Counting Out Chant · Elementary Music · Grades PreK–6
Full lyrics, how to use this counting out chant, and a step-by-step teaching guide for elementary music class. Also known as Diggy Diggy Diamond — every name and spelling covered.
All names & spellings
This song goes by many names — all of these refer to the same game.
Complete lyrics
About this chant
Doggy Doggy Diamond is a quick, punchy counting out chant that was very popular among third graders in New York City around 2010. Students sometimes chanted it as "diggy diggy diamond," which is easier to say quickly at tempo. It's an interesting example of a counting out chant that, unusually, does not rhyme.
From a musical standpoint the chant is deceptively rich. With only four measures and no pick-ups, it's an ideal vehicle for teaching 2/4 time. The rhythm is identical in each line, making it one of the best chants for introducing tiri-tiri (four sixteenths) — students hear and feel the pattern before they ever see it on a page. And the chant's crisp AA form makes it a clear, memorable example of musical structure.
"The rhythm is identical in each line, which makes it perfect for tiri-tiri. Students can feel it immediately — and that's the whole point."
— Deborah Skydell Pasternack, The Singing ClassroomThe chant also layers beautifully with other counting out chants. Try combining it with "Red White and Blue" or "As I Was Walking Down the Lake" — divide the class into groups and have each group perform a different chant on percussion instruments simultaneously.
It's short, it's fast, and it works from PreK through 6th grade. Teachers can use it to line up students, move them to instruments, or simply as a warm-up chant to establish steady beat.
Teaching guide
The chant is short enough that most classes have it in two or three echo repetitions. The real teaching happens in what comes next — how you set up the circle, how you manage the pointing, when to introduce the tiri-tiri connection, and how to layer it with other chants for upper grades.
Deborah's full teaching demonstration covers all of it, with real students. You'll see exactly how the activity runs from start to finish — including the moments that catch teachers off guard the first time.
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By grade level
Focus on learning the words and keeping a steady beat. Use the counting out format to practice taking turns and following directions. The chant's brevity means even the youngest students can master it quickly.
Use the chant to introduce or reinforce tiri-tiri (four sixteenths) and 2/4 time. The identical rhythm in each line makes the pattern easy to hear and feel. Explore the AA form and discuss what makes it a chant rather than a song.
Layer Doggy Doggy Diamond with other counting out chants on percussion instruments. Older students can notate the rhythm, analyze the form, and discuss the chant's origins and why it doesn't rhyme — an unusual feature for a playground chant.
What teachers say
"Doggy Doggy Diamond is my go-to for moving students to instruments. It's quick, it's fair, and by the end of the year every student has it memorized. They love chanting it."
"I use this to introduce tiri-tiri every year. Because the rhythm is the same in both lines, students hear the pattern over and over without getting bored. It just clicks."
"Layering this with 'Red White and Blue' on percussion instruments is one of my students' favorite activities. The result sounds so much more complex than either chant alone."
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See teaching guide →Common questions
Yes — Diggy Diggy Diamond is simply a faster, easier-to-say version of the same chant. Like many playground chants, it spread through oral tradition and picked up slight variations along the way. The words, rhythm, and counting out mechanic are the same in both versions.
Doggy Doggy Diamond works from PreK all the way through 6th grade. Younger students use it as a simple counting out chant and to practice steady beat. Older students can work with it to learn tiri-tiri (four sixteenths), analyze the AA form, explore 2/4 time, and layer it with other counting out chants on percussion instruments.
That's one of the things that makes Doggy Doggy Diamond unusual among counting out chants — most of them rhyme. "Step right in" and "step right out" don't rhyme, which makes it a great discussion point with older students: does a chant need to rhyme? What holds it together if not rhyme? The answer, of course, is rhythm — the identical tiri-tiri pattern in each line gives it all the cohesion it needs.
Shorten the chant to just "doggy doggy diamond step right out" and have students stand in a line or circle. Point to one student per beat. Whoever lands on "out" goes directly to an instrument. Repeat until all students are seated. It's fast, fair, and musical — much better than calling names or going in row order.
The real problem
Every teacher knows this feeling. You find a song, try it on Monday, and something goes sideways — the kids don't engage, you're not sure how to introduce it, the lesson loses momentum. It's not that the song was wrong. You just didn't have a clear picture of how it actually goes.
That's what makes The Singing Classroom different. Every song in the library — including this one — has a full video of Deborah teaching it with real students. You don't have to guess how to introduce it, how to structure the activity, or how to handle the tricky moments. You watch it. Then you teach it.
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Watch Deborah demonstrate how to teach Doggy Doggy Diamond — plus access 150+ folk songs and singing games for elementary music.
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