Music and learning go hand in hand. It’s no coincidence that pneumonic devices tend to be set to tunes or that kid shows are full of songs. Rhythm and rhyme help get and keep children’s attention, and those catchy tunes will keep them thinking about subjects all day long. Music activities for toddlers are incredibly versatile and can be applied to any subject, from story-telling songs to chants about math. Children can even get energy out with music and movement activities for preschoolers. The possibilities are endless!
Music and learning go hand in hand. It’s no coincidence that pneumonic devices tend to be set to tunes or that kid shows are full of songs. Rhythm and rhyme help get and keep children’s attention, and those catchy tunes will keep them thinking about subjects all day long. Music activities for toddlers are incredibly versatile and can be applied to any subject, from story-telling songs to chants about math. Children can even get energy out with music and movement activities for preschoolers. The possibilities are endless!
Though it can sometimes be difficult to find music lesson plans for toddlers in standard curriculums, there are plenty of books that offer musical options for the classroom. One such book is Abigail Connors’ Shake, Rattle, and Roll: Rhythm Instruments and More for Active Learning. Below are a few activities from this exciting book that’ll get children, and their brains, up and dancing!
Simon Says “Tap!”
Instruments: Tapping sticks
Activity:
- Either play the traditional way (occasionally leaving out Simon says and eliminating players) or make it easier by always saying “Simon says”
- Direct the children to hit their sticks in certain ways, such as:
- Tap your sticks together
- Scrape your sticks
- Tap your sticks on the floor
- Tap your left stick on the floor
- Roll your sticks
- Tap your shoes
Jingle All Around
Instrument: Bells
Activity:
1. Jingle the bells according to the directions of the song (to the tune of “Merrily We Roll Along”
Jingle high and jingle low (shake the bells up high and then down low)
Jingle high, jingle low
Jingle high and jingle low
And jingle all around (make a circle in the air with the bells)
Jingle hear and jingle there (shake bells on one side of your body and then the other)
Jingle here, jingle there
Jingle here and jingle there
And jingle all around
Jingle fast and jingle slow (shake the bells quickly and then slowly)
Jingle fast, jingle slow
Jingle fast and jingle slow
And jingle all around
2. Ask the children if they know any other words that are opposites that they can do with the bells
Old MacDonald’s Bugs
Instrument: Your voice
Activity:
1. Choose two children to be the bugs in each verse. They will act out their parts in the middle of the circle while the class sings to the tune of “Old MacDonald:”
Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O
And on that farm he had some grasshoppers, E-I-E-I-O
With a hop hop here, and a hop hop there
Here a hop, there a hop, everywhere a hop hop
Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O
Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O
And on that farm he had some flies, E-I-E-I-O
With a fly fly here, and a fly fly there
Here a fly, there a fly, everywhere a fly fly
Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O
Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O
And on that farm he had some worms, E-I-E-I-O
With a wiggle wiggle here, and a wiggle wiggle there
Here a wiggle, there a wiggle, everywhere a wiggle wiggle
Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O
Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O
And on that farm he had some mosquitos, E-I-E-I-O
With a bite bite here, and a bite bite there
Here a bite, there a bite, everywhere a bite bite
Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O
2. Ask the students how they think the bug would move and let them make up the movements on their own
