Child Safety: "Phone Number and Address" Song

Help your kids memorize their digits.

Submitted by
Kayla Chong

Teaching kids their phone number can be hard, but for some reason they have no problem memorizing every mind-numbing kids song they've ever heard! Turn their gift of song memorization (and your annoyance) into a teaching trick to help them remember their phone number.

Your kid:
Phone number memorizer extraordinaire.
You:
Songwriter to the stars.
Paper
Pencils

Have the kids help you write down your phone number or, if they're too little to write, write it down for them.
Try to find words that rhyme with the final numbers in the area code, "prefix" and exchange numbers of your phone number. Example: 123-456-7899 can become "One-two-three, sing with me; four-five-six, learn new tricks; seven-eight-nine, you'll be fi-yine."
Let the kids help you try to come up with rhyming words for your numbers. Ask them, "What rhymes with five?" and see how many words they can come up with.
Have them help you think of funny lyrics to your song based on the words and your phone number.
Come up with a tune for your song. It can be as simple as "Happy Birthday" or you can make up a new singsong-y tune, just as long as it's catchy.
If you get stuck, try that classic phone number tune, "Jenny (867-5309)," by Tommy Tutone.
When you've nailed down your masterpiece (it's okay if it takes a few tries, since just talking about it helps your kids remember), sing it over and over until the kids have it memorized.
Bask in its awfulness and use your computer or cell phone to record the kids singing it (to email to Grandma later). Then, just try to get it out of your head.
Go ahead. Try.