, Seven men, six men, five men Four men, three men, two men, one man And his dog Went to mow a meadow
Others you could try ...
One, two, buckle my shoe
Three, four, shut the door
Five, six, pick up sticks
Seven, eight, lay them straight
Nine, ten, begin again
There were ten in the bed And the little one said, "Roll over, roll over" So they all rolled over and one fell out
There were nine in the bed And the little one said, "Roll over, roll over" So they all rolled over and one fell out
There were eight in the bed And the little one said, "Roll over, roll over" So they all rolled over and one fell out
There were seven in the bed And the little one said, "Roll over, roll over" So they all rolled over and one fell out
There were six in the bed And the little one said, "Roll over, roll over" So they all rolled over and one fell out
There were five in the bed And the little one said, "Roll over, roll over" So they all rolled over and one fell out
There were four in the bed And the little one said, "Roll over, roll over" So they all rolled over and one fell out
There were three in the bed And the little one said, "Roll over, roll over" So they all rolled over and one fell out
There were two in the bed And the little one said, "Roll over, roll over" So they all rolled over and one fell out
There was one in the bed And the little one said, "Goodnight"
One, Two, Three, Four, Five,
Once I caught a fish alive,
Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten,
Then I threw him back again.
Why did you let him go?
Because he bit my finger so.
Which finger did he bite?
This little finger on my right.
Give lots of clues and prompts to help people get answers right and feel a sense of achievement.
Play some of the songs, as members request, to break it up a little and make it more enjoyable.
 | Who wrote the novel 'And Then There Were None'? & Where was it set? |
 | Complete the saying "One potato ..."? & Which creatures advertised 'Cadbury's Smash? |
 | How many magpies are for a girl? & Can you complete the rhyme? |
 | What are these? & What was their saying? |
 | Name the 'Three Musketeers' and their protege? & What was their saying? |
 | Who wrote the 'Famous Five' novels? & What was their dog's name? |
 | What countries take part in the 'Six Nations' rugby tournament? & What are their emblems? |
 | Name the six wives of Henry V111? & Who survived? |
 | Name the 'Seven Deadly Sins' in 'Dante's Inferno'? & Who were the first man and women, created free of sin? |
 | Which is the only surviving 'Seven Ancient Wonders Of The World'? Can you name any of the others? |
 | Name the lady? & Name her seven dwarves? |
 | Name the eight reindeer in the poem 'The Night Before Christmas'? Who had a red nose? |
 | How many lives does a cat have? & Are black cats lucky or unlucky? |
 | Name the eight (previously nine) planets? & Who composed 'The Planets Suite'? |
 | In the 'Harry Potter' books, from which platform and station did the 'Hogwarts Express' travel from? & Who wrote the books? |
 | Who brought 'The Ten Commandments' down from Mount Sinai? & What were they? |
 | Who lives here? & Name the cat? |
 | What number 'Apollo' mission landed on the moon in 1969? & Name the three astronauts? |
 | How many 'Days Of Christmas' are there in the song? & Can you name the characters? |
 | What are the twelve animals in the 'Chinese Calendar'? & What year are we in now? |
 | How many are there in a 'Baker's Dozen'? & Name as many different types of bread as you can? |
Song break. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbCH5lnZ6sA
What are the 'Twelve Signs Of The Zodiac'?
Can you solve the riddle?
What scale measures the strength of an earthquake?
What scale measures the strength of the wind?
What is a 'doppelgänger'?
(These chaps are not related, they just happened upon each other on board a flight!)
What is a 'double entendre'? (Name the comic actors & the movie?)
Name the TV show, presenter and character? (Can members make the hand signal?)
Name some 'Bingo Lingo' numbers?
Song break. 'Rock Around The Clock', Bill Haley And His Comets (Haley's Comet, get it?) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWkuM2IPbZQ
Name as many different kinds of clockfaces or timepieces as you can?
 | For people with a fear of the number 13, if it lands on which day makes it even worse? & What is this phobia called? |
 | How many pounds are there in a stone? & How many ounces are in a pound? |
 | In the book 'Treasure Island', in the pirates song 'Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum', how many men were there on a dead man's chest? & Who wrote the book? |
 | What is the age at which you can get married in the UK? & What type of wedding would you have if you got married at 'Gretna Green'? |
 | What is the 19th hole of a golf course? & What is a 'Birdy'? |
 | In the children's rhyme 'Sing A Song Of Sixpence', how many blackbirds were baked in the pie? & What was the pre-decimal sixpence coin commonly called? |
 | In money terms, what is a 'monkey'? & What tea did chimps advertise in the 1970s? |
 | How many years does a 'Pearl Wedding Anniversary' celebrate? & What about a 'Golden' one? |
 | At what speed (rpm) would you play a vinyl album? & What was the speed for a single? |
 | What is normal body temperature? & Which dangerous metal was used in the now banned thermometers? |
 | In the 'Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy', what was the answer to "life, the universe and everything"? & Can you name the robot? |
 | Excluding jokers, how many cards are there in a deck of playing cards? & What are the four suits? |
 | What was the 'Love Bug's' name? & What type of car was it? |
 | How many varieties are there on every 'Heinz' tin? & What was the advertising slogan of this product? |
 | How many trombones are there in the 'Big Parade'? & Who is this? |
 | In the good old days, what number did we call to speak to the Operator? & What is the number for the emergency services? |
 | In the well known story, how many Dalmatians were there? & What was the name of the villain (and who is this playing her)? |
 | In a game of 'Monopoly', how much do you get when you pass 'Go'? & How much is it to get out of jail? |
 | At what number house did Sherlock Holmes live? & On what London street was it on? |
 | In the well known saying, how many words is a picture worth? & Can you name this painting? |
 | In the well known saying, how many miles would you walk for one of his smiles? & Who is this? |
Music Round
'ABC', The Jackson 5 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-aSjHnbw18 What is the letter Q worth in a game of Scrabble?
'The Twelfth Of Never', Donny Osmond - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLbzwnRAIJk
His brother Jimmie had a number 1 hit in 1972 with what title?
'Mambo No. 5', Lou Bega - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EK_LN3XEcnw
What country is the Mambo dance from?
'Knock Three Times', Tony Orlando and Dawn - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjGhO4B923Y
What was their other hit single about a bow of coloured silk?
'Three Little Birds', Bob Marley & The Wailers - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNBCVM4KbUM
What album did this song appear on which is named after a book of 'The Old Testament'?
'Three Steps To Heaven', Showaddywaddy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaVSkh5Hy-U Which artist originally had a hit with this song?
'Eight Days A Week', The Beatles - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kle2xHhRHg4
In 'The Book Of Genesis', what did God do on each of the 'Seven Days Of Creation'?
'50 Ways To Leave Your Lover', Paul Simon - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABXtWqmArUU
Who was his former singing partner?
'At Seventeen', Janis Ian - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k39P2MK6WPo What is another name for the card game 'Solitaire'?
'Eight Miles High', The Byrds - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yObr7b96-Z4 What was the fastest passenger jet in service?
'9 to 5', Dolly Parton - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbxUSsFXYo4
What sized breasts has this legendary country singer had insured for $600,000? (She's quite open and proud about it, so I think this is an okay question!)
'When I'm 64', The Beatles - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTgbWmaxu5s
How old is Sir Paul McCartney?
Practical Activity Suggestions
You could play some number games?
Or have a singalong?
Agatha Christie / Bigbury Island, Devon
One potato, two potato, three potato, four. Five potato, six potato, seven potato more. One potato, two potato, three potato, four. I like mashed potato, can I have some more?
One for sorrow,
Two for joy,
Three for a girl,
Four for a boy,
Five for silver,
Six for gold,
Seven for a secret,
Never to be told.
Eight for a wish,
Nine for a kiss,
Ten for a bird,
You must not miss.
Here is the TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDNoSi1vbE0
Three Wise Monkeys
"See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil."
Athos, Porthos, and Aramis
& D'artagnan
Enid Blyton
Timmy
Scotland - Thistle
Italy - Badge
Ireland - Shamrock
Wales - Prince Of Wales Feathers
England - Rose
France - Cockerel
King Henry VIII,
To six wives he was wedded.
One died, one survived,
Two divorced, two beheaded.
Boleyn and Howard lost their heads,
Anne of Cleves he would not bed,
Jane Seymour gave him a son - but died before the week was done,
Aragon he did divorce,
Which just left Catherine Parr, of course!
Envy, Gluttony, Greed or Avarice, Lust, Pride, Sloth & Wrath
Adam & Eve
'The Great Pyramid Of Giza' The others were 'The Colossus Of Rhodes', 'The Hanging Gardens Of Babylon', 'The Lighthouse Of Alexandria', 'The Mausoleum At Halicarnassus', 'The Statue Of Zeus At Olympia' & 'The Temple Of Artemis At Ephesus'
Snow White
Doc, Sleepy, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Bashful and Sneezy
Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dunder and Blixem
Rudolf
Nine
Unlucky, which is why so many black cats need re-homing
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Mercury is closest to the Sun. Neptune is the farthest. Pluto is no loner considered a planet
Gustav Holst
Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station
J.K. Rowling
Moses (Charlton Heston) /
Thou shalt have no other gods before me
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain
Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy
Honour thy father and thy mother
Thou shalt not kill
Thou shalt not commit adultery
Thou shalt not steal
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour
Thou shalt not covet any thing that is thy neighbour's
Rishi Sunak
Larry
'Apollo 11' / 'The Eagle'
Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin & Michael Collins
Twelve /
On the twelfth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Twelve drummers drumming,
Eleven pipers piping,
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves
And a partridge in a pear tree.
Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig
2023 is 'Year Of The Rabbit'
Thirteen
Bloomer, Tin, French stick, Hovis, Tiger, Brioche, Pizza etc
Fire Signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Earth Signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Air Signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Water Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
One man was going to St Ives. He saw the others on his way there
Richter Scale
Beaufort Scale
Double
Double meaning (usually rude) / Hattie Jaques & Kenneth Williams / 'Carry On Camping'
'321' / Ted Rogers / Dusty Bin
'Kelly's Eye' is number one. Here are the others https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_bingo_nicknames
Grandfather, Cuckoo, Wrist watch, Fob watch, Sun dial, Carriage clock etc
Friday
Triskaidekaphobia
There are 14 pounds in a stone
There are 16 ounces in a pound
Fifteen men on a dead man's chest. Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!
Drink and the devil had done be the rest. Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!
Robert Louis Stephenson
18 years old
A quickie
The bar
One under par
Sing a song of sixpence a pocket full of rye,
Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie. (=24)
When the pie was opened the birds began to sing,
Oh wasn't that a dainty dish to set before the king?
The king was in his counting house counting out his money,
The queen was in the parlour eating bread and honey
The maid was in the garden hanging out the clothes,
When down came a blackbird and pecked off her nose!
Tanner
£25
'PG Tips'
30 years
50 years
33 rpm
45 rpm
37 degrees celsius
Mercury
42
Marvin the paranoid android
52
Spades, Clubs, Hearts & Diamonds
'Herbie'
Volkswagen Beetle
57 varieties
"Beans means Heinz"
76 trombones
Louis Armstrong (Sachmo)
100 operator
999 emergency services
101 Dalmatians
Cruella de ville / Glenn Close
£200 pass 'Go'
£50 to get out of jail
221B
Baker Street
1,000 words
'Mona Lisa' by Leonardo Da Vinci
A million
Robert Redford
Q is worth 10 points
'Long Haired Lover From Liverpool'
Cuba
'Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree'
'Exodus'
Eddie Cochran
Day 1 - Night And Day
Day 2 - Sky And Sea
Day 3 - Land And Vegetation
Day 4 - Stars, Sun And Moon
Day 5 - Sea Creatures Including Fish And Birds
Day 6 - Animals And Mankind
Day 7 - God Rested
Art Garfunkel
Patience
Concorde (Which Flew At Mach 2.02 Or 1,354 mph)
36DD
81 years
SOME EXTRA MUSIC FOR A DANCE
Just play those which you have time for, or which members request.
'Three Is The Magic Number', De La Soul - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZoYEr6NdmE
'Pennsylvania 6-5000', Glen Miller & His Orchestra - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_muFwwTSMs
'Take Five', The Dave Brubeck Quartet - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmDDOFXSgAs
What lead instrument is being played on this song? SAXOPHONE
(This last song takes the session nicely into a break.)
