Have you spent hours looking for music for your elementary winter concert and still don’t have everything you need? Help is here! Find a database of winter songs, vendors, and program themes to get the bulk of your needs met all in one place.
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The Playlist
The Growing List of Winter Songs for Concerts (November-January)
Finding Elementary Concert Music
There’s so much to consider when planning a concert. Themes, songs, accompaniments, grade levels, instruments, BUDGET! Let’s start with the most popular publishers!
Popular Music Publishers
You can find some great selections using curriculum sources such as Musicplay, Quaver, etc. Here are some of the leading music publishers for elementary music teachers.
FR=some free resources
BK=offer books for multiple songs at a lesser price
BD=bundles with music, accompaniment tracks
Beatin’ Path Publications-lots of FREE sample pages from their composers (FR, BK)
Music K8 (MK8) is Plank Road Publishing. You’ll find the sheet music and accompaniment tracks. (FR, BK, BD)
JW Pepper Sheet Music is a huge supplier of choral, band, and orchestra music. They have physical stores, too.
Sheet Music Plus-an online source of music.
musicnotes-another online source of music.
Pinkzebra Music-refreshing arrangements from this newer publisher. Sold through Pepper.
How to Find Accompaniment Tracks
If you are not accompanying your students and want to use an accompaniment track, the above music suppliers will often have those to purchase.
Online Sources
Other sources of accompaniment tracks are Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube, and similar. Search with the song title and then keywords “accompaniment”, “karaoke”, or “instrumental”.
YouTube Descriptions
Extra information can sometimes be found if you locate a recording of a performance on YouTube. Video owners sometimes put great information about the song in the notes section.
Old Textbook Series
Some of those old textbooks and CDs collecting dust in your cabinet are actually the source of some great concert music with accompaniments. CD drives are super cheap on Amazon and will get that CD music onto your computer. Who knows? Ask your media specialist who may have a CD drive collecting dust in THEIR cabinet!
Popular Winter Concert Themes
- Christmas Around the World
- ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
- Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
- Winter Wonderland, Marshmallow World, Let It Snow, Frosty Weather
- Spirit of Celebration
- Peace, Light
- ‘Tis the Season
- December Lights
- Holiday Feast
- My Favorite Things
- Snow, Snow, Snow
- On a Cold, Clear Night
Songs for Winter Concert Theme: Sparkle & Glow
Here’s a repertoire list that would fit with a winter concert theme of sparkle and glow. Program titles could be Winter Magic, Glitter & Glow, Silver and Gold, All Things That Sparkle.
- Silver and Gold-Johnny Marks arr. Van Cleave
- Golden from Hunter/X
- Pure Imagination (Willie Wonka)
- Avalanche-Rhythmic Poem that can be done in canon.
- Silver Moon Boat Beth’sNotes
- Golden Slumbers folk song
- Golden Slumbers Beatles
- Winter Wonderland
- Diamonds by Rihanna
- Wizards in Winter Trans‑Siberian Orchestra (TSO)
- Glitter and Gold-Barns Courtney
- Golden Ribbons, Silver Bows (MusicK8) ballad, round
- Like Diamonds in the Sky MusicK8pop style
Check out my sing along narration using these songs!
The Great Bake-Off
BAKING Playlist (mix of K-5)
- The Baker p. 18 Orff Schulwerk, Music for Children, Vol I
- One Piece of Pie-my TPT resource 🥹 (novelty fun)
- I Want Some Pumpkin Pie-MusicK8
- Gingerbread Cookies-MusicK8
- Fais dodo-French folk song-lullaby with mention of making cake.
- Hot Cross Buns-SORRY, had to do it. This REMIX is from Gracie’s Corner.
- Ooey, Gooey Cinnamon Bun by Andy Beck (LOVE him)
- Today Is Monday-Lots of foods with some baked!
- Down to the Baker’s Shop-folk song from Scotland
- What Baking Can Do-from musical, Waitress, karaoke
- Fruitcake-SO many octavo versions on Pepper’s Music
Winter Concerts Based on Books/Sound Stories
- A Snowy Day
- The Mitten
- Mama, Will It Snow Tonight?
- 50 Below Zero
- Snow Party
- Snowmen at Night
- Winter Waits
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Kindergarten & Grade 1 Concerts: What are your favorite winter songs?
This great question had me going back through Dropbox, Google Drive, and old computer drives looking for answers.
My Song Criteria for Kindergarten Concerts
- Repetitive
- Could add motions
- Popular classics, current hits, written for that age group (MusicK8)
- I could successfully stretch out the song to at least 2 minutes
- Sometimes that meant rearranging by creating new verses or repeats.
- Easy if using acoustic accompaniment
- For mp3s, I’d put them into Soundtrap and arrange
Winter
Kinderpolka (dance)
Little Wheel A-Turnin’ In My Heart
Mousie In the Snow (MK8)
Dreidel (traditional)
Snow is Falling Today (MK8)
Mr. SnowRap (MK8)
Snowman Jump (MK8)
Frosty the Snowman (traditional)
Do You Want to Build a Snowman (Frozen)
Nutcracker March (movement)
This Little Light of Mine (traditional)
Peace Like a River (traditional)
(While I did Christmas music years ago, I eventually got away from any song referencing Christmas, except the occasional Rudolph.)
Christmas/Santa Songs
Mary Had a Baby
Must Be Santa
Rudolph
Children Go Where I Send Thee (LOVE this song…)
Grade 3-5 Winter Concert Songs: What have been your favorite winter programs you’ve done or seen for third-fifth?
For me, favorite programs had
- beautiful singing
- kids who were proud of themselves up on stage
- a bit of magic in the air during the performance
That can all happen with well-chosen songs (or a musical) that the kids and audience love and have a connection to.
And the audience connection doesn’t have to be because they know the music, but because they sense how much the kids are loving it. The student connection can be felt with the energy they bring during the performance. The magic can be helped along sometimes with
- special instrumentation played by the kids or adults-barred instruments, flute, guitar, ukulele, harp
- dancing/movement
- special arrangements/genres or novelty piece
- special effects, props, light shows
With that in mind, here are some repertoire ideas!
Repertoire Ideas
Orff Arrangements such as Carol of the Bells, One Piece of Pie
Jazz Waltz of the Sugar Plum Fairy-Nutcracker meets Jazz
Midnight Clear-This uses the Christmas carol and is in two parts. I did it with a children’s choir and a men’s chorus made up of dads and men in the choir member’s family. It was magical.
Candy Cane Lane-MusicK8 fun accompaniment
Dreidle Song-the classic and I used the fun accompaniment out of an old textbook series.
Feliz Navidad-it’s so recognizable and loved. Parent guitarist would be cool.
Marshmallow World-again recognizable.
The 12 Days of Groovy Christmas-a homage to the 70s. Cute.
Carol of the Bells by the Transiberian Orchestra-Light routine
The BIG Winter Songs List Database
The database includes title, composer, link, origin, language, and genre/subjects that include Christmas, Thanksgiving, Diwali, Hanukkah, Lights, Peace, Posados, Reindeer, Kwanzaa, Santa, Snow, Winter, and more.
What Are Some Ideas for a Schoolwide Winter Sing-Along?
A simple and engaging way to bring the whole school together without a traditional holiday program is to host a winter sing-along or grade-level showcase. Each class can lead one or two songs, connected by short, kid-friendly verses that introduce each piece and create a cohesive flow. The songs can have a theme but don’t have to have one.
Time-Saving Tricks for a Sing-Along
- use AI to write the poem
- create a slideshow with the poem verses and song lyrics
- use mp3s with the accompaniment AND vocal parts
Use AI to Write the Sing-Along Poem
Here’s the prompt I gave AI: Write a rhyming poem suitable for elementary age with an opening verse about wintery glitter (or similar) then each verse setting up a song. The songs are Pure Imagination (from Willie Wonka), Winter Wonderland (classic), Silver and Gold (by Johnny Marks), Diamonds (by Rhianna), and Golden (from Hunter/X). So a total of 6 verses. Before you start, are there any questions? (AI asked if I wanted to namedrop the titles. I said YES)
Here’s the response: Great — here is a set of six kid-friendly, rhyming verses that each namedrop the song while giving you a smooth setup for performance transitions.
🔥 There are some tweaks that need to be made, but in general, I LOVE IT!
Wintery Glitter Sing Along
Here’s the script for the Winter Sing Along using the AI-generated verses and my song suggestions!
1. Opening Verse – Wintery Glitter
In a world full of sparkle and wintery glitter,
The snowflakes dance light as they twirl, never bitter.
Our show is beginning—so bundle up tight,
We’ll journey through music that shimmers with light.
2. Pure Imagination
Now close your eyes gently and picture a place
Where wonders appear with a magical grace.
Step into a dream full of bright fascination
As we sing the song called “Pure Imagination.”
3. Winter Wonderland
The snow starts to whisper and glide to the ground,
A blanket of white drifting soft without sound.
Let’s follow the footprints wherever they’ve planned—
They’re leading us into a “Winter Wonderland.”
4. Silver and Gold
Glistening treasures begin to unfold—
Shiny and sparkly in silver and gold.
The colors of kindness, of stories retold,
Come join us in singing this tune bright and bold.
5. Diamonds
Stars in the sky start to shimmer and gleam,
Lighting the night with a silver-blue beam.
Their shine makes us sparkle like gems in the night—
Just like “Diamonds,” glowing with magical light.
6. Golden
A sunrise appears with a warm, gentle glow,
Painting the morning in soft yellow snow.
The brightest of moments are meant to be chosen—
So lift up your voices as we sing “Golden.”
Why it works?
🔹 Singing through the songs and speaking the verses in class will take a minimal amount of time compared to a stand up/memorized concert.
🔹 The bulk of the singing will come from readers, so your 3rd-5th graders, but K-2 will learn parts too.
🔹 The staff will be able to sing along too because you will project the words.
Additional Concert Planning Resources
We have our music, now what?
- Concert Costumes & Basic Attire
- How to Teach Kids to Memorize Music
- Stage Decorations for Concerts
- Checklist for Concerts
- Using Lights in Your Elementary Concert
The Weekly Newsletter
Filled with ideas, products, free resources, and maybe
just what you need for tomorrow’s lesson!
Let Hear It!
Do you have a music source that I have not included? PLEASE let us know in the comments below!