Music Activities for Pre-K

Easy Activities

• Start the day by playing a variety of kid-friendly songs for the children. Tell the children to listen to the beat, patterns and words of the music. After they listen for a couple of minutes, allow them to release energy by getting up and dancing around the classroom. Ask the children to listen to the beat of the music and see if they can move their bodies to the beat. Turn off the music, ask the children if they heard any specific beats and allow them to give examples.

Crafts

• Children can make a variety of musical instruments with crafts supplies. For a basic noisemaker, the children can place beads, rocks, rice and beans inside plastic bottles. Other items to put these items in include paper plates and cardboard tubes. Place rubber bands around a rectangular tissue box to create a guitar-type instrument. Give the children markers, crayons, stickers and glitter pens to decorate the instruments. For easy crafts, print coloring pages from the Internet of different musical instruments for the children to color.

Parade

• Develop motor skills and coordination by planning a musical parade for your preschool class. Give each preschooler a different musical instrument. Examples include bells, plastic eggs filled with coins, drums, noisemakers and rhythm sticks. Have the children line up and put on a parade around the school or classroom, showing off their musical instruments. Have the children switch instruments throughout the parade so each child has a chance to play all the instruments.

Games

• Your prekindergarten class will enjoy playing games that include music. For example, play music and tell the children to dance around the room. When the music stops, they must freeze in place. Any child caught moving is out of the game. You can also have the children sit in a circle and play a game of "Hot Potato" or "Musical Chairs." Keep playing each game until only one child remains. He is the winner of the game.