Originally published July 8, 2022 Latest Update August 8, 2026
Here are some tried, true, and new beginning of the year elementary music activities including name games, singing games, and music activities all integrated with routines and procedures.
You’re a new teacher, new to elementary, or ready to freshen up your day and week-1 elementary music activities. You’re nervous about getting started on the right foot. You don’t want to do too much talking but make expectations clear. Here are the details for that perfect purposeful play!
Beginning of the Year Activities That Work
You want your beginning-of-the-year music activities to be that perfect combination of fun and learning while teaching routines and expectations. Here you’ll find some name games and activities that will have your students interacting on the very first day in music class.
Here’s a plan that worked for me year after year and is the perfect example of- “Variety is the spice of life.”
Elementary Music Lesson Plan for First Day of School
This lesson plan for the first day of school in K-8 elementary music was always a hit. It offers the big three: connection, routines & procedures, and a fun game activity!
CONNECT: A very short bio about yourself that lets kids make a connection. Share whatever you’re comfortable sharing but they love to hear about hobbies, music taste, pets, and family.
ROUTINES & PROCEDURES: Choose the routines and procedures that will be important for your teaching
NAME GAMES: Pick one or two name games (below) that interest you and add it to your lesson plans. Using someone’s name is personal and a great way to connect to each other.
SINGING GAME: End with a singing game! Check out singing games to immediately get kids singing and having fun.
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Find fun and engaging Valentine songs, games, dances, and activities to fill your K-5 elementary classroom with LOVE! For Valentine’s Day or any time of the year!
Originally published February 13, 2022. Updated for February 2026.
Music activities for national days are aweekly look at a national or world day that have a connection to music! The special day is highlighted with a brief informational video, then related music videos.
It’s the MUSIC answer to Scholastic News or The Weekly Reader!
Originally published April 4, 2021 Updated March 8, 2026
🚨 Music Sub Plans for Elementary
If you need music sub plans, these “In the News” segments are a lifesaver. Each weekly topic features a self-contained informational video followed by curated musical examples. Because the content is high-interest and video-based, a non-music substitute can easily facilitate the lesson—just “plug and play” with no prep required!
Note to Substitute: Please choose any “In the News” topic from the list below. Have the students watch the short informational video first, then play the accompanying musical examples. No musical background is required, just “plug and play” and enjoy the music with the class!
May Music Activities for National Days
May 5 International Tuba Day
Big Carl-An 8′ tall tuba!
How to play the tuba.
May 12 National Limerick Day
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May 17 National Bike to School Day
This classic is in 3/4 meter!
Experience the 3s: simple sway to the beat pat-snap-snap pat one leg on 1 and with the other hand tap your chest on 2 and 3.
The Wellerman-In Am, uses the full scale. If you want to play on Boomwhackers, put octavator caps on half of your A tubes. So A (oct), B (oct), C, D, E, F, G, A’ will allow you to play along!
Evolution of Dance has lots of great dances and might be appropriate for some classes. Please review it before showing.
January 3-Women Rock! Day
Aretha Franklin
Joan Jett
My ❤️ FAVORITE rocker-H.E.R.
December in the News
December 6-Walt Disney Day
Walt Disney Day-December 6
The first Monday of December (12/06/2021)
Walt Disney was born in Chicago in 1901 and began as an illustrator. One of the first characters he helped create was Mortimer Mouse who later was renamed Mickey Mouse. He is known for the animated features The Three Little Pigs, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Fantasia, Pinocchio, Bambi, Dumbo, and Mary Poppins. Disney was a pioneer in animation and introduced several developments in the production of cartoons.
Minnie & Mickey
Disney’s 2021 Release Movie-Encanto
December 13-National Violin Day
The violin, also known as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone in the string family. It is the highest-pitched instrument in the family, has four strings, and is played by plucking or bowing.
Pictured is a violin from 1658.
Early stringed instruments came from the Greeks, Central Asia, and the Middle East and influenced the violin that we know today which emerged in the 1500s in Northern Italy.
This 2-chord song for voice, ukulele, and rainbow instruments (Boomwhackers & bells) is sure to be a hit! There’s no warbling going on here, just cantabile singing!
This resource of the Thanksgiving classic, Over the River and Through the Wood, includes parts for Boomwhackers, bells, and ukulele. Each part has audio and video files to support student learning AND in two different tempos-lento and adagio. Students learn about beats per minute (bpm) as they play their parts.
Play and learn in class or use it as a wonderful performance piece for winter concerts!
Here are some ideas to explore the wonder of the great jazz virtuoso, Thelonious Monk. You’ll find biography info, a movement activity to his fabulous piece, “Stuffy Turkey,” some links, and advanced movement options!
Get your students playing barred instruments with this Orff arrangement (and other ideas) for the Halloween song, Pass the Pumpkin. Halloween is the perfect backdrop for engaging learning activities in music class.
This is a great beat-passing game! Whoever has the pumpkin on the last beat of the song is OUT! Continue playing until there is a final winner. As students get out, they can go get sticks and play to the beat as the game progresses.
