Have you ever wondered how to create engaging kindergarten music lessons that spark a lifelong love of music in your youngest students?

Questions like:

• “Where do I even begin with kindergarten music lessons?”
• “How do I plan effective music lessons for kindergarten that keep 5-year-olds engaged?”
• “What if I don’t have musical training—can I still teach kindergarten music effectively?”

The good news is that creating magical kindergarten music lessons isn’t about having perfect pitch or years of conservatory training—it’s about understanding how young minds learn and creating joyful, meaningful connections with music!

A Quick Note About “Kindergarten”: When we say “kindergarten” in this article, we’re talking about preschool programs for children aged 3-5 years—those precious early years before formal schooling begins. While “kindergarten” sometimes refers to the first year of elementary school (around age 5), this guide is specifically designed for educators and parents working with our youngest learners in preschool settings, daycare centers, and early childhood programs.

Whether you’re a preschool teacher wanting to add music to your day, an early childhood specialist, or a parent looking to enrich your 3-5 year old’s musical journey, this complete guide will show you exactly how to build successful music lessons for kindergarten that young children absolutely LOVE.

Here’s the secret that transforms hesitant educators into confident music teachers: start with just one five-minute activity, then build up from there.

Think about it—five minutes feels manageable, right? You’re not committing to elaborate lesson plans or overwhelming preparation. You’re simply adding a short musical moment to your day.

Start with something as simple as:

• A “Good Morning” song while children arrive
• A rhythm clapping game during transition time
• A movement song before snack time

Once you and your students are comfortable with that five-minute routine, gradually extend it. Add another song, introduce a simple instrument, or include a movement activity. Before you know it, you’ll have a full 20-30 minute kindergarten music lesson that flows naturally and keeps everyone engaged!

Music should be regular — not just a special treat on Fridays.

Young children thrive on routine and repetition. When music becomes a predictable, welcome part of their daily schedule, several amazing things happen:

• Children anticipate and look forward to music time
• Musical skills develop more rapidly through consistent practice
• Classroom management becomes easier as children know what to expect
• Music becomes a natural tool for transitions and classroom routines

Aim for music activities at least 3-4 times per week, even if they’re brief. Daily musical moments are even better! This might include:

• Morning circle time: Start each day with a welcome song
• Transition times: Use songs to signal cleanup, lining up, or moving to centers
• Dedicated music lessons: 20-30 minutes of focused musical activities
• Integration throughout the day: Counting songs during math, movement during story time

The most successful kindergarten music programs extend beyond the classroom walls.

When parents understand the value of what you’re doing and feel equipped to support musical learning at home, the impact multiplies exponentially. Here’s how to create that vital home-school connection:

Send Home Simple Resources:

• Lyrics to songs you’re learning in class
• Links to recordings (if available)
• Suggestions for musical activities families can do together
• Information about the benefits of musical learning

Create Performance Opportunities:

• Informal “concerts” where children share a favorite song
• Musical games parents can play during family gatherings
• Recordings of class singing to share with extended family

Educate Families About the Benefits: Help parents understand that music isn’t just fun—it’s developing crucial skills like language development, social skills, emotional regulation, and cognitive growth.

Singing is the most natural and accessible musical activity for young children. Every child comes to you with a voice ready to explore music, regardless of your school’s budget or resources.

Why Singing Matters:

• Develops listening skills and pitch awareness
• Builds vocabulary and language patterns
• Creates emotional connections to music
• Requires no special equipment or instruments

Playing Simple Instruments: Introduce basic instruments that kindergarteners can handle successfully:

• Rhythm instruments: Shakers, tambourines, rhythm sticks
• Pitched instruments: Xylophones, hand bells, simple keyboards
• Body percussion: Clapping, patting, stomping
• Homemade instruments: Rice shakers, rubber band guitars, pot lid cymbals

The key is keeping it simple and focusing on the joy of making music together rather than technical perfection.

Theme-based lessons help kindergarteners understand and remember musical concepts by connecting them to familiar topics.

Instead of abstract musical instruction, you’re weaving music into topics children already find fascinating:

Seasonal Themes:

• Fall: Songs about leaves falling, harvest celebrations, animals preparing for winter
• Winter: Snow songs, holiday traditions from different cultures, quiet/loud dynamics like snowstorms
• Spring: Growing songs, rain rhythms, bird songs and high/low pitches
• Summer: Ocean waves and flowing melodies, camping songs, travel rhythms

Topic-Based Themes:

• Animals: Practice different dynamics (loud elephants, quiet mice), various tempos (quick rabbits, slow turtles), and vocal exploration (roaring, chirping, growling)
• Transportation: Steady beats like train wheels, acceleration and deceleration with cars, flying movements with airplanes
• Community helpers: March like firefighters, gentle lullabies like nurses, strong rhythms like construction workers

This approach makes music feel relevant and exciting while naturally introducing musical concepts.

In our screen-heavy world, kindergarten music time should be a sanctuary of real, hands-on musical experiences.

No Screen Time During Music: While technology has its place in education, music time should focus on:

• Live singing and playing: Children respond to the energy and spontaneity of live music
• Physical movement: Dancing, marching, swaying—full-body musical engagement
• Tactile experiences: Feeling the vibration of drums, the smoothness of rhythm sticks, the weight of hand bells
• Social interaction: Making music together builds community and cooperation

Diverse Musical Exposure: Introduce children to a rich variety of musical styles and cultures:

• Classical music: Short, accessible pieces for moving and listening
• Folk songs: Simple, repetitive songs from various cultures
• World music: Instruments and rhythms from different countries
• Different genres: Jazz rhythms, country storytelling, rock steady beats

The goal is creating a broad musical foundation that will serve children throughout their lives.

These seven essential activities form the foundation of successful music lessons for kindergarten. Each serves a specific purpose in developing musical skills while keeping young children engaged and excited about learning.

Use repetitive songs daily—they’re your secret weapon for success!

Kindergarteners love repetition. It makes them feel secure, confident, and successful. When children can predict what comes next, they participate more freely and joyfully.

Examples of Great Repetitive Songs:

• “Get Your Wiggles Out”: A perfect opening song that helps active preschoolers settle while doing fun movements
• “If You’re Happy and You Know It”: Builds on familiar patterns while allowing for creative variations like “if you’re happy and you know it, be a frog… ribbit ribbit!”
• “Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”: Classic body awareness song that can become a fun game by gradually removing words
• “Old MacDonald Had a Farm”: Endless verses with animal sounds that reinforce learning while building vocabulary

How to Use Repetitive Songs Effectively:

• Sing the same song for a week or two before introducing variations
• Let children suggest new verses or movements
• Use these songs as “warm-ups” or transition tools
• Build musical skills by changing tempo, dynamics, or actions

Frequency: Include at least one repetitive song in every kindergarten music lesson.

Start every music session with a warm-up song—it sets the tone for everything that follows.

Warm-up songs serve multiple purposes:

• Focus attention: Gather scattered kindergarten energy into musical focus
• Prepare voices: Gentle vocal exploration before more demanding singing
• Establish routines: Children know what to expect and feel secure
• Build community: Everyone participates together from the very beginning

Effective Warm-Up Song Ideas:

• “Get Your Wiggles Out”: Perfect for gathering scattered preschool energy into musical focus
• “Circle Fun”: Helps children join hands and sit in a circle while establishing routine
• “Open, Shut Them”: Classic finger movements that prepare little hands for more complex activities
• Simple greeting songs: Welcome each child individually within the song structure

Example Warm-Up Routine:

1. “Get Your Wiggles Out” (3 minutes): Gather energy and focus attention
2. “Circle Fun” (2 minutes): Form circle and establish community
3. Simple greeting or finger play (2 minutes): Prepare voices and hands for activities

Frequency: Use warm-up songs at the beginning of every dedicated kindergarten music lesson.

Include songs that kindergarteners are already excited about—it creates instant engagement!

This might seem obvious, but it’s often overlooked. When you incorporate songs children already love, several wonderful things happen:

• Immediate buy-in: Children are excited to participate
• Confidence boost: They already know some of the words or movements
• Cultural connection: You’re validating their home and community musical experiences
• Teaching opportunities: Use familiar songs to teach new musical concepts

How to Discover What They Love:

• Ask children about their favorite songs
• Notice what they sing on the playground
• Pay attention to popular children’s music and movies
• Include songs in different languages that reflect your classroom community

Making Popular Songs Educational: Take a song they love and:

• Add movements or actions
• Change the tempo or dynamics
• Use it to practice rhythm patterns
• Create new verses together
• Add simple instruments

Frequency: Include at least one “student favorite” song each week, rotating through different children’s suggestions.

Props transform ordinary songs into magical experiences that kindergarteners remember forever!

Young children are naturally kinesthetic learners—they understand concepts better when they can see, touch, and manipulate objects. Musical props engage multiple senses and make abstract musical concepts concrete.

Essential Musical Props:

• Scarves: Perfect for showing musical phrases, dynamics (big movements for loud, gentle movements for soft), and tempo changes
• Rhythm instruments: Shakers, tambourines, rhythm sticks, hand drums
• Picture cards: Animals, weather, emotions—anything that connects to your songs
• Puppets: Let the puppet “teach” the song or demonstrate musical concepts
• Colorful objects: Beanbags for steady beat, ribbons for flowing melodies
• Simple costumes: Hats, animal ears, or cultural items that connect to songs

Creative Prop Ideas:

• Homemade shakers: Rice in plastic containers, beans in paper plates taped together
• Movement props: Pool noodles for conducting, hula hoops for tempo activities
• Visual aids: Large music note cutouts, pictures representing high/low sounds
• Sensory items: Textured materials that represent different musical qualities

How to Use Props Effectively:

1. Introduce props gradually: Don’t overwhelm with too many at once
2. Establish clear rules: “Instruments sleep when teacher talks”
3. Rotate regularly: Keep interest high with variety
4. Let children help: Distributing and collecting props builds responsibility
5. Connect to learning: Each prop should enhance musical understanding

Frequency: Use props in at least half of your kindergarten music activities. They’re especially important for introducing new songs or concepts.

Crafts aren’t just busy work—they’re powerful tools for reinforcing musical learning and creating lasting connections!

When kindergarteners create something with their hands while learning music, they’re engaging multiple areas of their brain simultaneously. This strengthens memory formation and makes musical concepts more meaningful.

Musical Craft Ideas:

• Theme-based instruments: Duck shakers for the duck lesson, train crafts with moving parts for the train theme
• Character puppets: Frog puppets for “Galumph Went the Little Green Frog,” bear paws for “Going on a Bear Hunt”
• Seasonal projects: Balloon people, rainbow fish, CD owls for night time, dinosaur stompers
• Practical items: Fire hats for firefighter songs, traffic lights for transportation themes, clocks with moveable hands

Seasonal Musical Crafts:

• Fall: Leaf shakers, apple rhythm instruments, scarecrow stick puppets for songs
• Winter: Snowflake rhythm patterns, holiday ornaments while singing cultural songs
• Spring: Flower pots with rhythm patterns, bird puppets for high/low songs
• Summer: Sun catchers while singing sunny songs, ocean wave bottles for tempo activities

Benefits of Musical Crafts:

• Reinforce learning: Children remember songs better when they’ve created something connected to them
• Develop fine motor skills: Cutting, gluing, and decorating support overall development
• Create connections: Crafts help link music to other subject areas
• Build pride: Children love sharing what they’ve made and learned
• Support different learning styles: Hands-on learners thrive with craft activities

Frequency: Include a musical craft activity 1-2 times per week. Simple crafts can be completed in 10-15 minutes.

Stories bring music to life and help kindergarteners understand musical concepts through familiar narrative structures.

Young children naturally think in stories. When you embed musical learning within story formats, you’re speaking their language and making abstract concepts concrete and memorable.

Types of Musical Stories:

• Character adventures: “Going on a Bear Hunt” where children actively participate in the journey
• Animal stories: Stories about ducks, frogs, and farm animals that incorporate their sounds and movements
• Transportation tales: Train adventures with “choo choo” sounds and train movements
• Bedtime stories: Night time themes with gentle sounds and sleepy movements
• Classic literature: “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” combined with songs about growing and changing

Example Musical Story Structure: “Once upon a time, there was a little mouse (sing in high, quiet voice) who lived in the same house as a big, friendly elephant (sing in low, loud voice)…”

As you tell the story, children:

• Use their voices to represent different characters
• Move their bodies to show the story action
• Play instruments to create sound effects
• Sing recurring songs or phrases

Benefits of Musical Stories:

• Engage imagination: Children become part of the musical world
• Develop listening skills: Following story progression improves attention
• Teach musical concepts: High/low, loud/soft, fast/slow become story elements
• Build language skills: Rich vocabulary and narrative structure support literacy
• Create community: Shared story experiences build classroom connections

Frequency: Include a musical story activity 1-2 times per week. Stories can range from 5-minute mini-tales to longer 15-minute adventures. Develop a collection of colourful picture books from second-hand book stores or Amazon.

Musical games are pure magic—they combine the natural joy of play with powerful musical learning!

Kindergarteners learn best through play, and musical games satisfy their need for movement, social interaction, and fun while building essential musical skills.

Essential Musical Games:

• “Musical Statues/Freeze Dance”: Develops listening skills using songs like “Everybody Go, Everybody Stop”
• “Musical Lily Pads”: A frog-themed variation of musical chairs using green lily pad cutouts
• “Duck Egg Treasure Hunt”: Hide plastic eggs around the room for children to find during duck-themed lessons
• “Traffic Light Game”: Children move and stop according to traffic light colors and songs
• “Fire Truck Hop”: Children find fire truck pictures when music stops, perfect for community helper themes

Movement Games:

• “Animal Movement Songs”: Stomp like elephants, hop like rabbits, slither like snakes
• “Weather Games”: Move like falling snow, growing flowers, or rolling thunder
• “Transportation Games”: Chug like trains, sail like boats, fly like airplanes

Listening Games:

• “Sound Detective”: Identify different instruments or environmental sounds
• “Musical Simon Says”: Follow directions only when they’re sung, not spoken
• “Quiet Game”: Practice being silent and listening for tiny sounds

Social Musical Games:

• “Partner Songs”: Simple songs where children work together
• “Musical Conversations”: Children “talk” to each other using instruments instead of words
• “Group Compositions”: Everyone contributes sounds to create a class song

Why Musical Games Work:

• Natural motivation: Children want to play—no external rewards needed
• Repeated practice: Games naturally encourage repetition without boredom
• Social learning: Children learn from each other through game interaction
• Immediate feedback: Games provide natural consequences and adjustments
• Joy and memory: Happy experiences create stronger learning connections

Frequency: Include musical games in every kindergarten music lesson. They’re perfect for transitions, energy management, and reinforcing concepts.

If you’re working with preschoolers and want a complete, ready-to-use music curriculum that takes all the guesswork out of planning, you’ll love our Preschool Music Curriculum Program.

It includes all 20 themed lessons mentioned in this article—from balloons and ducks to dinosaurs and carnivals—plus 60 songs, backing tracks, craft activities, and step-by-step guidance. Everything is planned, tested, and proven to work with young children, including songs like ‘Get Your Wiggles Out,’ ‘Going on a Bear Hunt,’ and ‘If You’re Happy and You Know It.’

Click here to learn more about the complete Preschool Music Curriculum Program »

Have you ever struggled to teach steady beat to your first graders?

Questions like:

• “How do I make this concept concrete for young children?”
• “What activities actually work without expensive instruments?”
• “How can I get them to feel the beat instead of just hearing it?”

The good news is there’s an amazingly simple solution that’s been with your students since before they were born!

When I first started teaching, I thought I needed all sorts of complicated activities and fancy instruments to teach steady beat. I was making it SO much harder than it needed to be!

Then I discovered something incredible – your first graders already have the perfect steady beat teacher with them all the time. It never stops, it’s always reliable, and it’s completely FREE.

It’s their heartbeat!

Here’s the easiest way to teach steady beat to first graders:

Have your students put their hand on their heart and feel that steady “thump-thump-thump.” Tell them that beat is just like their heartbeat – it’s steady and never stops.

This is what music educators around the world are doing because it relates the abstract concept of steady beat to something concrete that children can feel in their own bodies.

Don’t overthink it! Start with simple body percussion like patting on their knees or clapping. Just say “let’s pat our knees like our heartbeat” and put on any music with a clear, moderate tempo.

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The secret is this: students need to experience steady beat with their bodies before they can understand it with their minds. So we always start with movement, then add the concept.

Draw four hearts on the board and have students point to each heart as they sing a simple song they know. This helps them see the beat as well as feel it.

This is where it gets really fun! Lead a “marching band” and have all the students march along in a line behind you around the room.

Use classic march pieces like:

“Stars and Stripes Forever” by John Philip Sousa
“The Washington Post March” by John Philip Sousa
“Radetzky March” by Johann Strauss
“Pomp and Circumstance” by Edward Elgar
“The Imperial March” (Star Wars theme)
“When the Saints Go Marching In” (traditional)
“76 Trombones” from The Music Man
“Colonel Bogey March” (The Bridge on the River Kwai theme)
“Anchors Aweigh” (U.S. Navy march)

Or any other upbeat song with a clear, steady beat

Students absolutely love this, and it gets their whole body moving to the steady beat!

So there you have it – start with their heartbeat, add simple movement, make it visual, and keep it fun. That’s the easiest way to teach steady beat to first graders, and I promise your students will be begging for more!

Access our resources below and create your own fun lesson plan with these heartbeat activities below so you can implement this strategy right away in your classroom!

In this lesson students will work on their steady beat while learning a fun version of the song “Hickory Dickory Dock”

Use this slide and have students point to the beat as they tap along to music.

Listening to this performance will prompt discussion of the concept of “steady beat” as you’ll see the audience clap along to the beat in the music.

Now that your first graders have mastered steady beat using their heartbeat, you’re probably wondering: “What’s next?”

Here’s the thing – once students can feel that steady pulse, they’re ready for one of the most important concepts in music education: understanding the difference between rhythm and beat!

Many teachers struggle to explain this difference without confusing their students, but there’s actually a beautifully simple way to build on everything your students just learned about steady beat.

Check out our step-by-step guide: How to Explain Rhythm vs Beat to Primary Students (The Simple Way!)

Music education becomes exciting when learning feels like play. Music word search puzzles provide an excellent way to reinforce musical vocabulary, familiarize students with instrument names, and introduce young learners to famous composers—all while developing critical thinking and pattern recognition skills.

Our carefully crafted music word search printable collection caters to three distinct age groups: Grades 1-2 (ages 5-7), Grades 3-4 (ages 8-10), and Grades 5-6 (ages 10-12). Each puzzle is designed with age-appropriate vocabulary, grid sizes, and difficulty levels to ensure an optimal learning experience.

Word search for music activities offer unique educational benefits that traditional worksheets simply can’t match. These puzzles combine visual scanning, pattern recognition, and vocabulary reinforcement in a format that students genuinely enjoy. Research shows that puzzle-based learning enhances retention rates while reducing the stress often associated with formal testing.

Music teachers particularly appreciate how music word search puzzles can serve multiple purposes in the classroom. They work excellently as warm-up activities, substitute teacher materials, early finisher tasks, or homework assignments. The self-directed nature of word searches allows students to work at their own pace while building confidence in musical terminology.

For younger students, music word searches provide an introduction to musical concepts without the pressure of complex theoretical understanding. Students in grades 1-2 can focus on basic instrument recognition and simple musical terms, while older students tackle more sophisticated vocabulary including music theory concepts and composer names.

Understanding developmental differences is crucial for creating effective educational materials. Our music word search puzzles are carefully designed to match cognitive abilities and reading skills at each grade level, ensuring optimal challenge without frustration.

Our general word search about music collection covers fundamental musical concepts that every student should know. These puzzles include basic music theory terms, common musical expressions, and essential vocabulary that forms the foundation of musical literacy.

Perfect for young learners, featuring 6 simple music words in an 8×8 grid with horizontal and vertical placement only.

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Intermediate level featuring 10 music terms in a 10×10 grid with horizontal, vertical, and diagonal directions.

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Challenging level with 12 general music terms in a 12×12 grid, including backward and diagonal words.

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This slightly more difficult worksheet for the youngest grades has 8 general music terms in an 8×8 grid.

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This intermediate level worksheet has 10 mixed music terms in 10×10 grid with horizontal, vertical, and diagonal directions.

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This challenge level worksheet has 15 mixed music terms in a larger grid, including backward and diagonal words.

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The musical instruments word search series introduces students to the vast world of orchestral, band, and world instruments. These puzzles help students recognize instrument names while learning about different instrument families and their roles in musical ensembles.

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Our instruments of the orchestra word search puzzles are particularly valuable for music education, as they systematically introduce students to the four main orchestral families: strings (violin, viola, cello, double bass), woodwinds (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon), brass (trumpet, horn, trombone, tuba), and percussion (timpani, cymbals, xylophone).

Understanding orchestral instruments builds essential musical literacy, helps students identify sounds in classical recordings, and provides foundation knowledge for those interested in joining school orchestras or bands. These word searches transform abstract instrument names into memorable, searchable vocabulary that students can confidently use when discussing symphonic music or choosing their own instruments to learn.

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These next instruments of popular music word searches connect students to the contemporary musical landscape they encounter daily. These puzzles feature instruments central to rock, pop, jazz, and folk music including electric guitar, bass guitar, drums, keyboard, saxophone, harmonica, and synthesizer. By incorporating popular music instruments, students bridge the gap between traditional music education and their personal musical interests, making learning more relevant and engaging. Understanding popular music instrumentation helps students analyze their favorite songs, participate in contemporary ensembles, and make informed decisions about which instruments to pursue. These word searches validate students’ musical preferences while expanding their instrumental vocabulary beyond classical boundaries.

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Our composer word search collection introduces students to the great masters of classical music and contemporary artists who have shaped musical history. These comprehensive puzzles feature both male and female composers representing every major era of classical music, from the Baroque period through contemporary times.

Students encounter pioneering women composers like Clara Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn, and Amy Beach alongside household names like Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. By including diverse voices from different historical periods—Baroque masters like Vivaldi and Handel, Classical giants like Haydn and Mozart, Romantic innovators like Chopin and Brahms, Impressionist pioneers like Debussy and Ravel, and modern composers like Copland and Glass—these word searches provide students with a balanced perspective on musical history. This inclusive approach to composer recognition helps students understand that musical creativity has flourished across all demographics and time periods, making these puzzles an excellent gateway to comprehensive music appreciation and cultural literacy.

This set contains composers from all eras of classical music.

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This set contains composers from the last 100 years.

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Connect with students through contemporary music with our bands and pop music word search collection. These puzzles bridge the gap between classical music education and popular culture, featuring iconic bands, solo artists, and modern music terminology that resonates with today’s learners.

Our comprehensive collection includes dedicated famous bands word searches showcasing legendary groups like The Beatles, Queen, Rolling Stones, and contemporary acts like Coldplay and Radiohead, alongside solo artists word searches celebrating individual performers from Elvis Presley and Madonna to modern stars.

This set contains popular band names from the 1960s through to today.

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This set contains the names of popular solo artists (male and female) from the 1970s through to today.

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Dive deeper into musical understanding with our specialized music theory word search collection. These puzzles reinforce theoretical concepts essential for serious music study, from basic note relationships to complex harmonic progressions. Music theory represents one of the most crucial areas where word search activities prove invaluable, as the field contains an extensive vocabulary of precise technical terms that students must master to communicate effectively about music.

Music theory vocabulary presents unique challenges because it encompasses complex concepts that require exact terminology. Students must distinguish between closely related terms like “diminished” versus “augmented,” understand the precise meanings of dynamic markings from “pianissimo” to “fortissimo,” and correctly identify pitch relationships such as “major third,” “perfect fifth,” and “tritone.” These music theory word searches help students internalize spelling patterns and recognize theoretical terms instantly, building the foundation for accurate musical communication. When students can quickly identify and recall terms like “enharmonic,” “modulation,” and “cadential,” they develop confidence in theoretical discussions and written analysis.

Using correct terminology for describing pitch, dynamics, tempo, and harmonic relationships is fundamental to musical literacy. Our word search activities reinforce this precision by requiring students to visually process and recognize theoretical vocabulary repeatedly. Whether identifying basic concepts like “scale degree” and “key signature” or advanced terms like “Neapolitan sixth” and “secondary dominant,” these puzzles ensure that complex musical language becomes familiar and accessible. Regular engagement with music theory word search activities helps transform intimidating theoretical jargon into comfortable, usable vocabulary that students can confidently employ in performance, composition, and analytical contexts.

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Explore the beautiful language of music with our Italian music terms word search collection. Since Italian forms the foundation of musical expression worldwide, these puzzles help students master the international vocabulary that musicians use to communicate tempo, dynamics, and style. Italian musical terminology has been the global standard for centuries, from opera houses to concert halls, making fluency in these terms essential for any serious music student.

Our comprehensive Italian music terms word search collection offers two distinct versions to accommodate different learning approaches and skill levels. Version 1 provides traditional word search format with all Italian terms clearly listed, allowing students to focus on visual recognition and spelling patterns of terms like “allegro,” “crescendo,” and “sforzando.” Version 2 presents an advanced challenge where students receive English meanings such as “gradually getting louder” or “very fast tempo,” and must locate the corresponding Italian terms within the puzzle grid. This innovative dual approach transforms passive vocabulary recognition into active translation skills.

The two-version system particularly benefits music educators by offering differentiated instruction within the same activity. Beginning students can build confidence with Version 1’s direct term recognition, while advanced students tackle Version 2’s translation challenges that mirror real-world musical scenarios where performers must instantly connect Italian markings to their practical meanings. Whether students are learning that “piano” means “soft” or discovering that “ritardando” indicates “gradually slowing down,” these varied word search formats ensure comprehensive mastery of the Italian vocabulary that forms music’s universal language.

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To maximize the educational value of these music word search puzzles printable resources, consider these proven strategies:

Pre – Activity Discussion: Before distributing puzzles, briefly discuss the theme. For instrument puzzles, show pictures or play sound clips. For composer puzzles, share interesting biographical facts or play famous compositions.

Collaborative Learning: Allow students to work in pairs, especially for younger learners. This promotes discussion about musical terms and provides natural scaffolding for struggling readers.

Extension Activities: After completing puzzles, use found words as writing prompts. Students can create sentences using musical vocabulary or research unfamiliar terms they discovered.

Assessment Tool: Use completed puzzles to assess vocabulary recognition and provide targeted instruction for terms students couldn’t locate.

Music word search puzzles represent just one tool in the comprehensive music educator’s toolkit, but they’re remarkably effective at building vocabulary, reinforcing concepts, and maintaining student engagement. This collection provides ready-to-use resources that save valuable preparation time while delivering educationally sound content.

Whether you’re introducing preschoolers to their first musical instruments or challenging middle school students with complex theoretical concepts, the right word search music puzzle can transform learning from a chore into an adventure. Download these free resources today and watch your students develop deeper appreciation for the rich vocabulary that makes musical communication possible.

Remember that consistent exposure to musical terminology through engaging activities like these word searches builds the foundation for lifelong musical literacy. Every word a student recognizes brings them one step closer to fully participating in our shared musical culture.

While these music word search printable resources provide excellent supplementary activities, they represent just the beginning of what’s possible in comprehensive music education. Word searches build vocabulary recognition, but a truly effective music program requires consistent, sequential instruction that develops skills progressively over time.

If you’re looking to transform your music classroom with engaging, standards-aligned curriculum that goes far beyond individual worksheets, consider exploring the Fun Music Company Curriculum program. Our complete program includes interactive lessons, performance activities, listening guides, assessment tools, and yes—plenty of word searches too—all designed to work together as a cohesive educational experience. Ready to see how a full curriculum can revolutionize your music teaching? Preview the Fun Music Company Curriculum and discover the difference that systematic, engaging music education can make for both you and your students.

see note below *1

Janice Tuck

Music Teacher and Creative Director of the Fun Music Company.

Have you ever received that dreaded early morning phone call? You’re sick. Your child is sick. Or maybe there’s a family emergency. You need substitute music lesson plans immediately.

Or perhaps you’re on the other side. You’re a substitute teacher. The phone rings. They need you to cover a music class today. Panic sets in. You have NO IDEA how to teach music!

As music teachers, we often find ourselves in a unique predicament when it comes to absences. Most substitute teachers don’t have musical training, which means our carefully crafted curriculum can grind to a halt when we’re away.

But what if I told you there’s a solution that doesn’t involve “just play a movie” or “have them do a worksheet“?

Today, I’m sharing five outstanding music substitute plans.

ANY teacher can implement these successfully. Even those with zero musical experience! These easy music sub plans have been classroom-tested. They engage students in meaningful musical learning. No need for your substitute to read music. No instrument playing required. No singing to lead. Just simple, effective lessons anyone can teach.

Let’s dive into these music class sub plans that will save your sanity the next time you need to be away!

One of the most fundamental concepts in music education is understanding instrument families. This substitute music lesson makes it accessible for any substitute music teacher. It doesn’t even matter if they can’t tell a clarinet from a trombone!

This elementary music sub plan is brilliantly simple but incredibly effective. It’s structured around three short videos that introduce string, woodwind, and brass instruments. After each video segment students complete a simple comprehension activity. This builds their knowledge of orchestral instruments step by step.

The genius of this plan is in its organisation. Students watch a video about a specific instrument family (for example, strings), then immediately fill in blanks on their worksheet about what they’ve just learned. This gives your substitute clear stopping points and ensures students are actively engaged in their learning.

1. The substitute plays the first video introducing string instruments
2. Students complete the first section of their comprehension sheet
3. This pattern repeats for woodwinds and brass
4. Students then match instruments to their family groups on a diagram
5. If time allows, extension activities include discussing less common instruments

The best part? Your substitute doesn’t need to provide any of the musical content themselves. It’s all delivered through the videos, and the answers to the comprehension questions are included in the lesson plan. Talk about easy music lesson plans for substitute teachers!

Students are naturally fascinated by instruments. These videos show closeups of professional musicians playing each instrument. Visual and auditory components keep students engaged. The matching activity at the end is simple but effective. It solidifies their understanding of instrument categories. Students love seeing how the instruments work up close!

Please find the resources required for this lesson below.

Bookmark the link for use in your classroom, and share it with your substitute teacher.

This fascinating music substitute lesson plan takes students on a time journey. They discover how modern pianos evolved. It’s perfect for grades 3-4. The plan introduces important music history concepts. Your substitute needs no specialized knowledge. Anyone can teach this engaging piano history lesson. Students love learning about these historical instruments!

The entire lesson revolves around one video. It covers the history of the piano. Worksheet activities follow. They reinforce what students have learned. Your substitute simply plays the video. Then they guide students through comprehension questions. Finally, they supervise a fun crossword puzzle. That’s all there is to it! No musical knowledge needed.

1. Students watch a short, engaging video about how the piano developed
2. The class completes comprehension questions together (with answers provided in the lesson plan)
3. Students work independently on a crossword puzzle with clues from the video
4. If time allows, extension activities include creating a poster advertising the “new invention” of the piano

The worksheet includes a code-breaking activity at the end where students decode a famous piano composition title (“Moonlight Sonata”), which adds an element of fun and challenge for early finishers.

The video brings music history to life. It demonstrates how early keyboard instruments actually sounded. Students hear the difference compared to modern pianos. They’re fascinated to learn about the piano’s origins. The piano was once a groundbreaking technological innovation! Hands-on activities keep students engaged. They remain interested throughout the entire class period. Even non-musical students enjoy this historical approach.

Please find the resources required for this substitute music lesson below.

This lesson is ideal for Grade 3 or 4 music classes that require a sub lesson.

Bookmark the link for use in your classroom, and share it with your substitute teacher.

This substitute music lesson plan introduces students to The Beatles. They were one of music’s most influential bands. The plan works perfectly for upper elementary students. It appeals to grades 4-6 as they develop their own musical tastes. Students begin forming opinions about music at this age. They’re also starting to understand how music shapes culture. No prior Beatles knowledge required!

The lesson centers on one video. It shows The Beatles’ rise to fame. It features their most popular songs. It explains their cultural impact. Your substitute needs zero musical knowledge. They simply play the video. Then they guide the discussion questions. The activities that follow are straightforward. Everything is prepared and ready to use. Anyone can teach this Beatles lesson successfully.

1. Students watch a comprehensive overview video about The Beatles
2. The class completes guided comprehension questions about key facts from the video
3. Students engage in discussion questions comparing fan reactions in the 1960s to today’s music fans
4. Students complete a word search featuring Beatles song titles they heard in the video

This is one of the best music substitute plans available. This is because it integrates music history with cultural context. Students learn how music reflects society. They see how it shapes culture too. The discussion questions encourage critical thinking. Your substitute needs no special knowledge about music. They don’t need to know anything about The Beatles, as the lesson plan provides all necessary information. Everything is explained clearly. It’s truly substitute-friendly!

Even students who may not be familiar with The Beatles are captivated by scenes of “Beatlemania” and the band’s appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. The lesson connects historical music to their own experiences as modern music fans, and the word search activity reinforces their new knowledge of Beatles songs in a fun way.

Please find the resources required for this sub music lesson below.

This lesson is written for Grade 4 music classes – however it would function effectively as a sub music lesson for any grade from grades 4-6.

Bookmark the link for use in your classroom, and share it with your substitute teacher.

This innovative music substitute lesson plan for upper elementary introduces older students to the creative process behind modern songwriting and production. It’s perfect for grades 5-6 and provides fascinating insights into how contemporary musicians create the songs we hear on the radio.

This lesson revolves around a behind-the-scenes video where Australian musician Gotye explains how he created his song “Eyes Wide Open.” The video does all the teaching, making this one of the most easy music sub plans for non-specialist teachers to implement successfully.

1. The substitute introduces Gotye as a Grammy-winning artist
2. Students watch a fascinating video showing how Gotye sampled sounds from “the musical fence” in outback Australia
3. Students complete comprehension questions about the songwriting and production process
4. The class listens to the final song without visuals, focusing on identifying the instruments they hear
5. Students watch the music video and discuss how it enhances or changes their perception of the song

The lesson plan includes thoughtful discussion questions about meaning, creative choices, and how sampling contributes to the song’s message—all of which can be facilitated without musical expertise.

This lesson gives students a peek behind the curtain of music production—something rarely covered in elementary music classes. They’re fascinated by how ordinary sounds can be transformed into music through sampling and how professional musicians combine traditional instruments with technology. The environmental message of the song also provides rich material for discussion.

Please find the resources required for this sub music lesson below.

This lesson is written for Grade 5-6 music classes, but could even be used in middle or junior high school.

Bookmark the link for use in your classroom, and share it with your substitute teacher.

Kindergarten music sub plans require special consideration. Young learners need activities that:

• Incorporate movement
• Have clear, simple directions
• Maintain engagement through variety

While our older students can sit and focus on videos and worksheets for longer periods, our kindergarten and first-grade students need more dynamic activities that channel their natural energy and shorter attention spans.

Fortunately, our final lesson plan is specially designed with these youngest musicians in mind!

Finding appropriate kindergarten music sub plans can be particularly challenging, but this Musical Adventure lesson provides the perfect solution. It’s specially designed for our youngest students and incorporates movement, listening, and creative expression in a structured, easy-to-follow format.

This lesson is entirely video-guided, making it one of the most foolproof music sub plans for non music teachers. The substitute simply plays each video segment and follows along with the activities, requiring no musical knowledge or special skills.

1. Activity 1: Students play a listening game with “Fireworks” music, guessing what the music represents
2. Activity 2: Students learn “Cows in the Kitchen,” a fun song with movements and animal sounds
3. Activity 3: Students listen to “Flight of the Bumblebee” and draw pictures showing how the music moves
4. Activity 4 (optional): Students learn a body percussion pattern to accompany “Hickory Dickory Dock”

Each activity is introduced by a video, with clear instructions for both the substitute and the students. The lesson provides natural transitions between activities and accommodates different attention spans and energy levels.

This lesson engages all learning modalities—visual, auditory, and kinesthetic—keeping kindergarten students fully engaged throughout the class period. The animal sounds in “Cows in the Kitchen” are great fun, while the drawing activity for “Flight of the Bumblebee” allows for creative expression. The body percussion patterns are simple enough for success while still being challenging and fun.

Please find the resources required for this kindergarten substitute music lesson below.

A kindergarten lesson plan requires more, shorter segments. Therefore we have provided a complete kindergarten substitute music lesson plan.

Download the PDF files linked below and share them with your substitute teacher, and bookmark the presentation for use in the classroom.

To make these emergency music sub plans truly ready for any absence, follow these simple steps:

1. Create a dedicated sub binder with clear section dividers for each lesson plan
2. Pre-print all worksheets needed for each class you teach
3. Write clear instructions for accessing the presentation and videos, including our link provided
4. Add class lists and seating charts to help your substitute manage the classroom effectively

The best part about these easy music lesson plans for substitute teachers is that they can be prepared well in advance and kept ready for unexpected absences. Unlike some music activities that might be tied to your current curriculum, these standalone lessons will work at any point in the school year.

What makes these music teacher substitute lesson plans particularly effective is that they’re designed specifically with non-musician substitutes in mind. They don’t require any special musical knowledge or skills, yet they still provide meaningful, standards-based music education.

Unlike many substitute music lesson plans that are essentially busywork, these lessons:

• Teach core musical concepts
• Engage multiple learning styles
• Provide clear structure for the substitute
• Include all necessary materials
• Offer extension activities for classes that move quickly

Most importantly, they allow your music program to continue even when you’re absent, rather than having your curriculum come to a complete halt every time you’re away.

These substitute lessons work great for emergencies. But what about the rest of the year? A complete curriculum ensures consistent music education. Your students deserve high-quality lessons all year long. Whether you’re teaching or not.

The Fun Music Company offers a comprehensive Music Curriculum Program. It provides everything for an entire year. All lessons are engaging and standards-aligned. You’ll get step-by-step lesson plans. Ready-to-use presentations are included. Student worksheets come prepared. Assessment tools make evaluation simple. You’ll save countless hours of preparation time. Yet you’ll still deliver exceptional music education.

Many lessons are designed to be substitute-friendly. The principles from these emergency plans extend across the entire program. Your music program can thrive every day of the year!

To see what is included in the Fun Music Company Curriculum program, the easiest first step is to download the sample pack below.

This will give you a tiny taste of the hundreds of engaging lesson activities in the program, and you can then get in touch with us and learn more about the program.

Janice Tuck

Music Teacher and Creative Director of the Fun Music Company.

Are you scrambling to find engaging Easter-themed music activities that won’t take hours to prepare?

Easter brings a perfect opportunity to bring some seasonal joy into your music classroom — without the stress of planning complex lessons from scratch!

Traditionally, music teachers often turn to the same Easter music lesson plans year after year:

• Creating and playing with simple egg shakers from plastic eggs filled with rice or beans.
• Colouring worksheets with Easter-themed music symbols.
• Singing songs about bunnies and eggs!

These activities are fine… but they often lack the deeper musical learning that makes a lesson truly valuable — not to mention, your students have probably done them all before!

But finding Easter music activities that are both educational AND fun can be challenging, especially when you’re already stretched thin with planning and teaching.

You want lessons that engage students while still teaching important musical concepts, not just “keeping them busy” with holiday-themed busywork. What if you could offer Easter activities that get students excited while developing real musical skills? Activities that connect to curriculum standards while still celebrating the season?

That’s why I’ve put together three ready-to-use Easter music lesson plan ideas that you can implement RIGHT AWAY — regardless of your resources or teaching experience! These go beyond the basic activities to offer meaningful musical experiences with an Easter twist!

Do your younger students struggle to remember music theory concepts?

This Easter egg theory match game can help!

Here’s how it works:

1. Create some “Easter egg flashcards” with pictures of Easter eggs on one side.
2. Create music theory match symbols and terms on the other side, based on what you’re currently working on:
   1. On one half of the eggs, draw music theory symbols or terms (quarter note, half rest, forte, piano, etc.)
   2. On the other half, write out matching names or definitions for each one.
3. Lay the “eggs” down in a grid on the floor.
4. Have students take turns to find an egg, then search for its matching pair.

If this seems too much work to create all these classroom sized flashcards and laminate them, then you don’t have to print or prepare anything at all! You can use our digital screen presentation below, all set up and ready to go for you!

This activity gets students moving, learning, and having FUN while reinforcing essential music concepts.

Simply bookmark the link below, and load it up in your classroom!

Extension Idea: For a quick assessment, have students write one or two of the music theory terms and symbols they found in the eggs in their workbooks.

This not only reinforces their learning but gives you valuable insight into what concepts they’re understanding!

For early finishers, challenge them to create their own matching pairs with other musical concepts, not included in the game. This turns assessment into a fun extension activity that promotes student ownership of their musical knowledge!

Are you looking for a way to breathe new life into a traditional song that many music teachers use?

Hot Cross Buns could be described as a music teacher’s “staple”, particularly for those using recorder in the classroom. 

Its easy B-A-G fingering has made it a standard for music teachers using the recorder, at all times of the year, not just at Easter!

We’ve given it a much needed “Fun Music Company revamp” with this new arrangement!

This multi-style arrangement of Hot Cross Buns transforms this simple tune into an exciting musical experience that students will ASK to play, over and over again!

Click play to preview:

Here’s what makes this arrangement special.

1 . It transforms it into different musical styles:

• Rock style
• Jazz style (with swing rhythm)
• Disco style (with shorter articulation)
• Synth-pop style (with a strong beat and alternative rhythm)

2. It includes new lyrics, discussing the various styles of hot cross buns available at Easter. (chocolate, fruitless etc).

What this does is give an important non-musical connection point for students.

You can discuss:

• What style of hot cross buns do you like best?

This also leads to the discussion of style in the music:

• Which of the musical styles do you connect with the most? 

3. It is a FLEXIBLE arrangement, and can be used many different ways.

It includes a flexible melody line that can either be played on recorder, sung, or both!

• For the recorder, most of it stays on B-A-G, however it also introduces a D in the last variation. This could be an extra challenge for students, however if they’re not up to it yet they can switch to singing for this variation.
• If you are not using recorders in your classroom, students can sing the melody instead. This opens opportunities to discuss different ways of using the voice for different styles. Using a shorter style for disco, or half-spoken for the modern synth-pop.

It includes a flexible tuned percussion part, that can be played on xylophones, or individual pitch instruments such as Boomwhackers.

The tuned percussion part only contains two notes, so older students can play both notes (one in each hand) and younger students can do one colour each.

There are also written untuned percussion parts, for tambourines, shakers, claves and rhythm sticks.

Like all arrangements included in the Fun Music Company Curriculum program, students need to READ the music and have specific notes to play. They aren’t ever just given an untuned percussion instrument and told to play along. That is a recipe for poor behavior and distraction! If they are given a specific part and have to follow it that is one of the first steps to keeping them on track!

This arrangement works beautifully for grades 3-4, but can easily be simplified for younger students or made more complex for older ones. This is part of our forthcoming seasonal supplement for the Fun Music Company Curriculum program, where we will provide activities for this song which suit their stage of development.

This is a brand new arrangement this year – so we’d love for you to try it out with your students and send us your feedback!

Specifically, we’d love to know which classes really loved it and how the difficulty of the parts suited your students.

Maybe this is one for you, and maybe it isn’t!

The chorus Hallelujah from George Frideric Handel’s Messiah is one of the most popular pieces of classical music ever written. Even in the most secular parts of society, we would suggest that most people have heard a phrase or two from this piece in their lifetimes.

In Christian circles of course this piece is revered and celebrated, not just at Easter but at Christmas and all throughout the year.

The structured approach of our CONNECT lesson on this piece helps students deeply connect with this masterpiece while developing critical listening skills.

While it has a religious text, it is well known that Handel wrote this piece for the concert hall, and not specifically for the church.

Teachers may, or may not decide to incorporate this into their music education programs, depending on how much their particular school can include religion. We understand that not all schools can include religious references, so we have not included any pieces that have religious connections (such as Handel’s Messiah) in the 140 lessons of our standard CONNECT program in the Fun Music Company Music Curriculum.

Rather, we have chosen to develop a seasonal supplement, which will gradually become available to members of the Fun Music Company curriculum over the coming year or two. We are creating additional content to mark holidays and events, such as Easter and Christmas, that teachers may or may not decide to include.

For those in religious schools, incorporating a lesson on Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus at Easter is a perfect way to celebrate and discuss the meaning of Easter. This can help in making it about more than just about the Easter Bunny and Easter Egg hunts in your classroom!

This CONNECT lesson has many different educational outcomes for the classroom:

• Students will learn about the musical format of ORATORIO, and how it is different from the form of Opera.
• Students will learn how the entire work of Messiah was created by Handel in just 24 days, and can discuss and explore how that may have occurred.
• Students will think about what it was like for Handel to compose music over 300 years ago, without access to today’s modern technology.
• Students will think about what made this work become popular, and why it has stayed popular for over 300 years.

Finally we have included a fun “flash mob” video of Hallelujah being performed in a shopping centre to share with the students, which will help them explore whether or not music can bring joy to strangers.

Even those in secular schools may be able to consider including this lesson, as we have tried to avoid including any religious teaching or meaning on our slides. 

We have left any religious meanings or interpretations open for discussion. Therefore, it is up to you, the teacher to decide what you can include in YOUR classroom! We think about these things very carefully, and always structure our content to put the teacher in control, while giving a broad framework that makes lesson planning easy.

As with all of our CONNECT lessons, this lesson includes:

• Preframe video. Gives some background and context of the music they’re about to hear. As the teacher, you can always choose to either show this video or skip it and teach the content yourself.
• Embedded Youtube video performance. We’ve done the hard work and found the best performances of this work.
• Fact based worksheet. A worksheet with important facts, and classroom presentation to go through the answers.
• Discussion Questions. Carefully considered discussion questions to open up deep learning for your students.

Click below to access and bookmark the classroom presentation for use in your classroom.

You can also access and print the associated PDF worksheet by clicking the worksheet icon below.

With these three Easter-themed music lessons, you’ve got some great suggestions for music classes during Easter week!

Start with the playful Easter Egg Theory Match. It gets your younger students excited about music symbols! Then move to the multi-style Hot Cross Buns arrangement. It develops performance skills in your middle grades! Finally, try the sophisticated CONNECT lesson on Handel’s Hallelujah chorus. It builds critical listening skills in your upper primary or elementary students!

You now have a progression of activities that marks the Easter season in a fun and meaningful way. Each one teaches essential musical concepts in an engaging way, and it matches in style with other music curriculum content.

These lessons require minimal prep time but deliver MAXIMUM student engagement and learning outcomes!

The best part? They are FREE, provided with our compliments, from the Fun Music Company!

While these three lesson ideas will add immediate Easter excitement to your classroom, I understand that planning an entire music curriculum can still be overwhelming.

That’s exactly why we created the Fun Music Company Curriculum Program!

It’s not just another resource with random activities — it’s a COMPLETE system designed by music teachers FOR music teachers who want to:

“The Fun Music Co is the GOLD STANDARD in music education!  I look forward to teaching with these programs “

Michelle, Elementary School Music Teacher

The curriculum includes projection-ready materials, assessment tools, differentiation guides, and so much more — all organized in a way that makes sense for anyone teaching music.

Click here to learn more about the Fun Music Company Curriculum Program »

How will YOU celebrate Easter in your music classroom?

Share your ideas in the comments below.

Happy Easter music-making!

St. Patrick’s Day offers an excellent opportunity to introduce music classes to the rich musical heritage of Ireland. These three ideas for a comprehensive St Patrick’s day Music lesson plan incorporate research on traditional Irish instruments, interactive performance of a classic Irish folk song, and appreciation of contemporary Irish music through the study of The Corrs. You may choose to do one of these activities, or all three! It is up to you!

St. Patrick’s Day, celebrated annually on March 17th, commemorates Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland who lived during the 5th century. Originally a religious feast day marking the anniversary of Saint Patrick’s death, it has evolved into a global celebration of Irish culture. Saint Patrick is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland and, according to legend, driving all the snakes from the island (though this is widely understood to be a metaphor for his eradication of pagan beliefs).

The shamrock, now an iconic symbol of the holiday, was reportedly used by Saint Patrick to explain the Holy Trinity. In Ireland, the day traditionally began as a religious observance, but has expanded to include parades, festivals, céilithe (traditional Irish social gatherings with music and dancing), and the wearing of green attire and shamrocks. When Irish immigrants brought their traditions to America and other countries, St. Patrick’s Day transformed into a broader celebration of Irish heritage and culture, where music has always played a central role.

Begin by discussing the significance of St. Patrick’s Day and its cultural importance in Ireland and around the world. Explain that music plays a central role in Irish celebrations and cultural identity. Below is a brief video clip of traditional Irish music being performed to set the tone and spark interest.

1. Exploring traditional Irish instruments
2. Learning and performing “The Rattlin’ Bog”
3. Discovering contemporary Irish music through The Corrs

Preparation Materials

• Images or videos of traditional Irish instruments
• Information about each instrument
• If possible, examples of instruments for demonstration

1. Bodhrán (pronounced “bow-rawn”)

• A frame drum made with a wooden body and a goatskin head
• Played with a double-headed stick called a “tipper” or “beater”
• Serves as the rhythmic heartbeat of traditional Irish music

2. Tin Whistle

• Also known as the penny whistle
• A simple six-holed woodwind instrument
• Made of metal or wood
• One of the most accessible Irish instruments for beginners

3. Uilleann Pipes

• Complex bagpipes unique to Ireland
• Bellows-blown (rather than mouth-blown) pipes with a softer sound than Scottish bagpipes
• Include a chanter, drones, and regulators
• Known for their ability to play staccato notes and harmonies

4. Celtic Harp

• Ireland’s national emblem
• Wire-strung or nylon-strung
• Used for both accompaniment and melody
• Historical significance in Irish culture and mythology

5. Fiddle

• Physically the same as a violin but played differently
• Central to Irish dance music
• Distinctive ornamentation techniques including rolls, cuts, and slides
• Regional playing styles (Donegal, Sligo, Clare)

6. Accordion and Concertina

• Button accordions became popular in Irish music in the 20th century
• The concertina (particularly the Anglo system) is smaller and produces a more crisp sound
• Both add harmonic richness to ensemble playing

Click here to play the interactive St Patrick’s day matching game from the Fun Music Company. This game features all the instruments above, where students can play each of the sounds and match the sound to the image.

The Rattlin’ Bog is an excellent choice for a St. Patrick’s Day lesson as it’s a traditional Irish folk song with a cumulative structure that makes it engaging and accessible for students of various ages.

About the Song

• A traditional Irish folk song (with variants in many cultures)
• Cumulative structure with each verse building on previous verses
• Fast-paced and rhythmic, making it exciting to perform
• Teaches sequencing and memory skills

Teaching Approach

Introduction (5 minutes)

1. Explain the song’s origin and structure
2. Discuss what a bog is (a wetland ecosystem) and its significance in Ireland
3. Show how cumulative songs work as memory devices in oral tradition

Learning the Basic Pattern (10 minutes)

1. Start with the chorus and first verse at a slow tempo
2. Teach the melody line first without the cumulative elements
3. Gradually increase the tempo as students become comfortable

Adding Instrumentation (15 minutes)

1. Incorporate simple percussion (bodhrán if available, or substitutes like frame drums)
2. Add untuned percussion parts found in the Fun Music Comapany arrangement available here
3. Add melodic instruments for accompaniment, such as xylophones, boomwhackers or chime bars

Performance Practice (10 minutes)

1. Incorporate dynamics to build excitement as verses accumulate
2. Consider adding simple choreography or hand movements
3. Create a performance structure with solos, group sections, and instrumental breaks

Modifications for Different Age Groups

Younger students: Focus on fewer cumulative elements and more movement
Middle grades: Full song with instrumental accompaniment
Older students: Add harmony parts and more complex arrangements

Click here to view the play-along video of “The rattlin’ bog” from the Fun Music Company. Click the link below and bookmark the page below to use in the classroom.

The Irish band The Corrs provide an excellent bridge between traditional Irish music and contemporary pop, showing students how cultural traditions evolve and remain relevant.

Background Information on The Corrs

1. Band Formation and Members

• Siblings from Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland: Andrea (lead vocals, tin whistle), Sharon (violin, vocals), Caroline (drums, bodhrán, vocals), and Jim Corr (guitar, keyboards, vocals)
• Formed in 1990Blend traditional Irish music with pop/rock elements
• Multi-instrumentalists who showcase traditional Irish instruments in a modern context

2. Musical Style and Influence

• Fusion of Celtic folk music with contemporary pop/rock
• Incorporation of traditional instruments alongside modern ones
• Harmonies reflecting Irish musical traditions
• Evolution of their sound through different albums

3. Cultural Impact

• International success bringing Irish music to global audiences
• Revitalizing interest in traditional Irish music among younger generations
• Representing Ireland’s cultural heritage on the world stage
• Collaborations with traditional Irish musicians

As our music curriculum members are aware, the Fun Music Company CONNECT lessons step through a consistent, logical progression in every lesson, which develops for each grade. There are 20 of these lessons in every grade of our program, meaning that members have access to 140 of these lessons.

Below is a lesson from our Grade 5 Music curriculum about the Corrs and their song “Breathless”

Whichever of these activities you include, you can bring it together by discussing:

• The continuity between traditional instruments, folk songs, and contemporary Irish music
• How cultural traditions evolve while maintaining their distinctive characteristics
• The role of music in preserving and celebrating cultural heritage

Have students reflect on what they’ve learned by writing a brief response about their favorite aspect of Irish music, or discussing how learning about another culture’s music helps us understand our own musical traditions better.

These St. Patrick’s Day music lesson ideas do more than celebrate the holiday. They help students explore Irish musical heritage, build performance skills, and understand how traditional music continues to evolve. Through these activities, students can connect with history while appreciating the role of Irish music today.”

It includes:

• 40 pre-programmed lessons for every grade from K-6.
• Complete SING & PLAY arrangements with singing, untuned and tuned percussion.
• 20 unique COMPOSE lessons in every grade.
• Structured assessments matching curriculum requirements.

So yes, you can create your own music appreciation curriculum for primary or elementary school.

This page has given you many insights on how to do that. However, if you don’t have time, the Fun Music Company Music Curriculum will give you a head start. As well as music listening, you’ll have the rest of your curriculum covered as well!

Bucket drumming is fun and easy to learn. It’s a great way to teach rhythm and drumming to students. This activity turns ordinary buckets into bucket drums. It’s affordable and works well in schools. However, using the right buckets, drumsticks, and noise management methods can improve the experience. In this guide, we discover the best buckets for bucket drumming in schools. You’ll learn where to buy bucket drums, which drumsticks to use, and how to make drumming quieter.

When it comes to bucket drumming, not all bucket drums are created equal. The type, size, and material of the bucket can greatly impact the sound quality, durability, and ease of use. Here are some key factors to consider when looking for the best buckets for drumming:

• 5-Gallon/20 Litre Buckets: These are the most popular choice for bucket drumming. Their large size provides a deep, resonant tone when struck in the centre and a higher-pitched tone near the edges. They also accommodate a wide range of drumming techniques. Often they come with a lid, which can be used for a deeper, bass drum style tone. Alternatively, the lids can be removed, and they can be placed open-end down on the floor, and played on the closed end.

• Smaller Buckets: For younger students, smaller buckets (e.g., 2-3-gallon/10 Litre) are easier to handle and produce higher-pitched tones. However, often these are made of lighter weight plastic, which may not stand up to the punishment of bucket drumming. These probably should be avoided for that reason. If you can find strong, smaller buckets in the same style as the 5-Gallon/20 Litre ones pictured, they will work well.

• Plastic Buckets: Durable, lightweight, and affordable, plastic buckets are the go-to choice for most bucket drumming programs. They come in various colors, allowing for creative and visually appealing setups.

• Metal buckets can add a unique, sharper tone to the ensemble, but should be used very sparingly due to their volume and durability.

• Home Depot “Homer” Buckets: These bright orange 5-gallon buckets are durable and widely available at hardware stores.

• Any Generic White 5 Gallon buckets: Similar in size and quality to the Home Depot ones, these are another popular option.

Bucket drums can be purchased from a variety of sources:

• Hardware Stores:  Stores such as Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Ace Hardware are excellent places to find affordable, high-quality buckets. Bulk discounts may be available.
• Online Retailers: Amazon and other online stores often sell buckets in packs, which can be convenient for larger school programs.
• Restaurant Supply Stores: Many restaurants use 5-gallon buckets for food storage. Contact local establishments to see if they have clean, unused buckets available for free or at a low cost.
• Recycling Centres: Check with local recycling facilities for gently used buckets that can be repurposed for drumming.

This is a common question we’ve had here at the Fun Music Company.
It goes something like this:

“The buckets we purchased came with lids. Should we use them or throw them away?”

Firstly, bucket drumming will work with or without the lids. The drums can either be:

1. Placed on their base and played with the lid on as their “skin”

or …

2. Placed upside down with their open end on the floor and played using the bottom closed end as the “skin”. The lid could be thrown away.

Either way will work. The answer for you may depend on the sound that you prefer. The lid tends to be a lower tone, more like a bass drum. However the bottom of the bucket tends to be a slightly higher tone, a little more like a tom tom.

So, experiment with the buckets you have, and perhaps try some with lids, and some without. It is up to you!

The type of drumsticks used in bucket drumming can influence the sound and play-ability. Here are some factors to consider when selecting drumsticks:

• Wooden Drumsticks: These are the most common choice. Look for sticks made of hickory or maple, which are lightweight and durable.
• Plastic or Nylon-Tipped Drumsticks: These produce a slightly brighter sound and can be more durable than wooden tipped sticks.

• Standard Sizes: Drumsticks labeled 5A or 7A are ideal for bucket drumming. They are lightweight, making them easy to use for extended periods
• Home-made Drumsticks: If budget is a concern, consider making your own drumsticks with straight dowels from the hardware store. They should be sanded carefully and finished with varnish. They can also be covered with plastic tape to make them last longer.

Drumsticks can be purchased at:

• Music Stores: Local music shops often carry a wide variety of drumsticks. Staff can help recommend the best options for beginners.

• Online Retailers: Websites like Amazon, Ebay and Guitar Center offer extensive selections of drumsticks, often at discounted prices.

• Educational Suppliers: Companies like Rhythm Band Instruments specialize in classroom percussion supplies.

Bucket drumming can be loud, which may not always be ideal for classrooms or shared spaces. Here are some strategies to reduce noise levels:

• Alternative Sticks/Rods: If you can afford them, drum brushes or multi-rods produce a softer sound compared to traditional drumsticks.

• Foam Pads: Place a thin layer of foam or rubber over the playing surface to absorb vibrations and reduce sound. It is possible to make these by purchasing a rubber yoga mat, and cutting circles out of it, then gluing or taping it onto the playing surface of the bucket.

• Towels or cloth: Drape a towel over the bucket’s playing surface to muffle the sound. This is a quick and affordable solution.

• Drum Mutes: Rubber drum mutes designed for drum kits can be cut to fit over bucket surfaces, significantly reducing volume.

• Lighter Strokes: Teach students to play with a lighter touch, focusing on control rather than force. Dynamics control is a critical element which is covered comprehensively in the bucket drumming program from the Fun Music Company

One of the most important factors in keeping volume under control is classroom management. Students should not play the bucket at any time if they are not playing together. Individual practice is not required or desirable in the classroom. They should only ever make a sound on the drum when playing together.

Students who do not comply with this direction should be immediately removed from the activity, until everyone understands that to successfully make music together they must all work as a team. Strict classroom management is very important to make this happen, and at the Fun Music Company we even provide a comprehensive guide for this area in our bucket drumming program.

• Stackable buckets save space and make it easy to transport and store your equipment.
• Use one bucket to collect all sticks together. Sticks do not necessarily need to be kept together in perfect pairs for bucket drumming. All sticks can be collected into one bucket.
• Inspect buckets and drumsticks regularly for signs of wear and tear. Replace damaged items promptly to ensure safety.

• Allow students to decorate their buckets with paint or stickers. This can make for a visually striking performance.
• Experiment with different bucket types and sizes to create a variety of tones and textures.
• Have students contribute ideas for staging their performance. They enjoy suggesting choreography or costuming ideas to create an engaging performance.
• Have students compose their own pieces. Use this as extension to the composition activities in the Fun Music Company music curriculum program. Alternatively, then can adapt rhythm compositions they have already made to the bucket drums.

• Show students how to hold drumsticks correctly and strike different parts of the bucket for varied sounds. Videos and guidance on this are included in the Fun Music Company bucket drumming program. This not only improves their playing but also minimises wear on the equipment.

• Integrate bucket drumming with music theory, mathematics (rhythm counting), or even physical education for a cross-curricular approach.

Bucket drumming is a dynamic and cost-effective way to introduce students to the world of percussion. By choosing the right buckets, drumsticks, and noise-dampening techniques, you can create an enjoyable and manageable experience for everyone involved. Whether you source buckets from local hardware stores or online retailers, the key is to prioritize durability, sound quality, and ease of use. With the right tools and a bit of creativity, bucket drumming can become a highlight of your school’s music program!

Teaching Year 2 students can be a challenging journey. It can be difficult to find the perfect balance between progression and meeting curriculum needs.

In this post, I’ve listed out the 5 most powerful tips for teaching grade two music and what to keep in mind.

I’m not going to sugarcoat it. Teaching music and writing a full music teaching curriculum for Grade 2 is hard! From the outset it requires lots of commitment, energy, hard work, and practice. It may take many hundreds of hours in researching and planning content.

Many worldwide State and National Curriculum documents exist. However, governments leave curriculum planning and programming up to school leaders and teachers. It is often up to the teacher to decide how curricula should be translated into the classroom.

Most teachers create their own music teaching resources, or share with colleagues.

However, this creates a few problems:

• Inconsistency between what’s taught in schools.
• Quality control with resources found online.
• Unnecessary workload for teachers.

If you’re serious about teaching grade two music lessons, this article can show you how to get started. If you enjoy those initial ideas, we can steer you in the right direction of stream-lining the process.

Let’s dive into our top 5 tips for teaching year 2 music classes from scratch, even if you’re a beginner to this subject!

Composer Carl Orff once wrote:

“Tell me, I forget. Show me, I remember. Involve me, I understand.”

This quote emphasizes the importance of active learning and engagement. It is really important in developing understanding when teaching music.

In the second grade children are in a phase where they’re trying to make sense of both the larger world and their personal lives.

They crave structure, order, and a sense of safety in their everyday environments.

They thrive on the predictable patterns. Series’ of books, familiar TV shows, and set routines offer comfort. They crave something known in a world that’s full of mysteries.

Despite their eagerness to learn, second-graders can become risk-averse. They can also be frustrated when things don’t go according to plan.

A grade 2 teacher plays a crucial role. They model how to laugh off their own errors and ease anxiety around getting everything “just right.”

Therefore, integrating these insights into a grade 2 music programs should include :

• Creating a consistent (somewhat predictable yet detailed) music course outline which progresses every lesson.
• Active and practical musical engagement activities that offer success in every lesson.
• Content that has progression of detail and develops a range of musical skills.
• Include active listening which develops a musical knowledge base.
• Offer a ”light”,  FUN, “play-like” approach emphasizing creativity and improvisation.

Grade two children crave routine. They thrive on structure, and repetition. This, with just a little variety thrown in to spice things up will keep grade 2 students loving their music lessons!

Therefore, find a consistent outline for your classes that works.

 The Fun Music Company curriculum has a consistent structure that is repeated consistently, with different activities placed into it for variety.

Here is a typical outline from a Fun Music Company Curriculum lesson for grade two:

Everyone who has ever exercised knows the importance of warming up. Not warming up properly and launching into intense exercise or sport can cause injury.

However, warming up in a teaching context is more about giving students something:

• Which is fun, that will “hook” them into the learning.
• Something that they can achieve right away.
• Something that progresses over time, so that they don’t get bored.

Finding the right combination of these things isn’t easy! It has taken us years and years here at the Fun Music Company to find the right combination of teaching ideas, such as this one for grade two music classes.

For students to benefit from music lessons, they must SING and PLAY music.

For years, parents believed in the Mozart Effect. This was the idea that children would get neurological benefits from listening to classical music. That has since been found to be fanciful at best. However, what has been found over and over again is that active involvement in singing and playing music is truly beneficial.

For this reason, any music program must be built on a foundation of children singing and playing music. This should be quality music, chosen by professional educators. This is why the Fun Music Company curriculum program for grade two is built with singing and playing at the core.

The third part of the lesson structure is where students will:

Actively LISTEN and engage with music.
and/or
Create their OWN music.

These elements of the curriculum can, and should have a lot of variety. However, placing it inside a structure will be really beneficial for grade two music classes.
In Grade two, these activities nearly always appear at the end of lessons. This is when students have already had a good warmup through engaging actives and involvement in singing and playing.

“learning is an active process. We learn by doing. Only knowledge that is used sticks in your mind.”
Dale Carnegie.

Music, of course is an active subject. It goes without saying that students will not remember things where they don’t actively engage and DO them.

However, this is more than just having students play instruments and sing.

Yes, singing and playing IS active learning. However, real active learning is where students are involved in the learning learning process, rather than passively taking on information.

So students need to make decisions. They need to actively be involved in discussions and questions such as:

How can we make this performance better?

What does it sound like when I play an instrument in this particular way?

What should we do to make a piece of music that will express a particular feeling or emotion?

Yes, this CAN be done in Grade two music lessons. This might seem difficult, but it isn’t really. If you have the framework, and you’re not starting from scratch, these kind of questions flow naturally.

Here at the Fun Music Company, we have spent the last fifteen years studying music curricula. We’ve looked at the Australian National curriculum. Firstly in its original form, and then in its current generation. We have also dived deep into the state-based curricula in Australia.

We’ve also looked internationally at every curriculum program we’ve encountered. We’ve looked in detail at the US Common Core Arts Standards, and the National Curriculum of England and Wales. We’ve worked with other curricula from US states, New Zealand, and Canadian provinces.

And do you know what we’ve found? 

Every music curriculum in the world contains the same basic content. It’ll be packaged and phrased in different ways, but it is always there.

Every music curriculum in the world can boil down to three basic areas:

#1 – Students should actively SING and PLAY music.

#2 – Students should develop their listening and aural skills.

#3 – Students should compose and create their own music.



In our experience, it is #3 that presents the biggest challenge for many teachers.

It is partly the nature of music and the traditions around music education. Think about the difference in expectations of the general population between music and visual art.

In the tradition of music, students are expected to stand on a stage and give a concert. They are judged, rightly or wrongly, on how proficient they are at reproducing music that someone else has created.

As a parent, if we go to a concert at our child’s school, we’d expect to hear a certain thing. We’d hear folk songs, popular songs and performances of Beethoven’s Fur Elise on the piano.

In visual art, if we went to a school exhibition our expectations would be different. We would NOT expect to see reproductions of the Mona Lisa, or Van Goh’s starry night. In fact, if we did we’d question if the teacher was doing this right thing!

We would want to see the children’s original work. If a tiny child in kindergarten makes a few squiggles on the page and says its a person … their parents will say “That’s beautiful!!” … keep going!

If a child  makes a scratchy sound on an instrument parents will tell them to stop!

We can’t change that overnight. However, what we CAN do is make sure that music lessons at school contain more creative activity.

In grade two music lessons, we must include a good proportion of creative and improvisation activities. This way, students will start to become comfortable creating their own music.

Creative and improvisational activities in Grade Two music:

You’ve heard the metaphor before. According to Wikipedia, to reinvent the wheel is to

“attempt to duplicate – most likely with inferior results – a basic method that has already been created or optimised by others.”

It might seem an overstatement that teachers are asked to reinvent the wheel in developing grade two music lessons – but unfortunately, it isn’t!

It seems crazy that teachers are expected to create their own lesson plans. They spend hundreds, if not thousands of hours searching the internet. They spend hours writing and rewriting lessons. They spend hours finding songs that suit their students. They spend hours going through the curriculum, trying to find activities that work.

That is why THE most important tip in this article is this one:

Don’t do it all yourself.

There are hundreds and thousands of webpages on the internet about teaching music lessons. Even a search for ‘grade two music lessons’ will give you hundreds of pages.

However, starting with free searches on Google will take you more time, not less.

What you need is a complete grade two music curriculum, that you go through step-by-step.

Sure, you can adapt and change things for your particular needs. However, you need the basic framework and structure set, so that you can walk in and teach.

So check out the Fun Music Company grade two music curriculum and stop reinventing the wheel for no reason!

This article hopes to give you an insight into how we create primary music lesson plans  here at the Fun Music Company.

In this post, I’ll be breaking down the essential elements to an primary music lesson. I’ll show you the strategies to cover every area of your music curriculum. Plus I’ll show you how to teach a fun primary music lesson as soon as tomorrow!

Who am I, and what do I have to offer?

My name is Janice Tuck, and I’m the creative director here at the Fun Music Company. I’ve been working with teachers here at the Fun Music Company to create resources, materials, and primary music lesson plans for over 20 years now.

Author:
Janice Tuck

Music teacher and creative director
of the Fun Music Company.

A lesson plan is a document that outlines what is going to happen in a lesson.

In its traditional form, it would include:

1. A statement of the learning outcome for the lesson.
2. Lists of the resources and supplies needed for the lesson.
3. A list of activities that the students will complete.
4. Guidelines for the amount of time required for each activity in the lesson plan
5. A guide for assessing the students learning and seeing how they meet the learning outcome.
6. Statements showing how the lesson supports the needs of state and/or national curriculum requirements.
7. A space for evaluation and reflection of the lesson and planning. This, should in theory, make for a more successful lesson from this topic in the future.

Now my question to anyone is:

How many teachers actually have time to create such a document for every single lesson they teach?

Not many, that is for sure!

When surveyed, 92%* of Australian teachers stated they didn’t have time to prepare adequately for their lessons.

Also … 86% of teachers reported they didn’t have time to create a lesson planning document for every lesson. 

Most teachers are typically required to teach throughout most of the day. However, if they’re fortunate, they may get one or two non-contact hours each week. During these limited hours, they must fit in all their marking, planning, assessments, phone calls, and correspondence. Alternatively, they might take their planning home, leading to long hours spent in the evening and on weekends. Consequently, they end up feeling tired and burned out.

In light of this, it is no surprise that a recent survey* of over 3,000 teachers revealed that 78% are experiencing stress. Moreover, 36% report that they are suffering from burnout.

So… in short: the chance of teachers making a comprehensive primary music lesson plan (like the one above) for every single lesson they teach is very unlikely!

We believe that this lesson type of planning process is unnecessary. Plus we believe it is actually CAUSING the stress that finds teachers leaving the profession!

It’s a myth that any music teacher should be preparing each lesson to this degree. Instead what music teachers need is a simple lesson planning system. A system which saves time on preparation and does not create more work and stress!

We have spent the past two decades of talking and learning from the best music educators in the world.

What is the #1 piece of advice we’ve learned?

CONNECTION and RAPPORT  with students is the most important skill that any music teacher can possess.

We believe all music teachers should have time in each lesson to think about their students and what their needs are.

Our wish is that any teacher should be able to show up and teach. They should have a step-by-step consistent program with the activities set. Then the planning is easily handled! It shouldn’t matter how much experience they have.

That’s exactly why we make our primary music lesson plans simple and easy to use. They require little if any preparation time from the teacher.

What are the critical parts of a primary music lesson plan?

1 – A statement of the learning outcome for the lesson.
2 – The lesson activities

That is it. The rest of it should be handled by the overall program of lessons, not on an individual lesson basis.

Links to curriculum? That needs to be handled by the structure of the overall program that is put in place. A balance of activities linked to all the curriculum outcomes achieves this.

What about Assessments?  These can and should be handled by the framework of the overall program. Students in primary/elementary music should be assessed once or twice per school term. These assessments should be done in the easiest possible manner. To do more than that takes away time from valuable learning opportunities and FUN in every class.

The rest of it is either unnecessary, or can be handled by consistent repetition.

For example, creating a list of supplies for the grade level is often redundant. The instruments and resources we need for a grade are often the same for each lesson. Instead, organise the teaching space so that all instruments and resources are available when you need them.

This is a critical piece of the puzzle. In doing anything from making dinner to running for a leadership position, the first step is always to set an outcome.

A learning outcome is just an intention. However, if a teacher is doing this themselves they have to think  “ok … where do I start with creating a learning outcome?”

So they may start by looking at a curriculum document such as the Australian curriculum. Here they will find a content statement such as this:

“Manipulate elements of music to communicate ideas, perspectives and/or meaning when composing and practising for performance”

(from Australian curriculum v9, Music, Years 3 and 4)

However, this can leave any person feeling confused and vague about what to actually do!

The content statement above is not intended to be an outcome for ONE lesson. Instead, it’s intended to be a part of an overall structure of the curriculum.

For this reason The Fun Music Company spend many hours thinking about these content statements. We spend hours and hours thinking up ideas that focus on sections of the content statements. Then, we create a primary music lesson plan around it.

We then look at the entire program of lessons and work out whether we have covered the content statement appropriately.

For example in the COMPOSE section of Grade 3 we have a lesson for this curriculum statement were the learning outcome is:

“Students will work together in small groups to create an untuned percussion piece which tells a story using dynamics.”

So our curriculum statement requires that students manipulate an element of music, and they are doing this in this lesson by  using dynamics.

They are also communicating perspectives and/or meanings through the means of telling a story.

There are similar lessons through our program for each of the elements of music: pitch, melody, rhythm etc.

It is our firm belief that teachers shouldn’t have to come up with their own lesson outcomes. Instead, they should be able to choose from a range of them, and go and teach the lesson! Total lesson preparation time: 5 minutes.

If a teacher has to come up with an idea for a lesson based on the curriculum outcome it will take anywhere from 3 to 4 HOURS to come up with a lesson idea and write the lesson plan.

And what teacher has time for an extra 3-4 hours of out-of-school preparation every night after the school bell rings?

(Stepping AWAY from the curriculum to the common sense corner for a moment)

Before I get into the lesson activities and how they are structured … I just want to take a moment to step AWAY from the curriculum, and think about what we are doing and why.

Music. That is the subject we are involved in.

As the great, late Richard Gill has said… “Music is important, and music is good.”

If you have not seen it, take a moment to watch Richard’s famous Ted-x talk from 2011:

Richard Gill was one of my mentors, a wonderful man and advocate for music education.

Richard passionately believed that children should be involved in SINGING and PLAYING music.

In this speech above, and in many of his speeches he said:

“Music is the RIGHT of every child, no matter where, and what the circumstance.”

Therefore, what we believe here at the Fun Music Company is that all music lessons should include singing and playing music actively.

So while the curriculum is very important, the means by which they need to access the curriculum must always include singing and playing, and children actively involved in music making.

Richard also says in his famous speech above:

“Through singing, is how we engage every child”
“Singing is how we teach children to be literate, to read and write”
“Through singing, is how we teach children to analyse.”

So while the curriculum is important, we have to make sure that we involve the singing and playing of music every single lesson. Also singing and playing is in the curriculum anyway, so its not like we’re doing anything different or contrary to the curriculum.

That is why in our Fun Music Company curriculum program we involve the singing and playing at every level, in every lesson.

So to plan our lessons, this is the basic structure that we work on when we create primary music lesson plans for the Fun Music Company curriculum.

1. A SKILLS warmup. (aligned to the curriculum.)

2. Singing and playing music (aligned to the curriculum.)

3. COMPOSE or CONNECT activities (aligned to the curriculum.)

At times, the COMPOSE or CONNECT activity can more than cover the entire lesson time, however there is still singing and playing instruments at the heart of what we do.

At times, the singing and playing music could take more of the lesson if needed – however the COMPOSE or CONNECT activity is always there.

This is a screenshot of an outline from our NEW Fun Music Company curriculum V2.0, from Grade 2:

In this lesson the students do a quick SKILLS warmup. They then get into singing and playing with a great song called Bow Wow Wow. Finally they do a COMPOSE activity developing sound and silence.

Here is a PDF of the lesson plan for the COMPOSE lesson guide for grade 2, so you can see how the sequence of lessons links to the curriculum.

As we’ve described in this article, the two single most important factors in creating any primary music lesson plan are:

1. having an outcome in mind

and

2. having a set of fun planned activities that help you progress towards your specific class’s curriculum and learning needs.

Becoming an impactful music teacher is not about being the most skilled musician or singer or having all the answers upfront. It’s about having a systematized approach, being prepared to try new ideas and putting the needs of your students first.

So start by downloading our free music curriculum sample pack by entering your details below.

Janice Tuck

Music Teacher and Creative Director of the Fun Music Company.

* Teacher well-being survey by Education support UK. https://www.educationsupport.org.uk/resources/for-organisations/research/teacher-wellbeing-index/