Winter can be a crazy time in the elementary music room. These elementary music Winter games will help get you to the finish line.
Hello readers! It’s the holiday season, and I’ve got some of my favorite holiday listening and movement activities for elementary music class listed for you. These are tried and true activities that I use every year with my students and they have always been a big hit. I’ve even been able to use them this […]
Teaching Vivaldi's winter? Check out this post for ways to incorporate other subjects and a popular song your kids will absolutely love!
These holiday music games and activities include everything you need for a successful holiday party or group lesson. Free games and resources included!
Need a book based music lesson? Try The Snowy Day music lesson to teach your kindergarten or 1st grade about rhythm!
January teaching tips for the elementary music education classroom. Kickstart the new year with these fun lessons and management ideas.
Looking for a fun activity for older students? This 12 Days of Christmas lesson is the answer! It includes movement, singing, coloring, and writing!
Here's a super simple circle dance to a klezmer tune that you can use any time of year!
Bring Winter to the Music Room. Organized Chaos. Lesson ideas, books with music lessons, manipulatives, and more ways to incorporate a winter theme in the elementary music room!
I'm having a hard time believing that it's December!!! First, we went to Disneyworld for Thanksgiving so it doesn't feel to me like we've had that holiday yet. Second, it's SO WARM here in Colorado. In fact, many of the days that we were in Florida it was hotter here at home! But, the show must go on and I must accept this is actually December, right?!! So, I'm teaming up with my friend Aileen Miracle of Mrs. Miracle's Music room to share some things we're doing in our classroom this month. I do have some traditions that I do in my class every year that I love to keep from year to year and I thought I would share some of them with you, as well as some of the new things we're doing this year. The first is the holiday version of Bow, Wow, Wow, called Ho Ho Ho. If you don't know the song or dance, it's really sweet and the kiddos eat it up! Formation: single circle, with all students facing a partner. Action: Phrase 1: pat partner's hands three times (on the text, "Ho, ho, ho!" Phrase 2: pretend to be looking at Santa Claus Phrase 3: trade place with partner (I have them place their hands on each other's hands or hold hand. Phrase 4: pat partner's hands three times and jump a half-turn on the rest so that they are facing a new partner. I love doing this with my first graders and I've also done it with my kinders, as well as my 2nd graders (for 2nd grade it's a great prep for re in that nice descending line of mi-re-do at the end. For the firsties, it's great for rhythm and for my kinders it gets them up and moving in a single circle with partners. With the kinders I start with one partner and model the dance as the rest of the class sits down. Then we add the jump turn at the end. With that the student that was my partner and I both have a new partner. This cumulatively goes until the whole class is up and moving. If there's an even number of students I set out so that they all have a partner. The next activity that I LOVE teaching my students each year are the dances to Jingle Bells. Here are my 5th graders from last year performing a concentric circle dance: I also do a dance with my littler students that is very similar, using a parachute. They all hold onto the outside of the parachute. On the verses they go with their right foot "heel, toe, heel, toe- slide, slide, slide slide (to the right)." Then they do the same thing to the left and then repeat the whole sequence. On the chorus, they touch their toes three times, touch their knees three times, touch their waist three times (all while holding onto the parachute), then lift the parachute over their head. I call a color and students holding that color turn in place. As they get better at it I do let them run under the parachute and switch places with the person across from them. Speaking of parachute, here's another activity that I do with the Trepak from The Nutcracker: We've been known to throw plush snowballs and other fun things on the parachute and bounce them off... it's great fun! To keep students reading, writing and practicing I'm diving into a few of my sets. Here's my 2nd graders reading "Reindeer Flying Lesson" PDF from this set, while adding body percussion and movement: And here's my 3rd graders practicing ti-tika via part work with my Nutcracker Rhythms Game that is in my Christmas Around the World set: Speaking of the Christmas Songs Around the World, we were using some of the games and songs from that set today when my 5th graders recalled learning "Caga Tio" last year and they got the biggest kick out of it. If you don't know, it's a Catalonian song in which the children feed the Yule long nugget and cover it with a blanket during the holidays and on Christmas Eve they sing a song while they strike the log with a stick. If they did a good job taking care of the log, feeding it and keeping it warm with the blanket, the log will have "pooed" gifts, which are left under the blanket. There's actually a recording of Nora Jones singing this song. The boys think this video is a riot! And then you really have to watch this little, they're singing a different version of the song: And with Star Wars coming out with a new movie we're also doing RHYTHM WARS!!! My kids LOVE these and I know they are as excited as me about the new movie: My son and I actually have tickets to go see it on December 14th, the night before it opens. We think we're pretty cool, lol! I hope that December brings you a lot of joy and good times in your classroom! If you're looking for some easy, fun go to games, check out my Reindeer games: And you want to make planning easy, grab this set that has games for the whole year round! Have a GREAT week everyone!
How am I going to pull together some no stress New Year music class lessons? I definitely don’t want to have stress, but I do need music class lessons.
Although it’s the end of December-Here are some winter creative movement activities for children you can use in January.
Looking for a good Christmas game for your elementary music class? My second graders and third graders have been loving Oh Christmas Tree!
Celebrate the season with these 5 Christmas Music Games! Review notes, rhythms, key names, chords and more.
Brrrr, even when it’s cold outside preschool music classes keep things cozy and warm. This winter-themed preschool music lesson plan captures all of the best parts of winter – snow, snowmen, penguins, hot chocolate and even hibernating bears. Click here to purchase the lesson plan. This lesson plan was designed for a movement-based preschool music ... Read More about Winter-Themed Lesson Plan For Preschool Music Classes
A few weeks ago, I shared a musical experience I created called The Noun Rap. I designed it for the 3rd, 4th & 5th grade students I work with at Children’s Resources Educational Center. I figured, hey, if they have to learn about nouns, why not at least make it cool? (You can listen to […]
I know! It’s the day after Christmas and I don’t even want to think about lesson plans or the piles of things waiting for me to do after the break. But I’ve created an easy snowman activity for you to use that first week back to school. It’s my way of wishing you Happy Holidays […]
Organized Chaos: helping music teachers embrace the chaos of creativity through purposeful organization and simple ideas!
Bring Joy to Music Education This Season! Get your students excited about music theory with a Winter Holiday Music Theory Coloring Worksheet! Designed specifically for elementary music classes, this engaging worksheet combines creativity with essential music concepts, making it the perfect addition to your lesson plans. Key Features: -Interactive Learning: Students can color in areas with eighth, quarter, half, and whole notes, along with quarter rests, turning music theory into a fun and accessible activity! -Festive Theme: Celebrate the season with this holiday-themed design that inspires joy and creativity while reinforcing musical concepts. -Perfect for All Levels: Suitable for beginner and intermediate students, this worksheet is ideal for classrooms, private lessons, or group activities. -Easy to Use: Simply print and distribute—no prep time required! It’s perfect for busy days leading up to the holidays or as a reliable resource for sub plans. Why Choose This Worksheet? This unique blend of art and music theory not only enhances understanding but also keeps students engaged during the winter months. It’s an excellent option for substitute teachers, allowing for seamless transitions in your absence. Use it as a calming classroom activity or a festive homework assignment. Watch as your students’ knowledge of note values and rhythms flourishes while they express their creativity! Make music education merry and bright this winter—order your Winter Holiday Music Theory Coloring Worksheet today!
Christmas music activity ideas for your elementary music lesson plans. Christmas music lessons to engage your elementary students before the holiday break.
If you're teaching treble clef or soflege in elementary music, you'll want to use this free winter music lesson-- snowball fight composition!
Jingle in the spirit of Christmas -- the perfect winter holiday activity for your students! Whether you're planning a general music lesson, class Christmas party, class gift reward, snowy indoor recess activity, whole class reward incentive, Fun Friday, or simply seeking an engaging and educational activity, this bingo game is designed to ring in the season of snow! Enjoy carols about snow, reindeer, Santa, the Grinch, jingle bells, gifts, Christmas trees, sleigh rides, December, and Frosty the Snowman – complete with a bonus curated Spotify Playlist! Featuring a diverse selection of popular songs and musical genres to motivate and encourage, this game is perfect for both elementary and secondary students to celebrate a Feliz Navidad. ✨ Bundle & Save BIG! This resource is included in these bundles: Music Bingo MEGA BUNDLE Music Bingo Holidays + Seasons Bundle The entire Christmas Collection Bundle ✨ This set includes 50 colorful bingo cards that are ready to print and laminate for years of use. The Spotify playlist is also included, so all you need to do is click the link, press shuffle + play, and watch your students mark off the songs they hear on their bingo cards. With an instruction sheet included, this game is quick and easy to set up, so you can spend more time playing and less time preparing. Great for winter, holiday, and Christmas season sub plans, too! Wondering what's on this Christmas Music Bingo playlist? Check out the preview! Hook your students' interest and engagement with this fun, printable, Christmas music game! Students can even work with a partner or a group as a team building activity. ✨ Product highlights ✨ 50 colorful OR black & white bingo cards Ready to print with the option to laminate for years of use Bonus Spotify playlist included Perfect fun and engaging December and Christmas carol season music activity for elementary or secondary music class Great for general music lessons, class Christmas parties, Fun Friday, indoor recess, and team building fun Quick and easy option for December and winter music sub plans Need more Christmas Music fun? Be sure to add Christmas Music Bingo, Volume 2 to your cart! ✨ Q: Do I need Spotify to use this product? A: This product includes a specific playlist curated on Spotify for your convenience. You will need a Spotify account to access these playlists. Don't worry, creating a Spotify account is easy and free! Once you have an account, you can access the playlists directly on your web browser or download the Spotify app to your computer or phone. While using the Spotify playlist is the most convenient option, I understand that not everyone may have access to Spotify or prefer using it. If you choose not to use Spotify, you can still enjoy the product by compiling your own collection of these songs using platforms like YouTube, which is also free. Please note that if you opt for the free Spotify account, you may encounter occasional ads. Simply mute the ads when they appear and then resume gameplay. Spotify premium accounts are ad-free. Whether you choose to use my ready-made Spotify playlist or create your own collection, Christmas Music Bingo guarantees an exciting and engaging musical experience for everyone! Looking for more bingo fun? COMBINE + SAVE! Celebrate all year long with this growing bundle of Music Bingo games! ALL FUTURE bingo games and updates will be available to you for FREE. Back to School Music Bingo: Perfect fall icebreaker game! Halloween Music Bingo: Spooky classroom party fun! ✨Christmas Music Bingo VOLUME 2: Back by popular demand, more Christmas carol fun!✨ Harvest Harmony Bingo: Your new favorite Thanksgiving activity! Spring Music Bingo: Click, print, and play! Summer Music Bingo: Party and celebrate sunny weather! ✅ Follow my store to stay updated on the newest products and remember to leave a review to receive TPT credit on future purchases!
Enjoy today's 15-Minute Music Lesson for Wintertime and study "Winter" by Vivaldi along with "Let it Go" from Frozen. Link to free printable, etc.
Happy New Year! I am super excited to share my new music freebie with you! It's the best music snowball game ever and it's a really easy activity for your first day back to school. I created thi
Students will stroll through this fun songbook of 6 progressively more challenging winter songs for recorder, barred Orff instruments, or even boomwhackers, all as they earn snowflakes for each song they master. This is a wonderful long-term assignment for students in upper elementary music in the months of December or January- a perfect addition to a seasonal unit featuring holiday materials... or even your winter concert! The teacher will use the Google Slides to teach the whole class each song, either by teaching by rote and singing them, or by sight-reading them. Then, students will use the prepped songbooks to begin learning the songs (keys of C, G, and F included). They can learn in stations/centers, as a whole class, or at their own pace. When they have mastered a song, the teacher will determine the criteria for earning a snowflake on their Snowflake Trackers. Grade level: Grades 3-5 Product Includes: Slides of the 6 songs in the keys of C, G, and F Student Songbook: title page, song list, Snowflake Tracker, and the 6 songs: Song 1 - Sol Mi Song 2 - Sol Mi La Song 3 - Mi Re Do Song 4 - La' Mi Re Song 5 - La' Do Re Mi Song 6 - Sol' La' Do Re Mi Teacher Guide - how to prep use the activity Ways to use: Explicit whole class teaching Small group assignment Individual assignment Assessment Christmas/Winter/December/January (there is NO mention of Christmas or any holiday) Sub plan (6 songs = 6+ days) Non-music sub friendly Centers or stations Performance material/Concert repertoire
Now that winter is upon us, it's a good time to share ideas on how to incorporate Vivaldi's Winter into your classroom.
Fun Holiday music and movement activities for complete music lessons in grades K-3. Holiday music activities for the elementary music classroom.