Use your knuckles to figure out how many days are in a month. This knuckle trick is so easy, even young children can learn it. It’s so much simpler than remembering that rhyme!
I don’t know about you, but as a kid I could never remember the rhyme that helps you remember how many days there are in a month. I was good with the first line, but I couldn’t keep the rest of the rhyme straight.
How Many Days in a Month Rhyme:
Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November;
All the rest have thirty-one, Excepting February alone,
And that has twenty-eight days clear, and twenty-nine in each leap year.
It’s so much easier to just tap your knuckles!
In this post, I’ll show you how you can tap your knuckles and the dips in between them while reciting the months in order. Where you tap (either on the knuckle or in the dip) as you say the month’s name will indicate whether the month has 30 or 31 days.
I learned this trick more than 40 years ago, and I still use it to this day when I can’t remember how many days there are in a particular month.
Use the knuckle trick to remember which months have 30 or 31 days!
Ok, so your kids probably know how many days are in a year (365), and how many months are in a year (12). Now it’s time to teach them how to remember how many days are in a month, but that depends on which month you’re talking about of course.
Easy way to remember how many days are in a month.
The trick I’m about to show you is such an easy way to remember which months have 30 days and which months have 31!
You’re going to love this! Your kids are going to love this! Your friends are going to love this.
Ready?
Make a fist:
Your fist can either face toward you or away from you. For the sake of the photos, we have it facing us, because between you and me, the photo of my son’s fist facing away from the camera made it look like he had a mutant toad hand. HA!
Tap your knuckles and the wells in between:
All you do is tap each of your knuckles, and the wells in between, while reciting the months of the year.
You’ll start with the first knuckle and work your way to the knuckle on your baby finger.
When you get to the last knuckle, go back to the first knuckle, and continue reciting.
Your knuckles, which are higher up than the wells in between, represent the months with 31 days. Get it? Higher up = higher number of days.
The wells in between your knuckles represent the months with 30 days (lower down = lower number of days).
All you really have to remember is that February only has 28 days (or 29 in a leap year).
That’s a lot easier to remember than that silly old rhyme, don’t you think? 🙂
More simple tips and tricks to simplify your life:
30 Time-Saving Tricks and Tips for the Home
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Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.
critters and crayons (@critterscrayons)
I love your photo! Do you know what? I use that trick all the time!!!!!
happyhooligans
I still use it a lot too! You would think we’d have memorized it by now, wouldn’t you? lol
Cynthia
This was how my parents taught me to remember the number of days per month!!
Tasha
Hahaha this is awesome! After trying this I will never forget which months have 31 days! Very cool! Thanks for sharing;)
coffeewithjulie
Oh! I love that you did this! I do recall a looonnggg time ago that someone told me there was a trick, but I could remember what it was, let alone be able to teach it to my kids! Great post!
Tasha
Haha this is awesome! I could never remember for the life of me. After trying this I will never forget which months have 31 days! Very cool! Thanks for sharing;)
Inspired by Family
Love it! I am sad to say I am always asking my husband but never thought of asking him how he remembers. He probably uses this same trick.
Hollie
I taught that same trick to my daughter who is now 15 years old, the good tricks are always the good tricks!
Kimberly @ LearnCreateLove
I still forget which months have 30/31 days and never thought to use my knuckles. This is genius! Thanks for sharing. =)
jen
Genius!
nie
I’m so thankful for this tricks..now I know the simplest to recall the months has 31 n 30..awesome..
Jani
Now all I need to remember is how this trick goes again?
Donna Duritza
awesome
Jo
I taught this to my Miss last week and she loves it! I also taught her the finger trick for multiplying by 9. I think shes the only 5 year old I know that can do her 9 times table! But she loves it!
Lynsy Jaymes
So really… It’s just every other month? 30 then 31 then 30 etc.. I didn’t realise that.
Lynsy Jaymes
Oh wait no that’s not right lol because August starts on 31 again after July having 31. Sorryyyyy
Kate Goss
Thanks for sharing this! Can’t wait to teach the kiddos!
Hani Shabbir
Awesome.. Super easy for kids to remember!
Helen Murchison
After going back to school at the age of 50, I found myself still having a hard time remembering the days in a month. My grandson told me about this trick. He said that I taught it to him some time ago but for the life of me, I can’t remember that. lol
Sebastian
1992 was the first leap year in my life. Anyway, I like leap years.
Lady Lilith
Neat trick. I will have to share this one. So many of the kdis I work with can really benifit. Thanks for sharing.
Theresa
I am glad I am not the only one who has trouble remembering the rest of that rhyme. I always ask my Mom who is a retired elementary school teacher (and remembers it). This is a great alternative and a great way to visualize it. Thank you!
Julie
I’m 63 and was taught this in school!
Lisa @ Fun Money Mom
Wow…I never heard of this. What a great trick! Also, I had to laugh when you talked about your hand looking old on camera. I tried holding food in my recipe photos and didn’t even like the way my fingers looked…LOL!
Ry
Neat trick. Though it makes me realize it’s simply every other month through July, then starts again with August,
Nick
One of the best trick i have ever learned. Thanks
Von
Very helpful! I don’t want to bother memorizing the “silly old rhyme” and I really like this method. Thank you for sharing this trick!