Hello! Here’s 10 elementary music end of year activities + a free resource with all of the directions and links to these games and songs. The last few weeks of school can be a challenge-but I’ve got some insightful tips for you in this blog post. I’m Sandra and I taught general music for 20 years and I’ve worked with children for over 30. I love helping teachers with discovering activities that will work with their students and instill creativity and musical knowledge. Keep reading to get the Free Resource and Tips!
Here’s a couple of TIPS for planning your end of year activities.
Choose activities that your students already know and love.
Pair high energy activities with calm and quieter activities.
Choose a different activity for each grade level.
I feel that the end of year is a time for inclusion and memory making and not a time for assessment.
I want my students to want to come back to music next year and I want them to leave with happy memories.
Include students as game and activity leaders. By choosing familiar activities you can use students to lead the class.
It’s always such a great joy to see them lead the activity and perhaps add a fun twist to games or songs.
Let the students do the work and show you what they know! Here are the 10 elementary music end of year activities!
Join our FREEBIES GROUP! Many of the following activities can be found in our Free Resource Library. Subscribe to the Sing Play Create Newsletter to gain access to over 200 FREE RESOURCES.
“Grizzly Bear” Game-FREE DYNAMICS ACTIVITY when you join our FREEBIE GROUP
Play the grizzly bear game with scarves, a parachute, a stretchy band or a ball!
Product Link: Music Lesson: Loud/Soft Dynamics “Grizzly Bear” Song TpT Link
Music Lesson: Loud/Soft Dynamics “Grizzly Bear” Song Web Shop
Song Link: “Grizzly Bear” Song
How to Teach Dynamics with Scarf Movement-GRIZZLY BEAR SONG
“Bluebird, Bluebird” is another favorite game song. I use this game at the end of the school year in K & 1 classes. 1 student will be the blue bird and weave between the students in the circle. Students stand in a circle, hold hands up high while singing: “Bluebird, bluebird through my window” (3 times).
When students get to “Oh! Johnny (name of student) aren’t you tired?” they drop their arms and circle the bluebird student. The bluebird then taps a student to follow them around the circle. (Choose one of the students who dropped arms.) Then the 2 bluebirds follow each other in and out the “windows”.
The last bluebird is always the one who gets caught in the windows and chooses the next bluebird. Eventually most of the circle is following the lead bluebird. When you run out of windows, stop the game.
Product Link:“Bluebird, Bluebird” Folk Song & Game: Kodaly Music Lesson TpT Link
“Bluebird, Bluebird” folk song & Game: Kodaly Music Lesson Shop Link
Song Link: “Bluebird, Bluebird”
Black Snake, Cut the Cake, Purple Stew, Snail, Snail, Mouse, Mousie, The Farmer in the Dell
Go ‘Round and ‘Round the Village are some of the more popular ones.
These songs are easy to find on your favorite music channels like Spotify, Amazon and Apple Music.
I’ve listed them here for reference only.
Doggie, Doggie Where’s Your Bone?
“Doggie, Doggie Where’s Your bone”, is a fun song and game you can play in your elementary music classes.
Use the activity as a music lesson for end of year activities
It’s a favorite Kodaly elementary music lesson to teach sol-la-mi patterns
Elementary music teachers can use the song in music class in a variety of ways to encourage learning and practicing sol-la-mi patterns, independent singing and social skills like “taking turns”. A traditional elementary music class activity and Kodaly music lesson. Play the kids game song at home and at school!
Watch the Lesson on the Sing Play Create YouTube Channel:
Product Link: Music Lessons: “I Had a Dog” and “Doggie, Doggie” Songs, Activities Kodaly, Orff-TpT
Music Lessons: “I Had a Dog” and “Doggie, Doggie” Songs, Activities Kodaly, Orff-Web Shop
Song Link: Doggie, Doggie Where’s Your Bone?
🎵 “Doggie, Doggie Where’s Your Bone?” – Kodály Method Directions
1. Song Preparation (Experience and Enjoyment Phase)
Student: “I stole your bone!”
The doggie gets 3 guesses. If guessed incorrectly then the student sings out. Play begins again and a new dog, a new chooser and finally a new “bone stealer” are chosen.
Create a list of students’ favorite songs from your lessons that year. Divide up into small groups. Each group chooses a song. Then I ask them to create or compose something new in the form of movement or music for that song using movement props, play props and/or instruments.
I keep track of the groups and songs and then choose the class time when they will perform. They will only perform for each other during class-time.
I prefer to use this activity in only one grade at the end of the school year. In the Sing Play Create K-6 MUSIC CURRICULUM BUNDLE there are several songs my students enjoy.
K- ENGINE, ENGINE NO. 9
1-TURKEY, TURKEY WHERE ARE YOU HIDING?
2-DOGGIE, DOGGIE WHERE’S YOUR BONE?
3-I’M A PIRATE
4-“HAVE YOU SEEN THE GHOST OF JOHN?”
5-“LET ME OUT ON HALLOWEEN NIGHT” (2 PART ROUND)
K-6 Elementary Music Curriculum Lessons & Activities: Year Long BUNDLE TPT
K-6 Elementary Music Curriculum Lessons & Activities: Year Long BUNDLE WEB SHOP
Play this bean bag as a transition activity, when you need a quick 5 minute game or when you have to teach more students. Hot Potato! With a TWIST!
Students sit in a circle.
Teacher places objects in the middle of the circle, more bean bags, scarves, instruments, streamers, rhythm cards, body percussion cards or other manipulative or prop students have previously used in class.
Play music.
Students pass a bean bag around the circle.
Stop the music after about 15-30 seconds.
The student with the bean bag stands up and goes to the middle of the circle.
Instead of that student doing nothing, the student will use the prop/manipulative during the next round of music.
When the music stops another student comes to the middle and they will both use the prop/manipulative.
After there are 5-6 students in the middle, I start the game over.
Relay games are super fun for the upper elementary group.
I’ve had great success at using these types of games at the end of the year.
You’ll want to write down your questions before playing the game.
Create a short list for each grade level.
Make it easy for the students to write or say the answers.
You may want to use whiteboards for the answers.
You may want to consider the learning goals for each grade level.
Here’s some general ideas:
You can choose what you want the students to write!
This isn’t teaching time-or test time.
It’s supposed to be fun. I recommend not being too tricky!
Draw from the favorite lessons and activities to create the questions.
Divide the class into 2 teams.
Have them line up and sit down facing the hair of the person in front of them.
Place a table between the 2 teams with writing materials and a bell or shaker.
When you say GO the first person in the lines will go to the table.
You can ask the question and then see who shakes the bell first will try to answer.
Move on to the next question and next 2 students in line.
After one round you can have the teams mix up so that they don’t compete with the same person every time.
Choose a way to award the winning team! Do a funky dance, march around the circle, cheer, clap, shout hooray!
Mix teams up frequently to help students learn to work with everyone and to make teams fair.
Consider using Freeze dance activities for your K-2 end of year activities. Be sure to get our FREE FREEZE DANCE CARDS for this activity and check out the variety of Freeze Dances on the Sing Play Create Kids Music channel.
Here are some of my favorite Freeze Dances on the Sing Play Create YouTube Channel
Freeze dance can be as easy as choosing a LEADER who will do a funny pose which the class will copy. Then choose a different leader for the next round.
Create a fun music playlist and space everyone out. There’s no need for visuals-let students dance their hearts out!
Play the music for 15-20 seconds then STOP.
The LEADER POSES and everyone copies.
If the idea of “posing” poses a problem- no problem- grab some body percussion or rhythm cards and the students can choose a pattern to play which the class will echo.
It helps if the teacher demonstrates first how this activity will go.
You can choose to sit out students who don’t freeze or NOT?
A fun and calming activity is musical coloring. There are FREE COLORING SHEETS ON TPT and in the Sing Play Create Free Resource Library!
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Many of the freeze dance activities come with coloring sheets. And the vocal exploration resources all have a coloring worksheet!
These are perfect for the end of the year.
I organize my crayons by putting them in a CUP letting students gather in groups of 3-4.
I play quiet music and ask them to keep talking to a minimum.
If you’re teaching music at home or want a larger selection of music worksheets.
Check out our MUSIC NOTEBOOKS LEVEL 1, MUSIC NOTEBOOK LEVEL 2, Music Instruments of the Orchestra Coloring and Activity Book
ANIMAL FREEZE DANCE WITH COLORING SHEETS
ARCTIC ANIMALS FREEZE DANCE WITH COLORING SHEETS
Scarf movement is another high energy activity and a low energy activity which makes it just right for the end of the year. There’s tons of scarf activities on the SPC Kids channel (too many to list here). And I’ve got FREE SCARF CARDS and activities in the RESOURCE LIBRARY.
Here are some fun end of year scarf video links:
And here are some scarf movement lessons and songs on the Sing Play Create Teaching Tips Channel.
“My Little Garden” Scarf Music and Movement Lesson
“Skidamarink-a-dink” Music and Movement Lesson
“1-2-3-4-5 Once I Caught a Fish Alive” Scarf Movement Activity Lesson
I know you can use a scarf with any song. Use them to play the beat, rhythm, show high/low, fast/slow, melody and expression. Watch this video to learn about easy to do scarf movements. 8 SCARF MOVEMENTS
Choose your favorite classical songs and have your students move with scarves to the music.
Camille Saint Saens “Carnival of the Animals” is just right for this type of activity.
Carnival of the Animals Scarf Movement & Camille Saint Saens Lesson Activities
Sing Play Create also has several “scarf” songs which can also be used with parachutes!
Scarf movement can be used to play the beat too! Watch this video STEADY BEAT SCARF ACTIVITIES
Or read this blog post to get some ideas for your classes. STEADY BEAT SCARF ACTIVITIES FOR THE ELEMENTARY MUSIC CLASSROOM
I like to have several movement songs that I use all year long for each grade so during end of year activities I have plenty of material ready for my wiggly students. That way I don’t get tired of the same songs every day and every class time and they are easy to leave with a substitute.
You may want to choose songs you’ve used all year long or check out some of these for your classes.. These are songs that my students have sung enough times that they can perform them. Be sure to pair this activity with a calm down one afterwards. Here’s some of my end of year movement songs.
MOVEMENT SONGS PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY:
If You’re happy and you know it LINK
Head Shoulders Knees and Toes LINK
Gallump Went the Little Green Frog LINK
There’s A Chocolate Chip Cookie on My Head
1-We’re Going On A Bear Hunt | LINK
2-We’re Going on a Dinosaur Hunt LINK
3-We’re Going on a Dragon Hunt LINK
4-We’re Going on a Rainbow Ghost Hunt LINK
5-We’re Going On A Monster Hunt LINK
6-We’re Going on a Yeti Hunt LINK
“Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” “Star Light, Star Bright” “Rainbows in the Sky”
I personally like to read books that are “songs.” Click on the links using my Amazon Affiliate Link!
Books offer the opportunity to explore timbre, dynamics, expression and composition! If you want to incorporate movement and instruments with the story, you can encourage students to show you what the movement or sounds may be for each of the characters in the story. Scarves also work wonderfully with any of these book choices.
Down By the Bay– I LOVE this song because it’s a call and response song which makes it great for improvisation.
After we sing the song, I ask the students to come up with different verses. I help them as needed with the rhyming words.
I’ll have them pick an animal and then we brainstorm to find a rhyming word.
COW- NOW, HOW, BOW
Did you ever see a COW that couldn’t BOW?
GOOSE- LOOSE
Did you ever see a goose running around loose?
BEE-KNEE, SEE, TREE
Did you ever see a bee buzzing ‘round a tree?
Did you ever see a bee stinging my knee?
This makes for a fun and inclusive activity students will remember.
Use scarf movement fast/slow on the “did you ever see a ….” Then sing very slowly “down by the bay”.
Use a Stretchy band and bounce on the beat. Change the tempo as in the scarf variation.
Integrate classroom instruments. Students play a different instrument for each verse.
BOOM CHICK A BOOM– Vary speaking voice to introduce dynamics.
ZOOM, ZOOM, ZOOM Were Going to the Moon-Adventure story and music activity. Free Resource
OVER IN THE MEADOW– Explore Timbre and composition using a different instrument for each character in the song.
THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY-Explore sequencing, Tempo, Timbre, Dynamics using instruments for each character in the song/story.
There are 3 goodbye songs you can use with your classes in the FREE RESOURCE LIBRARY.
You’ll want to SUBSCRIBE NOW!
I also have a couple on the SPC kids music channel!
Song “I’ll Always Remember You
Goodbye My Friends Goodbye Song
I like to pair energetic movement activities with calmer activities.
I’ll structure the class time like this:
If I need to make some of the activities longer, then I’ll introduce movement with scarves or play instruments.
If you’re looking for CREATIVE MOVEMENT, BEAN BAG GAMES, SCARVES, STRETCHY BAND AND PARACHUTE ACTIVITIES, then you’ll want to check out this fun BUNDLE!
1908-Instrument Game Song Orff & Kodaly Music Lesson:”Who Will Play the Instrument?”
1513-Creative Movement Activities Bundle: Bands, Scarves, Parachutes, Bean Bags #1
Creative Movement Activities Bundle: Bands, Scarves, Parachutes, Bean Bags #1 SHOP
1531- Stretchy Band Songs & Movement Activities BUNDLE: Music, PE, Team BuildingStretchy Band Songs & Movement Activities BUNDLE: Music, PE, Team Building SHOP1565- Creative Movement Activities Bundle #2: Bands, Scarves, Parachutes, Bean Bags
Creative Movement Activities Bundle #2: Bands, Scarves, Parachutes, Bean Bags SHOP
1574- Preschool, K-1 Movement Songs Activity Bundle: Parachute, Bean Bag, Scarf, Ball
Preschool, K-1 Movement Songs Activity Bundle: Parachute, Bean Bag, Scarf, Ball SHOP
Bean Bag Activities and Games: Music, PE, Classroom Community TPT
Bean Bag Activities and Games: Music, PE, Classroom Community SHOP
Bean Bag Game and Activities Bundle: Music, Preschool, PE, Movement Classes TPT
Bean Bag Game and Activities Bundle: Music, Preschool, PE, Movement Classes SHOP
Music Game “FLIP IT, SLAP IT, MATCH IT” Notes, Symbols, Flash Cards TPT STORE
Music Game “FLIP IT, SLAP IT, MATCH IT” Notes, Symbols, Flash Cards SHOP
Instrument Game Song Orff & Kodaly Music Lesson: “Who Will Play the Instrument?” TPT
Instrument Game Song Orff & Kodaly Music Lesson: “Who Will Play the Instrument?” SHOP
Farm Action Song, Game and Literacy Activities “The Animals in the Circle” TPT
Farm Action Song, Game and Literacy Activities “The Animals in the Circle” SHOP
MUSIC CLASS GAMES BUNDLE:
Music Class Games Bundle for Music Notes, Symbols, Instruments, Solfege K-6 TPT
Music Class Games Bundle for Music Notes, Symbols, Instruments, Solfege K-6 SHOP
THREE END OF YEAR MUSIC CLASS ACTIVITIES
10 WAYS TO USE BALLS IN MUSIC CLASS
Elementary Music Activities | Steady Beat Activities with Bean Bags|
10 Music Class Bean Bag Activities Tutorial
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Hi there! I’m Sandra, one of the authors behind Sing Play Create. My goal is to provide teachers with interactive resources and activities to improve the effectiveness of their teaching and enhance student learning.
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