STRETCHY BAND MUSIC AND MOVEMENT ACTIVITIES “1-2-3-4-5 ONCE I CAUGHT A FISH ALIVE”

Music and movement activities help young children develop rhythm, coordination, and a sense of musicality. One fantastic tool I love to use in my classroom for engaging young learners is the stretchy band—a colorful, elastic band that allows children to move together in fun and interactive ways.

April is #musicandmovementmonth and I’m sharing a variety of movement activities this month. Music and Movement Month isn’t an official holiday, but Bear Paw Creek and I have shared music and movement activities every April now for 5 years. Be sure to share your music and movement activities #musicandmovementmonth on social media and tag me @singplaycreate (Instagram) @singplaycreates (Facebook)

Here’s their blog post this month:

Top 3 Movement Props with Activities for Music and Movement Month

And that’s why this lesson plan focuses on using the stretchy band for the nursery rhyme “1-2-3-4-5 Once I Caught a Fish Alive,” incorporating movement, rhythm, and instrument play. Keep reading to get the activity ideas and the materials.

You can find “1-2-3-4-5 ONCE I CAUGHT A FISH ALIVE” on ALL music channels!

WHY USE A STRETCHY BAND IN MUSIC LESSONS?

Stretchy bands encourage teamwork, develop motor skills, and provide sensory input that can help children focus. When combined with nursery rhymes, they create an engaging, hands-on experience that reinforces steady beat, rhythm, and musical phrasing. I’ve had great success with them in my classroom with all grades!

4 STRETCHY BAND MUSIC AND MOVEMENT ACTIVITIES FOR “1-2-3-4-5 ONCE I CAUGHT A FISH ALIVE”

Each of these activities builds on the natural beat and rhythm of the song while incorporating gross and fine motor movements. I’ve found that my students remember and internalize and show these musical concepts more easily by learning them through creative movement activities like this one. I highly recommend using a stretchy band in your music classroom.

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ACTIVITY 1: BOUNCE ON THE BEAT

This activity helps students internalize the steady beat through movement. You’ll want to get the resource with all of the visuals to help teach these concepts!

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Stretchy Band music and movement activity lesson for the fun nursery rhyme "1-2-3-4-5 Once I Caught a Fish Alive" Get your students moving and learning with this engaging multi-level music lesson with a stretchy band. Teach music concepts like BEAT, RHYTHM, OSTINATO while helping students exercise gross motor muscles and use their imagination!

INSTRUCTIONS:

Have children stand in a circle holding onto the stretchy band.
Stretch the band outward to form a large circle before starting the song.
Follow these movement cues while singing:
- (4 beats) Walk in a circle and bounce the stretchy band on the beat while singing:
  “1-2-3-4-5”
- (4 beats) Walk toward the center of the circle on the beat:
  “Once I caught a fish alive.”
- (4 beats) Walk in a circle and bounce on the beat:
  “6-7-8-9-10”
- (4 beats) Walk outward and on beat 4, let go of the stretchy band:
  “Then I let him go again.”
- (4 beats) Quickly run back and grab the stretchy band again:
  “Why did you let him go?”
- (4 beats) Stretch the band up over the head:
  “Because he bit my finger so.”
- (4 beats) Stretch the band down to the toes:
  “Which finger did he bite?”
- (4 beats) Bounce the stretchy band on the beat:
  “The little finger on the right.”

WHY IT WORKS:

Encourages gross motor movement while keeping children engaged.
Reinforces steady beat and phrase structure.
Provides a fun, interactive way to experience music.

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Stretchy Band by Bear Paw Creek for music and movement activities. Look on Amazon or Google to get yours today.

ACTIVITY 2: ACTIONS TO THE LYRICS

This variation adds specific actions that correspond to the words of the song.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Stretch the band outward to start.
Perform these actions while singing:
- Walk and bounce on the beat for numbers (“1-2-3-4-5”).
- Move toward the center while singing “Once I caught a fish alive.”
- Walk and bounce again for “6-7-8-9-10.”
- Step back and release the band on “Then I let him go again.”
- Quickly grab the band again for “Why did you let him go?”
- Stretch up high on “Because he bit my finger so.”
- Stretch down low on “Which finger did he bite?”
- Bounce the band for “The little finger on the right.”

WHY IT WORKS:

Reinforces comprehension of lyrics through movement.
Strengthens gross motor coordination.
Helps with group cooperation and timing.

ACTIVITY 3: SITTING DOWN – PLAY A (TA TA TI-TI TA) RHYTHM ON THE BAND

This seated activity helps children develop rhythm awareness and introduces basic rhythmic notation. Even preschoolers can give this activity a try!

INSTRUCTIONS:

Have children sit in a circle while holding the stretchy band.
Everyone plays a simple rhythm (“Ta Ta Ti-Ti Ta”) by bouncing the stretchy band together.
Alternate variation: Split the circle in half—one half plays the beat, while the other half plays the rhythm.

WHY IT WORKS:

Reinforces rhythm patterns in a hands-on way.
Encourages active listening and group coordination.
Provides a kinesthetic approach to rhythmic learning.

ACTIVITY 4: PLAY INSTRUMENTS

Adding instruments to the activity enhances musical engagement and provides opportunities for creative expression. And it’s easy to do!

INSTRUCTIONS:

Begin by playing the rhythm on the stretchy band.
Place a drum and another percussion instrument (e.g., tambourine, maracas) in the center of the circle.
Invite students to take turns playing the beat or rhythm on the instruments while others continue bouncing the stretchy band.
Gradually introduce up to five different instruments into the center of the circle.
Rotate students so everyone gets a chance to play an instrument.

WHY IT WORKS:

Introduces children to different percussion instruments.
Encourages turn-taking and sharing.
Develops a deeper understanding of beat versus rhythm.

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CONCLUSION: BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER

I love how the stretchy band movement transforms a simple nursery rhyme into an interactive, engaging, and multi-sensory music lesson. By incorporating movement, rhythm, and instrument play, I know my students will develop essential musical skills while having fun. Whenever I use the stretchy band-I don’t have classroom management issues! Just fun!

What’s super about these activities is that they can be adapted for different age groups and learning levels, making them a valuable addition to any early childhood music class. These activities can be adapted for Preschool, Kindergarten, First, Second and even Third grade.

For the primary grades you’ll want to focus on playing the STEADY BEAT and pretend play and circle games.

For 2nd and 3rd you’ll want to incorporate instrument activities and even print the sheet music for the students to play the melody on xylophones.