movement activities for preschoolers lesson plans

18 Simple Movement Activities for Preschoolers

By: Author Tanja McIlroy

Posted on Last updated: 7 April 2024

Categories Gross Motor Skills

Need some ideas for movement activities for preschoolers? These are great activity ideas to try at home with your kids and can also be done with a class of children.

What are Movement Activities?

Movement activities, also called gross motor activities, are games, actions or activities of any kind that engage the large muscles of the body, thereby building gross motor coordination .

Movement is a natural state for children and as long as they have enough freedom to play and be, they will seek out regular movement through their play activities.

While free play is essential, there are many kinds of movement and gross motor activities you can initiate with children that will get the large muscles working together.

You may want to try a game or activity if you can tell kids need a break from intense activity, if they have not had much outdoor play , if you’d like to help them build skills, or just to have some fun, bonding time.

Through movement activities, you can work on skills such as turn-taking, cooperation, vocabulary development and social skills, or gross motor skills such as strength, balance , hand-eye coordination, agility and speed.

What are the Benefits of Movement Activities in Early Childhood?

During early childhood, regular physical activity is crucial for children’s development. Without movement, children would not grow properly and would have severe developmental delays.

Children’s brains grow and develop through learning and the main method through which children learn is by moving and exploring their world.

We see this in babies who spend hours every day moving around, exploring everything and anything.

This remains the case right through the preschool years as children still need tons of movement to continue to grow.

This is where too much screen time and sedentary activity can cause harm and why this should be controlled and never allowed to fill up the majority of a child’s playtime.

Here are some of the benefits of regular movement activities for children.

1. Physical Development

A child’s physical development occurs through movement.

Various physical milestones must be reached by various ages and therefore a child’s environment must be conducive to having the opportunity to move constantly.

In recent times, the term Container Baby Syndrome has been coined because nowadays babies are so often ‘contained’ in equipment that inhibits their natural tendency to move.

From birth right up until children are ready for formal schooling, they need complete freedom to move and be active.

2. Better Fine Motor Skills

Before children develop the fine motor control needed to perform tasks like writing, they must develop their gross motor skills. Gross motor coordination is a prerequisite to fine motor coordination .

Babies develop from the head down, and from the centre towards the outside of their body. In other words, they develop control of their head first, then neck, core, etc.

Later, they learn to use their arms and legs. The fingers, toes and other small muscles of the body develop last.

A child who has well-developed gross motor coordination will have greater success with fine motor activities such as feeding, dressing, tying shoes, drawing, completing activities at preschool and later on, writing.

3. Improved Concentration

Regular movement improves a child’s concentration. Providing small children with regular brain breaks helps them to re-energise and refocus on a task.

The more children are exposed to activities that strengthen their concentration and frequent movement breaks to extend their focus, the more their attention span increases over time.

4. Increased Brain Development

Children who are moving are sending oxygen to the brain. Oxygen is crucial for proper brain functioning and therefore increased circulation results in increased brain activity and the ability to learn effectively. [ source ]

5. General Health

Children who move generally become adults who move, and adults who move are far healthier than adults who don’t move.

Regular physical movement is necessary for overall health and well-being throughout life. Instil this habit at an early age.

18 Movement Games and Activities for Preschoolers

Here are some ideas for fun kids’ activities to try at home or at school. You don’t need any fancy equipment and you can improvise with many household or outdoor items.

These games are suitable for 3, 4 and 5-year-olds, but some can be adapted for 2-year-olds too.

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1. Hopscotch

Hopscotch is an old favourite and one of the best active games for kids.

It teaches balance, eye-foot coordination and even some early maths skills .

2. Rolling Around

Pretend to be logs of wood and, with arms stretched overhead, roll around the grass. Then move hands to the sides and roll around.

Rolling is good for coordinating the back, neck, shoulder and hip muscles, and building strength.

If you have a sloped garden or can find a grassy bank at a park, rolling downhill is lots of fun and is a great movement activity.

You can also lay a blanket on the grass, hold one end, then ask your child to lie on the other end and roll themself into the mat, then out again.

3. Who Am I?

This activity promotes fantasy play and thinking skills, along with building gross motor skills.

Choose different animals and pretend to move like them. Take turns guessing what animal the other person is.

Try suggesting different categories to make it more challenging, such as animals that jump, fly or run.

Here are some creatures to try to imitate:

4. Obstacle Course

Set up your own obstacle course in the garden and get those large muscles working.

With a bit of imagination, you can set up a course out of waste materials or things found around the house and garden. Change them regularly to make the challenge more interesting.

Here are some ideas for your obstacle course:

• Old tyres to jump into or climb over
• Boxes to climb into or use as tunnels to crawl through
• Planks of wood as balance beams
• Tree stumps
• A ladder laid down on the ground (to hop into)

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In this version of tag, as you catch and tag someone, they must freeze until someone else touches them and they are unfrozen.

This is best played with the whole family or class.

Chasing games teach children to move their bodies in space effectively (not bumping into people and objects as they move) and improve their speed and reaction time.

6. Simon Says

Simon Says is a fun game of following instructions that are usually movement based.

One person is nominated to be Simon and must give instructions that the rest of the players must follow. However, they must only carry out the instructions that begin with “Simon says…” and not follow instructions that do not begin with the words “Simon Says”.

Although this game primarily develops listening and attention skills, it is a great opportunity to build gross motor skills too.

Here are some fun Simon Says ideas with a special section of commands that will work the larger muscles.

7. Tight-Rope Walkers

Pretend to be tightrope walkers and practise the skill of balance and concentration.

All you need is a piece of string laid on the floor or elevated slightly and tied to the legs of chairs.

Walk along the string, placing one foot carefully in front of the other without losing your balance and “falling off the tightrope”, or “falling into a river of crocodiles”.

Or get children to walk along a curb or other narrow, slightly raised platform.

Young children enjoy symbolic play and you could even dress up for this one.

8. Jumping on Paper Plates

Lay some paper plates outside – fairly close together – and pretend to be frogs jumping on lily pads, or animals crossing the river by jumping over rocks.

As your children’s balance and coordination improve, move the plates further apart and in various directions so they have to map out a safe path.

9. Scavenger Hunt

The simple act of being outside in the fresh air and running around in nature is a necessary movement activity.

Why not try something fun like a nature scavenger hunt?

On a sheet of paper or cardboard, draw or paste pictures of objects found in nature and race around the garden or park looking for these items.

Or, make a card with pictures of insects – like in the example below – and walk around the garden with your children finding as many of these creatures as you can.

Try and take a picture of them when you find them.

10. Ladder Jumping

A ladder is a great tool that can be used in a variety of ways. A jungle gym ladder (that can be removed), rope ladder or regular household ladder can all be used.

Lay the ladder flat on the grass and jump in between the rungs. Practise jumping on alternating legs and also hopping with two legs together, which is more challenging.

Hopping and jumping are important milestones in physical development .

Encourage your kids to walk along the side edges of a ladder to build balance.

11. Hula Hoop Contest

Hula hooping is a fun activity your kids will thoroughly enjoy. Being able to swing a hula hoop around your hips is no easy skill so it will take a lot of practice.

Older preschoolers may be able to balance the hoop for a little while but you can still let younger preschoolers or toddlers play with the hoop to try the movement.

When your kids build some skill, have a contest and see who can swing the hoop around their hips the longest.

12. Jack and the Beanstalk

Do you have a jungle gym at home or at the park with a ladder your children can climb up? Why not tell the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, and act it out together?

When Jack climbs up the beanstalk, climb up the ladder together and then tell the parts about the giant’s house while sitting at the top of the jungle gym.

This will be an exciting variation on storytime and will help your kids build strength and practise the skill of climbing.

13. Jump Rope

Learning to skip is an important gross motor milestone for preschoolers. The best way to introduce this movement is by teaching them to jump over a moving rope .

Tie a rope to a chair or other post and, holding the other end, swing it slowly back and forth as your children jump over it. Increase the height and speed as they improve their skill.

When they start mastering the skill of jumping, introduce a skipping rope.

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14. Listening Game

Play a movement listening game that involves listening carefully to and remembering multiple instructions.

Make up a series of silly instructions – such as “jump up three times, run around the tree and hop back with feet together” – and see if your kids can do them in the correct sequence and remember them all.

Start with only two instructions for younger children and add more as their age and skill allows.

15. Bean Bags

Bean bags are found in every preschool, and for good reason. They are an excellent resource for practising motor skills and you can use them in multiple ways:

• Throw and aim beanbags into laundry baskets
• Balance them on your head, or the back of your hand, while walking along a rope
• Throw them and mark how far they landed, trying on each turn to throw them further
• Crawl with a beanbag balancing on your back
• Throw and catch a beanbag

• 1 or 2 player bean bag toss game featuring the sneaky Camo Chameleon
• Great indoors or out

Here are more bean bag activities to try.

16. Long Jump

Have a long jump competition with your children. You are not competing against each other but against your own records.

Mark off a starting point. Jump off the starting point and put a piece of tape where you land.

Then keep trying to beat your record, moving the tape each time you go further.

Take turns trying to better your own distance.

17. Balancing Contest

Have a competition with your children and see who can balance the longest, or put a timer on if you don’t want them to lose every round and see if they can beat their previous times.

Stand and balance on one leg, then the other, with eyes closed, etc. Place a bean bag on your head and see how long you can keep it there while on one leg.

18. Catch Bubbles

Kids love the thrill of chasing bubbles around the garden or playground. This activity doesn’t have to be reserved for only toddlers.

Make a game out of it and see how many bubbles your kids can pop each time you blow out a set. This is excellent for practising eye-hand coordination .

If you are playing with a few children, make a rule that each child must catch one bubble and two children can’t touch the same bubble.

This will work the reflexes and teach children to make quick decisions and move their bodies through space carefully.

As you can see, finding ideas for movement activities for kids does not have to be complicated.

Simply use your imagination and whatever objects and tools you have lying around and create a quick, basic game.

Are you a preschool teacher or working in Early Childhood Education? Would you like to receive regular emails with useful tips and play-based activity ideas to try with your children? Sign up for the newsletter!

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Jenjo Games

Wednesday 21st of July 2021

Activities like these are perfect for encouraging kids to have fun and to develop physical strength. Thanks for sharing these ideas, they are very interesting!

Tanja Mcilroy

Thanks for your comment! Enjoy the activities.

Susan Majak

Monday 28th of June 2021

I will look forward to working on it that is amazing.

Tuesday 29th of June 2021

Enjoy trying these activities, Susan!

Friday 22nd of May 2020

This is really educative,really love it

Monday 25th of May 2020

Thanks for the feedback Loide!

Friday 8th of May 2020

Will support our work with the pre school age group

Glad you found this helpful Joan!

55 Fun Music And Movement Activities For Preschoolers

• Last Updated: July 20, 2023

By Audra Smith

Music and movement activities for preschoolers are a fundamental vehicle of learning in early childhood. They advance multiple aspects of a child’s development as they involve the whole body and brain.

Music and movement is incredibly engaging and beneficial for children, and can easily turn around a bad mood!

Whether you’re at home or in the classroom these simple and fun music and movement activities for preschoolers are sure to get

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase, we may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Table of Contents

Why Children Need Movement Activities

Children desire and need movement to further their development and learning. Movement provides children with a way to express themselves and get their “wiggles” out.  A movement or dance break can help ultimately lengthen their attention span for academic learning.

Movement activities will…

• Prevent your child from feeling overwhelmed by the task at hand
• Enhance mood and self-esteem
• Reduce disruptive behavior
• Improve concentration and focus
• Practice gross motor skills
• Improve a child’s understanding of spatial relationships and bodily awareness

Why Is Music Important In Preschool?

Music is important in preschool because it provides children with a creative outlet and helps them to learn new knowledge by attaching it to a catchy tune.  

Music plays an important role in early childhood education and development , empowering both mind and body to work together. Singing songs means learning about rhythm and tempo while also working on a child’s memory skills. 

Musical activities provides young children with a creative outlet for self-expression. 

The Benefits Of Music And Movement Activities For Preschoolers

Cognitive skills.

Music and movement activities further develop a child’s reasoning processes, problem-solving skills, and sequencing comprehension. When a child focuses on musical concepts, their imagination and concentration skills are deepened. 

Language & Social Skills

Music and movement activities strengthen a child’s ability to communicate and work constructively in groups with other children.  New songs and lyrics also expose kids to new vocab, further aiding language development.

Physical Skills

A child’s motor skills are strengthened through music and movement activities:

Gross motor skills are worked on through larger scale activities such as dancing

Fine motor skills are strengthened through smaller scale activities like playing with musical instruments such as a xylophone

Music and movement provides children with an outlet for creative expression, and a productive avenue to work through the many emotions of childhood. It further develops a child’s self-confidence. 

Academic concepts

Children are able to learn new concepts and increase their academic readiness through musical experiences and movement activities. Music and movement increases a child’s memory skills which is quite helpful in an academic environment.

Simple And Fun Music And Movement Activities For Preschoolers

There are so many creative ways to explore new music and movement concepts. From jamming out at a dance party to banging on the drums, the possibilities of music and movement games are endless for your preschooler.

1. Body Percussion

“Body percussion” means to use different body parts as an instrument.  Y our child will be amazed to discover the number of different ways they can make sounds with their own body.

There’s clapping, snapping, patting… the list goes on.  They’re sure to enjoy exploring and inventing their own unique sounds too.

Once they’ve mastered some body percussion movements and sounds, turn on some music for them to follow along too.  It’s such fun to do in a group, albeit a little challenging!

In the video above are body percussion movements to the song “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, complete with the symbols to follow along with and learn.

2. Ribbon Dancing

Ribbon dancing is a beautiful form of movement which intriques and engages young children. You can either use longs strips of ribbon tied together at one end or buy some pre-made ribbon wands .

You could even just use party streamers from the store.

Classical music is very fitting for dancing with ribbons but you can experiment with other music types too. 

3. Yoga for Preschoolers 

Yoga is a wonderful and calming outlet for movement for anyone, including children. You can use yoga movement cards or a children’s yoga excercise video to guide your child’s yoga experience.

Play some calm and relaxing music as you try these new moves.

4. Marching Band

Use items around your house as musical instruments, such as an empty coffee canister as a drum, metal tin and wooden spoon as claves, container filled with rice as maracas and so on.

Or purchase a simple set of percussion instruments like this Band in a Box . Your child will love shaking the maracas, playing the tambourine and the triangle, and creating interesting sounds with the whole set. 

Try to play the instruments in time with some music with a solid beat and, if it’s not a stretch too far, walk around the room in time to the music too. 

5. Musical Painting

Painting is a great way for artists young and old to express themselves. Adding in some music adds another dimension. 

Simply have some background music playing and allow your preschoolers to paint as they listen. If you try this on multiple days, choosing different music each time, the kids are sure to some up with different styles of painting.

You can also ask your preschooler to create their own visual representation of the music.  You’ll need a fairly long track for this, or a compilation of similar tracks.  

Encourage them to think about the different colors they’ll use or to paint to the beat of the music.  

6. Instructive Songs

Instructive songs are meant to be acted out and are usually stories where your child follows the movement instructions.  They’re usually pretty silly and lots of fun! 

Check out Nancy Kopman on Instagram – she has a great selection to try.

Provide a rope or stick of some sort, put some funky music on, and take turns going under the limbo stick. Remember not to touch the limbo stick or you’re out!

This activity is a fun for parties and great for your child’s gross motor skills, specifically balance, coordination, and strengthening of leg muscles.

8. Xylophone Color-Coded Play Along

Here’s a simple music activity which will teach them how to play the popular nursery rhyme Baa Baa Black Sheep.  Provide your child with a children’s xylophone and the color-coded visual guide from Brainsmith.

Make sure that you don’t take it too seriously. Just see what they can do and give them some freedom to experiment and play however they want as well.

9. “Simon Says” Set To Music

Simon Says is a wonderful game that encourages movement in a child.  It’s traditionally done without any additional audio, but turn on some tunes and you get more creative with the instructions.

“Do the silly dance!” is a favorite of my kids – which basically means they want me to dance like a complete idiot! They find it hysterical and I also love their attempts to look as silly as possible. 

You can also try all sorts of other movements in time to the music. These Simon Says Movement Cards can help you come up with ideas as well as give your child a visual reference for their movement. 

10. Walking the Lines

This line-walking activity is purely physcial, helping young children focus their body and mind and not step off the line.  This’ll help strengthen their balance.

Simply create lines using chalk and in various directions and designs and have your child walk along the lines.   You can also do this activity indoors using masking tape to make the lines instead.  

11. Dance Party

One of the easiest and most fun music and movement activities for young kids is a good old-fashioned dance party. Turn on a playlist of your child’s favorite songs and let them sing, dance, and move their body however they desire!

This activity is beneficial for a child’s creative expression, spatial awareness, and gross motor skills.

12. We’re Going On a Bear Hunt

This song and movement activity is a popular one with preschoolers. You can use the book We’re Going On A Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and/or the song to go along with the activity.

It’s a lot to remember without utilizing one of these!

13. Jumping Contest

This game can be played with multiple children or just one child. Make a starting line with chalk if outside or masking tape if indoors. Have them jump from the starting line and see how far they can get. 

Tell them to plant their feet or freeze like a statue, and then put some tape on the spot where they landed. Make it a group competition or see if they can beat their own distance in future rounds of the contest!

14. Singalong Songs

Never underestimate the power of a singalong! Simply play an album or playlist of your kiddo’s favorite songs and let them move their body however they choose! They’ll have a great time singing and dancing, and you’ll definitely enjoy watching them engage.

15. The Hot Potato Movement & Music Activity 

For this simple and fun activity , you’ll need a “hot potato” which can be a musical hot potato or just a random item of your choosing that the kids can easily pass to each other.

Simply have the children sit in a circle and pass the hot potato around the circle in time to some upbeat music.

If anyone drops it, they’re out and must sit in the middle of the circle. Or play or sing the Hot Potato Song and when you get to “stop”, the passing stops and the child holding the potato is out.

To make it more interesting, increase the tempo of the music so the hot potato gets passed around faster and faster. 

You can adapt this to play with just one child too.  Of course, no one can be out which will suit competitive little ones…  Just pass it back and forth between you and play with different tempos and rhythms of music.

Spring Music And Movement Activities For Preschoolers

Providing spring music and movement activities for your preschooler to engage in will familiarize them with the beauty and characteristics of this beautiful season. They will get to understand more about spring through these activities.  

16. “This Is The Way” Spring Edition

This upbeat song is set to the tune of the popular children’s nursery rhyme and song “Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush” but replaced with the words “This is the way we…”  Examples are “plant the seeds”, “feed the birds”, “look for new shoots”.

Instead of “All day long”, sing “All spring long”,

Each verse has a different spring-related action or concept.

You can use this guide from Fantastic Fun And Learning to introduce new spring actions. Click through to the free pritnable.  Or you can come up with your own.

17. Spring Animals Movement Exercises

Your child will love moving their body in a spring-inspired way with these spring movement cards . Flutter like a butterfly, hop like a bunny, waddle like a duck, and more.

To enhance this, set the activity to some upbeat music.  

18. DIY Plastic Shaking Eggs

Shaking eggs are a pillar of music and movement in early childhood. You can purchase premade ones, but it’s definitely more fun and very simple to make your own.

You can involve your preschooler in the process of creating these shaking eggs which extends the learning and fun – the perfect preschool Easter craft . 

All you need are plastic eggs, washi tape or masking tape, filler items such as beads, uncooked rice/pasta/beans, rocks, and more. You can hot glue the eggs closed if you want them to be sturdier. 

Decorate them like Easter eggs for the perfect homemade instrument to use in Springtime.

The egg shaker rattles are ideal for tiny hands too. Pictured are the egg shakers I made with my preschoolers for the twins’ first Easter, an ideal Easter sensory activity for babies .

19. Guess & Imitate the Sounds of Spring

Guess the sounds is always a fun activity for young children. With the Spring-themed sound guessing video above, you can ask your preschooler to listen to and then imitate the various nature sounds.

The animals will be fairly straightforward, as long as they can identify the sheep from the goat (I struggled…), but how will they move their body to imitate the different types of weather?!

Summer Music And Movement Activities For Preschoolers

Playing outside in the fresh air is a great antidote to more foccussed, learning activities.  But even if you’re stuck indoors you can enjoy summertime with these engaging summer music and movement activities for preschoolers.

20. Mermaid Scarf Dance

Put on your favorite mermaid tunes and wave around a dancing scarf while pretending to be a mermaid . The scarf can be the mermaids hair or wrap it around your preschoolers’ waist and they can pretent to float and swim around the room, sorry ocean, with their colorful mermaid tail.

22. Under The Sea Chase

Swim through the sea, ducking and diving fish and other sea creatures in search of a treasure chest deep on the ocean floor.  Don’t forget to pop the bubbles along the way!

Your preschoolers will start by doing their best swimming stroke with their arms while standing up. They will then change positions so they’re lying on their front and kicking with their legs too.

You can follow along with the video, which intersperses the swimming movements with other physical activities.  Or just listen to the music and instructions.

22. Beach Ball Bounce

Bounce around an inflated beach ball to the beat of a song for this fun m usic and movement  activity. See how many bounces the kids can do before losing the ball…

This activity is great for working on your child’s balance and hand-eye coordination. 

21. “You Can Do A Lot Of Things At The Seaside”

You Can Do A Lot Of Things At The Seaside is a really old song that you may not have heard – I remember singing it at our school musical way back when and it was ancient then!

We sang it with actions, with some kids imitating the mother taking her stockings off and others showing their look of horror as she shows off her bloomers….

For preschoolers it would be fun to have this playing in the background as they dig around in a sand box and explore with their hands and feet as if they were at the beach.

A fun music and movement activity for preschoolers with plenty of sensory stimulation well suited to this age.

For more sensory activities, try these:

• 21 Fun & Easy Dinosaur Sensory Activities
• 25 easy FAKE SNOW sensory bins 
• 50 Christmas sensory activities
• 25 Fun Fall Arts, Crafts & Sensory Activities

Fall Music And Movement Activities For Preschoolers

In between all the cute fall crafts and spooky Halloween activities , these fall music and movement activities with your preschooler are the ideal brain break. 

23. Leaves are Falling

The “Leaves are Falling” song is set to the tune of Frere Jacques. This song is much more fun when you perform hand motions throughout it.

Have your child move their arms slowly up and down and wiggle their fingers to pantomime falling leaves. During the words “red, yellow, brown” gracefully move hands from side to side instead.

24. “Monster Mash”

Turn on the famous Halloween jam called “ The Monster Mash ” and encourage your child to show off their silliest monster moves!

25. Farm Animals Move and Freeze 

In the farm animals move and freeze movement activity , your kiddo will love following along with the fall-themed farm video.  Each cartoon animal that pops up requires a different movement and has music of a different tempo to move and groove to.   

Movements are interspersed with “freeze” moments, where the children must do their best to stand as still as they can, a good test of balance and concentration.

A fun and engaging way to get those wiggles out!

26. Pass the Pumpkin

This game is a fall-themed musical version of Hot Potato, ideal for a Halloween party for little ones .

Find a fun fall or Halloween-themed song to play for this game, such as Five Little Pumpkins. Then have the children sit in a circle and provide a pumpkin to pass around. It can be a real pumpkin, a faux pumpkin, or even just an orange object such as a ball. 

Play the music and have the children pass the pumpkin around the circle, stopping when the music pauses. Whoever is holding the pumpkin when the music stops is out of the game.

27. The Scarecrow Song

Here’s a fun and simple music and movement song for preschoolers perfect for fall. The Scarecrow Song includes simple movements the kids can easily perform as they listen to the words and sing along.

For more Fall & Halloween ideas, try these:

• 50 Free Printable Halloween Activities (Kids & Adults)
• 35 Mortifying Mummy Crafts for Halloween
• 50 Fun, easy fall crafts for toddlers & preschoolers

Winter Music And Movement Activities For Preschoolers

What better time to do music and movement activities than when you’re cooped up indoors during the winter? These winter music and movement activities below are sure to help your kiddo expend some of their high energy levels when it’s too cold to play outside.

28. Spinning Like Snowflakes

Put on your favorite children’s winter songs and practice spinning like snowflakes as they fall from the sky! Each snowflake is different, and each snowflake’s movement will be different as well. “Little Snowflake” by Super Simple Songs would be such a cute song choice for this activity.

29. Arctic Animal Movement Activity 

Pretend to bound around the tundra like a polar bear in this arctic animal movement activity! ​​At the same time, try to make the noise that the animal makes.  This will be a test of your arctic animal noises and movements and will be a wonderful way to explore and learn with your preschooler.

You could try these arctic animal movement cards to help you come up with new movements and provide a helpful visual of each animal for your child. 

30. Exploring Jingle Bells 

Provide your child with some jingle bells so they can have some festive fun. They can explore the jingle bells by themselves or jingle the bells along to their favorite holiday music.

You can get large individual jingle bells or a jingle bell bracelet which will likely be easier for little hands.

31. 10 Little Marshmallows 

This cute winter-themed music and movement activity for preschoolers is set to the tune of the classic childhood song “The Paw Paw Patch. ” Your child can work on their counting skills and participate in dramatic play concepts surrounding drinking hot cocoa in the winter.

Follow this link and download the cute free printable above.

32. Nutcracker Rendition

Time for the little ones to get their imaginery ballet shoes on and dance away to songs from the infamous Christmas ballet.  Start with The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy , my daughters favorite.

33. Winter Movement Cards

These winter movement cards will allow your child to experiment with all sorts of actions and maneuvers related to the coldest season.   Roll the dice to pick the next movement.

You could even turn this into charades and have your preschooler act out one of the movements and have little friends or classmates guess what it is. You might need to give a helping hand!

The cards linked above include a selection of movements for all seasons, so can be a baseline for your child’s imagination. You’ll be surprised at what they can come up with on their own after using the cards for inspiration. 

Christmas Music And Movement Activities For Preschoolers

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for creating cute decorations and Christmas crafts with the kids. 

But don’t forget to take a break!  These Christmas music and movement activities for preschoolers are sure to get your child into the holiday spirit while getting those wiggles out and tuning into the music.

34. Pass The Parcel with Movement Instructions

To play Pass the Parcel , simply wrap a prize in multiple layers and pass it around the circle of children as the music plays. Once the music stops, the child holding the gift unwraps one layer. 

At each layer have an instruction for a simple action. The child who has unwrapped the instruction must carry out the movement. Or you could play that everyone takes part in the activity.

35. 10 Little Presents

Your kids will enjoy singing along to this cute song while they simultaneously get excited about Christmas presents. The tune reference for this adorable Christmas counting song is the former classic childhood song called “The Paw Paw Patch.” 

“ One little, two little, three little presents.  Four little, five little, six little presents.  Seven little eight little nine little presents.  10 little presents to wrap for friends!”

36. Christmas Movement Break

With these Christmas movement cards , your child will get to twinkle like Christmas lights, laugh like Santa, stand like a tree, and more!

Use these cards for your own reference to call out the moves each round, or print them off and laminate for your kiddo to navigate themselves.

For more Christmas activities, bookmark these for later:

• 41 Easy Christmas Tree Arts and Crafts
• Santa Claus’s real mailing address + FREE Santa letter templates
• 41 Easy Santa Claus & Santa hat crafts
• FREE 17 Page Christmas Activity Booklet Printable For Kids
• 7 Free Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt Printable PDFs for Kids

Weather Music And Movement Activities For Preschoolers

By providing weather music and movement activities for preschoolers, they can learn about weather concepts in a fun and physical way.

37. Rain Dance

Encourage your child to make the sounds of rain using their body in various intriguing ways. This could include:

• rubbing their fingers together to make a misting sound
• moving their hands together to make a drizzle sound
• patting their knees to make a downpouring sound
• and stomping their feet to create a thunder sound. 

Make the “rain stop” by ceasing all movements, and have them start it back up again when they desire. 

Experiment with different tempos and volumes to create your very own rain or thunderstorm.

38. Rainbow Scarf Dancing 

Adding some rainbow dance scarves to a dance party can liven up the activity tenfold! My children literally cheer when they see me grab our basket of dance scarves out of the toy box because they know they’re going to have a blast.

If have a bunch of silk scarves lying ideal in your closet these would work just as well too.

39. “Singing in the Rain” 

Your child will enjoy dancing along to this popular sweet song. To extend the fun, do it outside and open up some umbrellas to use throughout the song.

40. Weatherman Says

“The Weatherman says…blow a light breeze!”

This Weatherman Says weather movement game is just like Simon Says but pretending to be a weatherman instead. It lets children harness their imagination and move how they interpret that particular type of weather.

Some examples are: 

• “The Weatherman says…thunderclaps and a howling wind”
• “The Weatherman says…flurrying snowflakes”

Rainforest Music And Movement Activities For Preschoolers

Familiarize your child with the animals and characteristics of the jungle through rainforest music and movement activities for preschoolers. 

41. Musical Rain Stick 

Create your own Amazonian rain by using a musical rain stick . You can purchase one like this or make it yourself using this Musical Shaker Tutorial from In The Playroom.

Alter the filler material to create different intensitities of rain.  Uncooked rice sounds the most like rainforest rain in my experience.

42. Rainforest Animal Movement Game

Print out photos of different rainforest animals and, in each round, experiment moving like each animal. Slither like a snake, run like a jaguar, sleep like a sloth, chomp like a crocodile, swing like a monkey, and more.

To extend this activity, you could play some rainforest sounds in the background or set the game to music. 

43. Learn Rainforest Bird Song

Enjoy and learn the song of different rainforest birds by playing the stunning youtube video above.  Get your prechooler to tune into the sounds and song of the birds by listening without the visuals – the video is marked with the bird names.

Ask the kids to pick out their favorite birdsong and then they can have a go at imitating it.

High Energy Music And Movement Activities 

Here are some more music and movement activities for preschoolers requiring plenty of energy, so if your kiddo is bouncing off the walls, try one of these. Plenty are good for parties too.

44. Gym Movement Break Activities

These movement break cards provide a structured way for your child to get moving.  Interspersing more focussed work with physical breaks like this is so beneficial, it’s one of the best ways to use music and movement activities with your preschoolers.

The cards will help provide you with ideas and guided movement suggestions.   From jumping jacks to heel raises and everywhere in between, your child will love experimenting with different types of movement.

This type of activity is best accompanied by some fun workout music.

Kids will love getting their wiggles out during their movement breaks with these fun activities.

45. Freeze Dance 

If you need to pass some time or get your kiddo’s wiggles out, simply turn on a favorite song of your child’s and let them dance to the music.

The activity’s objective is to freeze like a statue when the music stops. If you’re playing with a group, whoever moves during the “freeze” time, is out! 

46. Everyday Moves Dance Cards

This activity is a creative dance party, so be sure to pick one of their favorite upbeat songs! These Everyday Move Dance Cards have a few different categories: Park trot, house groove, neighborhood hop, and more. 

Within these categories are specific moves, such as “wash the window” (a house groove move) and “wave goodbye” (a neighborhood hop move.) All of the moves are based on everyday moves and scenarios.

47. Musical Chairs

Musical chairs is a great music and movement activity for children of any age. It’s always popular at parties.

Set up a circle of chairs, turn on some music, and let the kids walk in a circle around the chairs. Abruptly stop the music, and each child has to find a chair. Whoever doesn’t get a chair is out of the game! Make sure to remove a chair each round.

48. Keepy Uppy

Any Bluey fans? Keepy Uppy is such a cute game that children of all ages can play on varying levels. Simply blow up a balloon (with air, not helium) and keep the balloon up in the air by bouncing and hitting it before it falls to the ground.

Music And Movement Songs For Preschoolers

Music and movement songs for preschoolers combine the wonder of music with physical movement. It is a multifaceted method of learning in early childhood that is incredibly engaging for children and very productive for their development.

Theses fun action songs are a great place to start.

49. Head, Shoulders, Knees, And Toes 

A classic childhood favorite! This song is quite self-explanatory and very well-known. Make sure to have your child point to each body part as you sing it.

Here are the lyrics in case you need a refresher:

“Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes. Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes.  Eyes and ears and mouth and nose, Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes!”

50. The Ants Go Marching March

The “ Ants Go Marching” is such a fun music and movement song for preschoolers and perfect to practice marching to the beat.

Sing it yourselves or play it in the background, while your children stomp to the rhythm of the music. March in one spot or march around the room…just make sure to keep moving!

51. The Hokey Cokey

A classic music and movement song, The Hokey Cokey is sure to get their wiggles out. For each verse, put a different body part “in” to the middle of the group until you’ve covered them all. End the song by putting “your whole self” in and shake it all about.

We love doing The Hokey Ckey on the trampoline – everyone always ends up falling about at the end into a heap of giggles…

52. Row, Row, Row Your Boat

“Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.”

As you sing this song with your child, be sure to pantomime and add motions to act out the song.  Sit on the floor opposite each other, and hold hands and rock back and forth to row the imaginary boat.  Lay your head down to “dream” and so on.

53. If You’re Happy and You Know It

“If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands!”

Each verse of the song has a different action to do, such as clap your hands, stomp your feet, spin around, touch your toes, jump up high, and more. This song is always a hit with the littles!

54. Wheels on the Bus 

Everyone knows this childhood classic, Wheels on the Bus . In each verse of the song, make sure to introduce a new person and action, such as the wipers going “swish”, the baby crying “wah,” mommy saying “shh,” the horn honking “beep,” and more.

There’s no need to listen to the song as you sing, in fact, I think it’s better if you don’t so you can get creative!

This is one of my kids favorite action songs because they like adding their own intriguing lines to the song, normally involving animals…. The kitty saying “meow”, the frog saying “ribbet”…

Their bus is more like Noahs Ark!

55. 1,2,3,4,5, Once I Caught a Fish Alive

This song is such a cute and engaging counting song that you can dance to, act out, and count along on your fingers. Extend this activity by adding fish images or fish toys for your child to play with and visualize the activity better.

“One, two, three, four, five. Once I caught a fish alive. Six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Then I let it go again.   Why did you let it go? Because it bit my finger so. Which finger did it bite? This little finger on the right.”

There are plenty more fun songs with actions to try. T hey’re one of the most popular music and movement activities for preschoolers.  Each has defined body movements for your child to perform as they sing the song.

Engaging Music and Movement Activities for Preschoolers

One of the best things about music and movement in early childhood is that there are no “rules;” you can fully individualize it and create your own fun!

We hope these music and movement activities for preschoolers provide you with ample ideas to try with your kiddos!  You should be able to offer them plenty more musical experiences, while developing their physical skills.

Remember to have fun along the way, whether you can carry a tune or not!

_________________________________________

For more engaging activities for this age group, try the following:

• 15 I Like Myself Activities For Preschoolers {Free Worksheet}
• 55 Dinosaur Activities for Preschoolers
• 50 Transportation Crafts For Preschoolers
• 100 Toilet Paper Roll Crafts for Little Kids
• 35 Simple Monkey Activities for Preschoolers

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Want to dig a little deeper? Check out these other related posts:

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Leaf monster craft for toddlers: super-friendly, sorry scary (!), and perfect for Fall

Santa Claus’s real mailing address + FREE Santa letter templates (and how to get a reply)

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50 Easy Christmas crafts for preschoolers age 3, 4, 5 years old

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40 Movement Activities for Preschoolers that No One Knows

Hey there, parents and caregivers! Are you ready to get silly and have some fun with your preschoolers? Well, we’ve got just the thing for you!

Movement activities are essential and super exciting for your little ones. These activities help develop gross motor skills, cognitive abilities, and social-emotional skills. Plus, they promote healthy habits early on, so let’s get moving!

Table of Contents

Why are these Movement Activities so Important for Preschoolers? 

Enhances gross motor skills :.

These activities help develop those large muscle groups in the body that are essential for overall physical development . We’re talking about running, jumping, and climbing – all the good stuff your preschooler loves!

Improves cognitive abilities :

Physical activities are also great for cognitive development . They help improve memory, attention, and problem-solving skills. So, let’s get those gears turning!

Boosts social-emotional skills :

Group play activities help promote social skills like cooperation, communication, and empathy. Your little ones will learn to work together and make new friends.

Promotes healthy habits :

Engaging in physical activities from an early age encourages children to maintain healthy habits. So, let’s create a lifelong love for movement and exercise!

40 Simple Movement Activities for Preschoolers:

This classic game is perfect for preschoolers to develop their listening skills and follow directions.

They’ll love being the leader and getting creative with commands like “Simon Says, hop like a kangaroo!” or “Simon Says, touch your nose and spin around.”

Freeze Dance

Play some upbeat music and let your little ones dance around, then stop the music and have them freeze in silly poses like a statue. It’s a great way to develop their coordination and balance, and they’ll have a blast showing off their dance moves!

Animal Walks

Prepare to roar like a lion, crawl like a snake, or hop like a frog! This activity will have your preschooler giggling and improving their motor skills by imitating different animal movements.

Obstacle Course

Set up a fun obstacle course with hula hoops, cones, and tunnels. Your child will develop problem-solving skills while crawling through tunnels, jumping over cones, and maneuvering around obstacles.

Balloon Volleyball

Inflate a balloon and hit it back and forth with your preschooler. It’s a fun way to develop hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills, and they’ll love trying to keep the balloon up in the air.

Strike a pose with your little one and try some simple yoga positions. It’s a great way to promote flexibility and relaxation, and your preschooler will love imitating animal poses like the downward dog or cobra.

Set up plastic pins and let your child roll a ball to knock them down. They’ll have fun aiming and throwing the ball while developing their motor skills.

Dance Party

Crank up the tunes and get ready to dance! This activity encourages your child to move freely and expressively while improving their coordination and balance. Bonus points for getting silly and making up your dance moves!

Scavenger Hunt

Hide items around the house or yard and let your preschooler run and search for them. It’s a great way to develop their problem-solving skills, and they’ll have a blast racing around to find hidden treasures.

Balloon Tennis

Make paper plate paddles and hit a balloon back and forth with your child. It’s a fun and easy way to develop hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills, and they’ll love the challenge of keeping the balloon in the air. Let’s get active and have some fun!

Get your child to spin a hula hoop around their waist and turn up the fun while promoting their core strength and coordination. Bonus points for trying it yourself and showing off your skills!

Red Light, Green Light

Play this classic game to encourage your child’s listening skills and following directions. Pro tip: add silly sound effects like “ribbit” or “moo” to make it more hilarious.

Follow the Leader

Take turns being the leader, and have your child imitate your movements. Add in some funky dance moves or animal impressions to keep things interesting.

Musical Chairs

Set up chairs and play some tunes while your child walks around them. When the music stops, have them find a seat. Warning: this game may cause uncontrollable giggles!

Jumping Jacks

Please encourage your child to do jumping jacks to develop their coordination and strengthen their large muscle groups. Bonus points for making funny faces while doing them!

Draw a hopscotch board on the ground and encourage your child to jump from square to square. Spice things up by adding silly challenges, like making a dance move before hopping to the next court.

Set up plastic rings and have your child toss them onto pegs or bottles. Add fun challenges like throwing the ring with their non-dominant hand or standing on one foot while tossing.

Sensory Walk

Fill a shallow tub with various sensory items like sand, water, or rice and have your child walk through it barefoot to promote sensory development. Bonus points for adding in some bubbles or small toys to find.

Balancing Act

Please set up a balance beam or use a piece of tape on the ground and encourage your child to walk along it. Cheer them on as they improve their balance and coordination!

Parachute Play

Use a giant parachute and have your child run underneath it, or try to toss balls onto it. Make it even more fun by adding in some crazy dance moves or playing some music. Let the fun and laughter begin!

Stomp the Alphabet

Want to turn letter recognition into a game? Call out different letters and have your little one stomp on them. Not only will this game help your child learn the alphabet, but it’s also great for developing gross motor skills!

Who doesn’t love bubbles? Blow some bubbles and let your child pop them. It’s a simple yet effective way to develop hand-eye coordination and motor skills.

Limbo is a classic game that’s perfect for promoting flexibility and balance. Grab a broomstick or rope, play some fun music, and let your child limbo their way to victory!

You can’t go wrong with a game of tag. It’s a great way to get your child moving while encouraging running and movement.

Paper Plate Skating

Turn your living room into an ice rink by placing paper plates under your child’s feet and having them slide on a smooth surface. This fun activity promotes coordination and balance.

Want to create an indoor playground for your little one? Fill a small pool with plastic balls and let them jump and play to their heart’s content!

Bean Bag Toss

Please set a target and have your child toss bean bags at it. This game is perfect for developing hand-eye coordination and accuracy.

Get your child moving like a crab by having them walk on their hands and feet. This fun activity promotes upper body strength and coordination.

Want to teach your child about teamwork? Play a game of tug of war together! It’s also a great way to promote strength and endurance.

Jumping rope is a classic activity that always goes in style. Encourage your child to jump rope and develop coordination and cardiovascular health simultaneously.

Tunnel Adventure

Please set up a tunnel made of blankets or cardboard boxes and let your child crawl through it, discovering new pathways and promoting coordination skills.

Splish, Splash, Water Bash

Fill a small pool or tub with water and have your child dive in with water toys or play with cups to pour and scoop water, promoting sensory development and fun.

Puddle Jumper

Encourage your child to splash around in puddles after a rainstorm, making big waves and promoting gross motor skills while enjoying the fun of nature.

Superhero Training

Please have your child lie on their back with arms and legs extended, then lift them and pretend to fly like a superhero, promoting core strength and coordination while unleashing their inner superhero.

Red Rover, Red Rover

Play a game of Red Rover with your child, encouraging teamwork and coordination to break through the linked arms of their opponents.

Dino-mite Stomp

Pretend to be different dinosaurs and have your child stomp around like them, promoting gross motor skills and imaginative play, making them feel like they are in the land of the dinosaurs.

Wheelbarrow Workout

Please have your child walk on their hands while you hold their feet, promoting upper body strength and coordination while feeling like they are doing some incredible acrobatics.

Hokey Pokey Party

Sing and dance to the Hokey Pokey with your child, encouraging them to follow the movements and promoting coordination and following directions while also having a blast dancing.

Ribbon Rave

Use ribbons or scarves and encourage your child to dance with them, promoting imaginative play and gross motor skills while feeling like they are performing a magical dance.

Frisbee Frenzy

Toss a frisbee back and forth with your child, promoting hand-eye coordination and teamwork while also having a fun and playful time.

Encouraging your child to participate in movement activities early can benefit their overall development. By promoting gross motor skills, cognitive abilities, and social-emotional skills, these activities can set your child up for success both in and out of the classroom.

By incorporating these simple movement activities into your daily routine, you can help your child develop healthy habits and have fun at the same time.

I’m a former teacher (and mother of Two Childs) with a background in child development. Here to help you with play-based learning activities for kids. ( Check my  Next startup  Cledemy.Com )

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40+ Music and Movement Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

In this article, you will learn what music and movement activities are and why they are important for a child's development. You will also get more than 40 fun music and movement ideas to implement during circle time in your classroom or in your home .

Learning is fun for toddlers and preschool children – especially when you're having fun yourself!

Try these music activities and activities of movement to get your child excited about learning about music, rhythm, and movement!

What are music and movement activities?

Music and movement activities are exactly what they sound like.

These are activities that incorporate gross motor skills and elements of fine motor skills with music.

(This post contains affiliate links. Purchasing from these links costs you nothing extra, but sends a few cents our way for website upkeep.)

Why are music and movement activities important for young kids?

Music and movement activities are a great way to help children learn and develop their motor skills; both fine motor skills and gross motor skills.

They can also be used to enhance cognitive development, creativity, and social-emotional development .

Motor skills development

Gross motor skills are developed and refined by using the large muscles of the body.

Music and movement activities are great for encouraging children to move in new and creative ways to help them develop these skills.

When people think of music and movement activities, fine motor skills development often gets left off the checklist of benefits.

Whether is grasping a silk scarf while dancing or creeping their little fingers up to their chins during a lively game of “Open, Shut Them”, music and movement activities absolutely involve the small muscles of the hands and fingers.

Encouraging creativity in kids is important, and music is a great way to do it.

Music has a way of capturing the imagination and getting people excited and interested in new things.

A great way to encourage creativity in kids is to expose them to music and have them participate in music and movement activities.

Music is a powerful form of self-expression that requires a high degree of mastery and learning, which is why it’s such a great thing to encourage in kids.

The more you exercise your creative muscle, the stronger it will get.

These activities are a great way to introduce the concept of creativity through music.

Social-emotional development

The importance of music on a child’s emotional development cannot be overstated.

While music and lyrics are obviously important, the rhythm and pace of a song can also influence a child’s mood.

 It's been well-documented that music and singing can help kids develop social and emotional skills.

One 2007 study found that kids who took music lessons had better social skills, self-esteem, and confidence than kids who didn't.

Another study found that singing in a choir also helped teens feel connected to their peers.

Again, creativity is a muscle, just like any other. The more you develop it, the more it will grow.

Language development

Music and movement activities are also great for helping a child develop language skills , as many of the songs in these activities use rhymes, which help phonetic awareness.

Children's movement songs also help develop receptive language through fun commands.

Onto the music and movement activities! Most of these activities don't involve rules, just creative movement, and can take place right in your living room.

No need to spend a dime, either. Just put on some music and get moving.

Any of these activities are great for circle time in the home or in a classroom.

If you look at the Toniebox website , you'll find some neat music players and fun characters that go well with a lot of these music and movement activities, as well.

40+ musical activities that incorporate movement

Simon says “dance”.

We all know the game “Simon Says”. Add a musical twist to the game by putting on some music and using some fun gross motor verbs.

You can even use action verb flashcards and draw them out of a hat.

Obstacle Course

Put on some music, lay out some stepping stones and set up some chairs, and get moving to some background music.

Musical Chairs

Musical chairs is a classic music and movement activity.

Set up your chairs in a straight line, every other chair facing the opposite direction, then start the music.

When the music stops, everyone takes a seat.

Traditionally, this is played with one less chair than players, then one chair is removed per round.

For a non-competition version, simply keep the number of chairs equal to the number of children. It's still tons of fun!

Party Freeze Song

“When I say freeze, freeze! When I say dance, dance!” Put this on your music device and have a blast.

Silk Scarf Dancing with Classical Music

Put on some classical music and invite your child to let their silk scarves flow as they dance however they feel.

This is a beautiful and calming way to fit some gross motor into your day.

Marching to a Beat

Rhythmic music is great for marching games.

Show your child how to lift their knees up high and let their feet come down onto the floor to the rhythm of the music.

Creating Rhythms with Egg Shakers

Shake egg shakers along to the beat of the music or put on some classical music and have your child find the rhythm themselves.

Walking a Line

Put some painter's tape down on your floor and have your child practice balancing along with some calming music. This is a great control of movement activity .

Put a musical twist on the game of hopscotch by having your child dance a few wiggles in each square.

Painters tape makes for a great indoor hopscotch board.

Body Parts Dancing

For this activity, call out a body part and start the music. Your child can only use the body part you called out in their dance.

For example, you call out “left leg” and the child must only make their left leg move to the music.

This captures a child's attention, as it's both fun and challenging.

The Yes/No Game

For this game, a caregiver creates a musical rhythm using the words “yes” and “no” and the child repeats the rhythm, but using the words in the opposite order.

Click here for details.

“Oh so Quiet”

This is one of our favorite action songs.

The song starts off softly, then suddenly takes a very fun turn before it returns to its soft roots…and back again.

“Cover Me”

This is another fun Bjork piece that incorporates movement with music.

My children and I like to put on this song and “sneak” around the house, slowly peeking out from doorways and walking along walls.

The Limbo Rock is probably something you remember from your childhood. Set up a Limbo bar and put on the Limbo Rock song.

Very young kids don't have the control of body movement to lean backward and walk, but ducking under the bar is just as much fun.

Musical Hide and Seek

For this music and movement activity, the caregiver hides a musical instrument or any other item that makes a distinctive sound, like 2 spoons.

The child must find the instrument and make a sound with it.

Musical Packages

You may already be familiar with this patience practicing activity. Wrap an item in several layers of newspaper, then pass it around in a circle, each person removing a layer.

To add a musical element to this game, you can have the wrapped item be an egg shaker or other instrument .

The child who unwraps the final layer gets to shake it out to a rhythm of their own making.

Going on a Lion Hunt

This is a fun call-and-response music and movement activity you can do inside or outside.

Have your child follow you around use hand motions for binoculars (or use kids binoculars ) and “hunt” for different animals.

Name the Instrument

Put on some music, dance for a bit, then listen closely.

Guessing what musical instrument is making a certain sound is a great way to help develop auditory discrimination .

Dance Party

There's not always a need to organize music and movement with props or rules.

Sometimes all you need to do to get the wiggles out is turn on some music and dance.

Tissue Dancing

Have everyone put a tissue on their head and dance around without letting it fall to the floor.

Musical Statues

Instead of freezing when the music stops, the child must try to stand as still as a statue while the music plays.

When the music stops, the child can loosen their body and shake it out.

Very challenging!

Musical Moods

Music elicits an emotional response in most people.

Caregivers can take advantage of this and help children identify their emotions with this music and movement activity.

Dancing Animals

Ask your child what animal they would like to pretend to be. Then ask them how they think that animal would dance if they were able.

Put on a song and watch what they come up with!

Head, Shoulder, Knees and Toes

This activity helps kids stretch their bodies and learn body part names at the same time.

It's easy enough for very young children and it's a great exercise for everyone.

Musical Body Art

Lay out an oversized sheet of paper , put on some soft music, and get out some paints.

Let your child paint with the palms of their hands to encourage them to use their whole bodies.

This is a great process art activity . Just let them paint whatever the music makes them feel.

For more process art ideas, click here.

Feather Dancing

Get a few large prop feathers and dance to your favorite classical pieces.

You can even direct your child to help the feather move quickly to the lively portions of the music, then fall slowly to the floor for the somber portions.

Hokey Pokey

We all know this one. Put on the Hokey Pokey song and gather in a circle!

This activity helps your child learn their body parts, as well as left from right.

Peter and the Wolf

Peter and the Wolf, by Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953), is a beautiful musical illustration that introduces children to the idea that music can tell a story.

Click here for a downloadable PDF guide to introducing Peter and the Wolf.

Sleeping Bunnies

This is a great mindfulness activity.

The child stays in a crouching position until it's time for the bunny to wake up and start hopping.

Watch the video below, or click here to see how to present the activity.

Pass the Beat

For this game, have the children stand in a circle (or across from you, if it's just the two of you).

The first person claps or stomps a rhythm and the person to their left must repeat the rhythm, add to it, or create a new one to pass around.

Pass the Tune

Stand in a circle or across from one another, if it's just the two of you.

Start with saying a few words in a tune. For example, sing “I love you” in a “do-re-mi” tune.

Have the child to your left copy your words and tune, then make up a tuneful sentence of their own.

The child to their left should do the same, and so on.

Singing Moods

Practice making mood-corresponding faces with your child and take turns making up songs that correspond with each face.

Open Shut Them

“Open, shut them. Open, shut them Give a little clap, clap, clap”.

This song incorporates music and fine motor skills through fun and repetitive instructions.

Listening Walks

Ok, so this activity doesn't necessarily involve music, but it is a great activity for helping auditory acuity and discrimination.

Walking slowly through your environment, inside or outside, and listening for the most subtle sounds.

The Silence Game is an even calmer version of this activity.

Swim Like a Sea Creature

If you have an audio device, like Alexa, you can play deep-sea sounds. Swim around your living room to these calming sounds.

Walking in the Jungle

This is a fun song for walks around the neighborhood, but your child can just as easily use their imaginations and walk through the “jungle” indoors.

The Bingo Dance

We all know the Bingo song. Spice it up with some movements beyond stomping or clapping.

Instead, have your child do wiggle a body part or do a quick dance.

Hula Hoop Dancing

Hula hoop dancing is great because it can be done with upbeat music for an energy-burning activity.

Many people don't realize, however, that it can be done as a calming and meditative practice, as well.

Read here for more.

Balloon Dancing

Put on some music and blow up a few balloons . Dance around to the music, but don't let the balloon hit the floor!

Gunny Bag Dancing

This can be done with any large sack , but smaller children can use pillowcases.

Hop into your gunny sacks and hop around to the music.

Book Balancing to the Beat

This is a challenging and fun game. Place a book on your child's head and turn on some mid-tempo tunes.

The object of the activity is to dance with the book on their head without letting it fall to the floor.

Clave Dancing

If you have drumsticks , that's great. If you don't you can use spoons or anything else you can think of that will tap together and make a sound.

Dance around the house banging your claves together in fun rhythms.

It's amazing to see how children love to get up and move to the music. I hope you enjoy some of these activity ideas.

What music and movement activities does your preschool classroom or family enjoy?

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Tuesday 29th of March 2022

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Hands On As We Grow®

Hands on kids activities for hands on moms. Focusing on kids activities perfect for toddlers and preschoolers.

Move & Learn Their Way Through Preschool

Move & Learn Science Preschoolers Colors Counting Experiment Letter Sounds Lowercase Letters My Favorites Name Resources Shapes Writing Activities 22 Comments

Have fun moving and learning all the tools a preschooler will need. From letter sounds to science projects.

Preschoolers are learning a lot every day. Especially when they are in school.

When they’re home, they are too, of course.

We have the most fun learning and reinforcing what they learned in school when we do activities that require movement .

Hence, the move and learn. Plus its an added bonus for me, because, well, they have a lot of energy they need to burn.

These learning areas are geared toward preschoolers.

But don’t let that deter you from trying it with a toddler!

Because I just bet they might be able to do it too, especially if you twist it up a bit for their learning development.

This post is kicking off a Move & Learn series I’m doing with The Pleasantest Thing and Coffee Cups & Crayons .

We’ll be exploring learning through movement in the upcoming weeks.

Today we’re just kicking off with a lot of fun move and learn activities.

I’m sharing preschooler activities, while The Pleasantest Thing had a move and learn activities for toddlers post, and Coffee Cups and Crayons is sharing move and learn activities for kindergartners .

Download the Move & Learn Week of Activities

Here we go! Let’s move and learn our way through preschooler with these gross motor learning activities for preschoolers.

 Practice writing skills.

• Trace lines on the driveway  to practice writing in a big way. Or set up a cave and have them draw on the ‘walls’.
• Walk along letters  in tape the way they’d write them to learn the movements. – Words of His Heart
• Write with ice  on a warm day outside on anything, cardboard, sidewalk, fence, whatever you can find! – Cultivated Lines

Learn to spell their name!

• Spell out their name  along strings strung around the room!
• Play name basketball.  Spell their name with balls !  – Toddler Approved
• This giant connect the dots to spell your name gets preschoolers to hop, jump, roll and dance to spell them name over and over.
• Lots of name activities, not all moving, but lots of fun!  35 Name Activities for Preschoolers .

Begin small! Learn lowercase letters.

• Set up a lowercase scavenger hunt maze to find their way through and match up the letters with the uppercase ones.
• Match lowercase and uppercase letters on the sidewalk with lines.
• Go on a letter scavenger hunt and match the found letters with their lowercase counterparts.

Let’s learn letter sounds!

• Play alphabet ball!  It can be tailored to whatever you’re learning, but The Pleasantest Thing guest posted here with a fun way to throw a ball and learn letter sounds
• Go on a hunt around the yard for beginning letter sounds and have a toy wash.
• Write out words on the sidewalk and walk along them sounding them out , focusing on the letter sounds. – Coffee Cups & Crayons
• Even more ways to learn letters, letter sounds and lowercase letters, not all gross motor activities, but all fun learning the alphabet! 50 Incredible Alphabet Activities for Preschoolers .

Count all the way to 20.

• Make a scavenger hunt to match up found numbers to the ‘dice’ number.
• Make a grid of numbers to count and find their way through to 20.
• Tape a maze on the floor and number it to 20, have them count their way through.
• More counting and number activities for preschoolers. Not all moving and learning, but definitely learning! 40 Number Activities for Preschoolers .

Expand and practice color and shape recognition.

• Roll a ball or hop from shape to shape. Tape out various shapes on the floor . – 1+1+1=1
• Make a hopscotch with shapes ! – Creative Family Fun
• Play rainbow games. Rainbow, May I? or have Rainbow Races! – Coffee Cups and Crayons
• Go on a  scavenger hunt for the colors  of the rainbow.

What’s that? Body Parts.

• Make moving body parts dice and have preschoolers roll the dice and follow the directions for each body part. – Life over C’s
• Pop bubbles with a body part! – Motherhood on a Dime
• Dance with a body part . – Strings, Keys and Melodies

Experiment, predict, observe. Science projects.

• Test out Newton’s Law of Motion with this balloon rocket race experiment ! Try it inside or outside.
• What’s heaviest? – Science Sparks
• Paint and make chemical reactions with baking soda and vinegar.

Don’t forget to get creative! Big Art!

• Draw full self-portraits.
• Kick and paint. Gather balls and other objects to kick across the paper full of paint.
• Get target practice in with this cotton ball throw painting idea. – The Chaos and the Clutter
• Plenty more creative ideas in the Big, Big Art Collection . There’s 40 ideas!

Listen and follow directions.

• Play “Teacher Says” . – Coffee Cups & Crayons
• Build a block tower by listening to the directions given.
• Follow directions with a grid game . – Kids Activities Blog

Advanced preschooler activities:

• Do a bean bag toss for  beginning sight words .
• Skip Counting  from Learn Play Imagine
• See Coffee Cups & Crayon’s Move & Learn Activities for Kindergartners

 What’s your favorite way to move & learn for preschoolers?

About Jamie Reimer

Jamie learned to be a hands on mom by creating activities, crafts and art projects for her three boys to do. Jamie needed the creative outlet that activities provided to get through the early years of parenting with a smile! Follow Jamie on Pinterest and Instagram !

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22 comments.

October 8, 2018 at 12:10 pm

these are amazing…

Alyson Dunn says

August 13, 2013 at 9:51 am

Thanks for including our walking the letter activity. I love these activities – great post!!!

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Music & Movement Activities for 3-5 Year Olds

If you have a little one, you already know preschoolers love to move, explore, and make noise! They are learning by exploring and experimenting. Attention spans are limited, and music lessons that insist on simply sitting still and listening will likely fail. Kids this age learn best by involving their bodies and moving. I’ve taught ‘piano’ to students as young as 3, but these lessons were filled with movement activities. You can easily do many of the same activities with your own kids at home!

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using the link. See the full disclosure for more information.

What are Music & Movement Activities?

Music and movement activities let preschoolers explore music through movement. They use their bodies, simple rhythm instruments, and large movements. This is ideal for learning music at this age and gives 3-5 year olds a chance to experience music, and rhythm in age-appropriate ways.

Why are Music & Movement Important for 3-5 Year Olds?

Gross motor skills.

Movement games involving tapping and clapping help children develop coordination. They also develop an awareness of their bodies and personal space. Music and movement activities also help little ones build the foundation of motor skills for life skills like tying their shoes.

Kids enjoy moving creatively and exploring sounds. Music and movement encourage imagination. For example, kids might imagine and creatively act out an animal while listening to classical music. Encouraging creativity helps kids develop problem-solving skills as they get older.

Preparation for later music lessons 

Similar to language skills, this is an ideal age to start learning music by listening to it and imitating sounds. While reading music doesn’t happen any faster if you start at the preschool level, preschool children who have a music education will have a strong basis for music lessons later. They also often develop a strong sense of rhythm more easily than children beginning at an older age.

Listening skills

Musical movement games usually involve listening to and following directions. Children will also be actively listening in action songs and games. Building these skills before they are in school with fun music games is a great idea!

Social skills

In group settings, 3-5 year olds will learn to work alongside others and respect each other’s physical space while they are moving about. They also learn to cooperate and listen to each other. For example, when participating in a circle song or game, or when they are clapping, tapping, or singing in time together.

Tips for success

Open-ended activities are a great idea at home where children can explore and learn informally. Let them be creative and experiment with music, movement, and making sounds. More structured activities will be most successful for 3-5 year olds when they are well planned, flexible, and short.

Activity Ideas for Preschool Music and Movement Activities

Below are 7 music & movement activity ideas for you to try with your preschooler. 3 year olds are very different from 5 year olds, of course, so adapt the activities to your child.

Shakers 

I think shakers are the best instrument for the youngest kids. They are easy to grasp and keep hold of, and they don’t need a high level of coordination to get started. Preschoolers will enjoy shaking along to the music, or holding them while dancing to create more noise. They can begin to follow the beat with their shakers, and also use them for the other activities below

Other rhythm instruments

Most rhythm instruments are a good fit for children by age 3 or 4. Fun options include small drums, jingle bells, or rhythm sticks. Let your children explore the different sounds and create their own music. Or use them to follow the beat in a simple song.

A fun example is to adapt ‘ The Ants Go Marching’ song for rhythm instruments to sing: ‘The sticks go tapping’ or ‘The bells go jingling’. The song has a strong beat and an easily learned melody with repetitive words, which are all good at this age. Preschoolers love repetition with small changes, such as the same song with a new motion or action.

Free movement & Dancing

Scarves and ribbons are a lot of fun to use as props for 3-5 year olds. Be sure to supervise of course, especially for the youngest ones.

Encourage your children to listen to the music and act out how it sounds. For example, if you played ‘The Skating Waltz’ (by Emile Waldteufel) they could glide around the room waving their scarf slowly in the air. Maybe they would pretend to be a princess or a ballerina, but probably not a dinosaur!

You could listen to ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’  (by Rimsky-Korsakov) and pretend to buzz around the room quickly. Perhaps another piece of music would encourage slow and heavy stomping like a dinosaur.

Motion songs 

Sing action songs with your children, or play them from YouTube or your favorite playlist. Some of my favorite action songs are:

• ‘The Hokey pokey’ – this such a fun activity for kids, and will lead to lots of giggles! It also teaches about the body and awareness of space while moving your body.
• ‘Wheels on the bus’ – This can be sung and acted out. It’s also fun to substitute the words. For example sing ‘The feet on the bus go stomp, stomp, stomp ‘ or ‘hands go clap, clap, clap’ or ‘noses go beep’. Encourage your kids to be creative and come up with some more ideas!
• ‘Ring Around the Rosie’ and similar circle chants with actions are also a good fit for preschoolers. Although they are great for larger groups, you can still do these songs with as little as just 2 people at home with your child.
• ‘Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, Turn Around’ – rhyming song
• ‘I’m a Little Teapot’ action song

Freeze dance 

You’re probably familiar with the freeze dance game. You play music for everyone to dance to, and they must freeze when the music goes off or be out. This game is a great movement break from other activities to get kids up and moving to some tunes.

Imitation 

Imitation and copycat games help develop listening skills and rhythm. For example, you could play Simon Says’ using rhythms. If your children have shakers you could say ‘Simon says shake up high’ and then shake a rhythm for them to copy. Have fun with very simple rhythms, clapping them, singing them, or even tapping them on your nose!

Marching encourages children to feel the beat and rhythm of the music. Let your child create their own musical instrument. A maraca, shaker, or drum are all simple ideas you can make from things you have around the house. For example, a coffee can and wooden spoon drum, a plastic egg shaker, or a toilet paper roll taped closed and filled with beans.

Find some marching band music on YouTube or play your favorite children’s songs with a strong beat such as ‘The Grand Old Duke of York’. Your preschoolers can march along to beat with their new instruments and have a parade!

A favourite resource for rhythm instrument activities for preschoolers

I’ve had some questions about more resources for music and movement activities for 3-5 year olds, especially using instruments. (If you’re interested in preschool piano I have some relevant posts) But, more relevant to this topic, are rhythm instrument activities. Rhythm instruments give preschoolers the opportunity to move their bodies while developing motor skills and making music.

My favourite resource for rhythm instrument activities (practically an encyclopedia of familiar songs, movement rhymes, and games) is a book I’ve had for quite a few years: 101 Rhythm Instrument Activities for Young Children by Abigail Flesch Connors . I’d suggest this book especially for preschool teachers, or anyone in early childhood education wanting to incorporate more music and movement activities.

Music and movement activities with your preschooler

Music and movement activities are the perfect way for 3-5 year olds to experience music-making. They benefit both your child’s physical development and their learning. These are simple activities for parents to do at home with their kids and would be easily adaptable for preschool teachers as well.

What music activities does your preschooler enjoy?

You might also like:

• Music and movement activity ideas – using movement card s
• Free music resources

8 Responses

Can you email me some more ideas for art, music and movement activities for 3-5 year olds. Thank you

I’d be happy to – thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I’m afraid I don’t currently teach art, but focus on music – although there are many, many sites with excellent ideas for art with 3-5 year olds. One of my favourite music activities for preschoolers that also incorporates movement is to use rhythm instruments or body percussion along with repetitive songs or rhymes. I have an excellent book I use for the preschool age range called ‘101 Rhythm Instrument Activities for Young Children’ by Abigail Flesch Connors. I have had it for years. Movement cards are also a lot of fun for ages 3-5. They can be done with music (for example to practise a steady beat) or without. Here are a selection of printable movement cards available to purchase. I also have a free printable set of movement cards on my free music resources page . I hope that helps!

Musical instrument activity for 3-5 years old. i need visual art too

Thanks for reading! If you’re looking for a great resource for musical instrument activities for 3-5 year olds, I’d suggest checking out ‘101 Rhythm Instrument Activities for Young Children’ by Abigail Flesch Connors. It’s my go-to resource for songs, rhymes, and games for preschoolers using rhythm instruments (shakers, sticks, drums, bells, etc.). I’ve had this book for years, but will see if I can find a link to add to this post since it might be helpful to others as well. I don’t teach visual art, so I can’t help there, but I know if you do a google search you’ll find some excellent resources.

I teach piano, and have a mom who wants her 3-yr-old to learn. After several tries I have recommended she wait another year or two with him. She still wants me to try. I am currently trying to adapt how I teach my 5’s, but could use some other ideas. Couldn’t find your posts about that. ????

Thank you so much for visiting my site! I have 2 posts about preschool piano meant mostly for parents wanting to try some piano learning before committing to lessons :piano by color and activity ideas for learning the keys

However, if you’re a piano teacher, I have a few more suggestions that might help. Keep in mind just turned 3 vs 3 1/2 say, are quite different development-wise. I have taught older 3 year olds using the ‘My First Piano Adventure’ book A by Faber. I don’t think it would work well for younger 3 year olds though. I do highly recommend the books called ‘Wunderkeys Piano for Preschool’ by Andrea Dow. They are designed with 3 year olds in mind, and should work for your student. They are available on Amazon, and created by the lady who blogs on ‘Teach Piano Today’. I hope that help, I’d love to know if this works for your student. Teaching 3 year olds even with a good program, is a challenge for sure, and takes a lot of patience. Take care, Katharine

i really love the actvities.

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Hi, I'm Katharine!

I help parents and teachers with music activities for preschool and elementary even if they don’t feel musical or have limited time.

Through the years I’ve seen first hand the transformation music can make in children’s development and emotional well-being. I’m passionate about helping all children access a music education.

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Teaching Tips

12 musical activities for preschoolers.

May 5, 2020

by: Cheryl Lundy Swift

Music is one of the most powerful gifts in the universe.

• It has the power to make us feel.
• It can calm and relax us.
• It can make us happy or sad.
• Music can inspire, encourage, and unite us.
• It can get us through challenging times.
• And it has the ability to take us back in time to a memory.

Listening, singing, and dancing to music brings us joy.

Throughout this pandemic, amateur and famous musicians have shared their live music via social media to entertain us. DJs have hosted virtual dance parties that have gotten us up and moving in our living rooms. This is an awesome time to use music in your virtual classroom or in your home to get the "feel goods" and to help teach children important concepts.

Music and movement are particularly powerful for the cognitive, social-emotional, and sensory motor development of preschoolers.

Here are 12 preschool music activities to help your preschoolers have fun as they learn important foundational skills.

• Build community while teaching name and letter recognition. Morning meeting or circle time is a great way to greet children and get the day started whether you are in your brick and mortar classroom or teaching class virtually. Children learn to recognize letters in their name and the names of their friends as they sing “I Am Happy to See You.” As you insert children’s names into the song, be sure to hold up their written name so that students can see the letters. Be sure to ask students if they know any of the letters or if they have similar letters in their own name. Try their name in all capitals first and then move to title case. Learning Without Tears has also translated all of our song lyrics to Spanish. “I Am Happy to See You” is also recorded in Spanish on the Sing, Sound, and Count with Me music album .  

• Teach and reinforce fine motor skills as children learn how to properly hold a crayon. What better way to teach children crayon grip than with a song? The “ Crayon Song ” teaches children to hold the crayon with a tripod grip by telling them exactly where to place their fingers. Children have fun dropping it and picking it up, which helps to solidify proper grip. Crayon grip is a great way for parents and teachers to partner. Here is information to support parents as they reinforce crayon grip.  
• Build fine motor skills as you increase math awareness. Fingerplays are an awesome way to help build fine motor skills. Learning Without Tears has several fingerplays. One popular fingerplay is “ Five Little Fingers .” Be sure to have students imitate you as you follow the directions in the song. Children learn how to count and begin to develop one to one correspondence.  
• Enjoy counting and learning one to one correspondence. “ Counting, Counting ” is a great song to get students moving as they learn to clap and stomp their numbers. Add different movements like hopping or jumping as your children learn to count higher and higher. Also, have children count physical objects like counters, toys, or crayons.  
• Support children as they learn to recognize shapes and their characteristics. Enjoy country music sounds as children sing the “ Shape Song .” Children will learn to identify shapes as they learn the characteristics of each shape. Have children hold up the shape and identify the characteristics as they sing. Encourage children to build shapes, draw shapes, and even identify shapes in their environment.  

• Help children learn to love breaking up words into syllables. Harness your inner drill sergeant as you sing “ Syllable Soundoff .” Children will love breaking words apart and putting them back together. This is a great song to get children up and moving. Start with two syllables and then move to three and so on. Have children clap out and stomp out letters. Also have children break apart the syllables using their body parts like in this cool syllable animation .  
• Build good letter formation habits. Capital letters are easier for children to learn to write than lowercase letters. One reason capital letters are easier is because they all have the same starting position. All capitals letters start at the top. We help to reinforce this important skill by singing one of signature songs, “Where Do You Start Your Letters?” This song starts out slow and crescendos into a cool rock song that will get you off of your feet. Children will learn important position words to prepare them to write letters.  
• Enjoy teaching children about different careers. Children will learn all about different occupations as they sing and move to “Ballet Dancing Truck Driver.” Have children act out a motion for each career in this whimsical song. Ask children what they want to be when they grow up. Expand on this activity by reading Mat Man Hats and learning about additional careers.

Music is a great way to connect school and home.

Jump Start Your Preschool Lesson Plans with our Music!

Learning Without Tears understands the power of music. We’ve incorporated music and movement into the core of our readiness and writing, printing, cursive, keyboarding, literacy, and math curriculum materials. But we don’t just sing and move for the sake of singing and moving, we’ve carefully designed our music and activities to reinforce or teach a variety of skills. Our music spans an array of genres from country and hip-hop to folk and rock. In this free webinar , learn five rockin’ music strategies to use with your class.  

A—Z for Mat Man and Me

Seamlessly bring the ABCs to life while building foundational literacy skills with our new letter book series. Each of our illustrated letter books introduces a letter of the alphabet and emphasizes their associated sound through captivating, visual stories. The engaging stories in each book capture children's imaginations and expose them to social-emotional skills and diverse cultures. You can Learn More → . 

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10 music and movement activities to energize your preschooler.

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Decades after we’ve passed preschool age, our movement to music is carefully choreographed (heaven forbid we be doing dances that are deemed uncool) and crafted never to offend.

If you want to know what it means to be young, wild and free, just watch somebody preschool-aged or younger get their groove on. When that particular gotta-get-down-to-this jam comes on, you’d better move the furniture — nothing is getting in that kid’s way!

The beat can come from a mind-nurturing classical song, an ear-wormy musical ditty, or (in the case of my toddler) even from the buzz-buzzing of a printer getting out that all-important PDF. For kids, anything remotely musical is fair game.

While it’s super entertaining to watch our kiddos bounce away, it turns out all that shaking and bopping has many cognitive benefits too. Music and movement builds vocabulary, teaches rhythm and rhyme, and is a natural stress reliever.

Punctuate days-in or homework time with these 10 preschool music activities to energize your preschooler’s body and mind.

1. Make and use a drum

Drumming allows children to explore rhythm and to practice an important pre-writing skill.

The ability to distinguish a particular noise (in this case the bangs of a drum) is great preparation for phonics (which involves identifying specific sounds in words).

Grab an empty coffee can and personalize your drum with stickers and the like. Once the drum looks rock n’ roll ready, grab a wooden spoon and you’re good to go.

Allow your child some free drumming to explore volume and form before introducing a particular rhythm, song or activity.

To further bolster those phonics skills, work on syllable discrimination by having your child think of words with increasing syllables. For example, if we were focusing on an animal theme, we’d start by banging out “snake” then “mon-key,” and finally “el-e-phant.”

2. Dance to classical music with silk scarves

Snack on the best brain food around by turning on some soothing classical tunes.

Grab a silk scarf (or a similar substitute like a sarong) and turn on the Mozart Quartet music. Encourage your child to sway however the music moves him.

Your child will be party to the magical sounds of violins and violas all while calming the heck down.

3. Story chants

Combine rhythm and literacy by chanting a story.

A favorite of ours is “ We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. ” This classic tale of going through different obstacles to find a bear (through a wheat field, over a bridge, up a tree and in a cave) has children use their imagination to dramatize events.

It further engages them by not only having them clap out the chant rhythm on crisscrossed legs, but also having them imitate the sounds of each respective obstacle.

Pro Tip: Help Your Child Become Better at Music

Enroll your child for the Atlas Mission and let your child play with this award-winning educational program. Your child will become better at music without even realizing it!

4. Tissue dance

Afternoon math worksheets got you down? Turn the focus on something else with the tissue dance.

Have your child place a tissue on her head and turn on her favorite songs. The rules are simple: she can do any movement she likes, as long as that tissue stays put.

5. Keyword dancing

Give your mini-choreographer a chance to show off his unique (read: extremely ridiculous/gravity-defying) dance moves with keyword dancing.

Have your child plan a particular movement or a series of steps when a particular word or phrase comes up in a song.

My kiddos love doing the same dance move whenever they hear the phrase, “shake it off.” The move they do involves flapping and jumping, which would make it seem like they’re trying to “fly it off.”

To each his own, I suppose.

6. Transition songs

One year in the classroom, I had a particularly clever group with a dogged determination to avoid cleaning. As soon as I would start with “clean up, clean up, every — ”I would see them either doing nothing or shuffling things about. Definitely not cleaning.

The solution came in the form of using a song for this particular transition in our day.

The “ Chopsticks ” waltz by Euphemia Allen was the answer. It has the fun urgency that dares you not to move in a purposeful manner.

Find a transition (teeth-brushing, cleanup or let’s-get-ourselves-out-the-door-now time) and choose a song. Make sure the song (tone, rhythm etc.) is perfect for the purpose or action you seek.

7. Dance party

You don’t need a special occasion to have a dance party. Choose a time of day where your child needs an energy boost and turn on the tunes. You can choose the length of time for the “party.” I opt for 5-10 minutes. No rules, just dancing!

8. Create ribbon rings

This activity is especially useful if you need a cool dancing prop or if you want to reinforce color knowledge. Also, when the limbs start fluttering and swinging about, these ribbon rings will make sure everyone is safe.

Yes, I’m fully aware that sometimes dancing along preschoolers is like trying to jump out of the way of a goofy bear claiming its territory.

Grab a pair of pipe cleaners and twist them together to form a ring. Add different colored ribbon (measured out to at least 16 inches in length) and secure to the ring with a knot. Repeat until half the ring is covered.

9. Listening for instruments

Do this to catch your breath after a particularly tiring dance party — and to expand your child’s musical knowledge, of course! Grab a seat and start winding that body down.

Play a music or video clip featuring the particular instrument you’d like your child to listen out for. Start with a common instrument like the piano. Then turn on a song and listen closely.

My favorite songs to use for this activity are “ Rhapsody in Blue ” by George Gershwin (because you can listen for a whole host of fun instruments!) and Vivaldi’s “ Spring .”

This music activity for preschoolers soothes the body while keeping that growing mind sharp.

10. Body Part Dancing

As mentioned above, when children dance, absolutely no movement is spared.

Give your child a kinesthetic challenge with Body Part Dancing.

Turn on her favorite tune and call out a body part, the only one that will be featured in dancing until the next is called.

For example, you can call out “mouth!” and dancing proceeds by puckering lips, wagging tongues etc. After a while, the next person calls out another body part like, “fingers!” and on and on.

Give those winding arms and those wild leg spasms your kid loves so much a break; think of new limbs to feature.

Check out these other music games you can play at home!

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About the Author

Alma Kenup creates educational content for the Atlas Mission . She is a kindergarten teacher with a passion for traveling, learning and making a mess alongside her children. When she isn't seeking out new adventures for her family on different continents, she can be found inspiring the young minds of children from the various countries she's called home.

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15 Best Movement Activities for Preschoolers in 2024

1. Sneaky Shapes Games

2. ball dunk: toss up games, 3. animal walks, 4. obstacle course, 5. freeze dance, 6. balloon toss, 7. parachute play, 8. simon says, 9. yoga for kids, 10. connect the ‘dots’.

Is your little one a ball of nonstop energy?  Movement activities for preschoolers are the perfect way to channel that energy and help them learn and grow while they play! This blog post is packed with fun ideas to get your preschooler moving and grooving.

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15 Fun Movement Activities for Preschoolers

In this online game , children drag and drop different shapes into matching outlines. It’s designed to enhance fine motor skills and shape recognition. This game is perfect for young learners as it helps develop precision with finger movements, making it an engaging and educational activity for little ones.

This is an interactive online game where children aim and toss a virtual ball into a moving or stationary basket. The game focuses on improving hand-eye coordination and precision. It’s simple yet challenging, providing lots of fun as kids try to time their throws perfectly to score a basket. This game is great for practicing aiming skills in a playful and supportive virtual environment.

In this activity, children pretend to be different animals. Instruct them to choose an animal and demonstrate how it moves: bear crawling on hands and knees, frog hopping from a squatting position, or snake slithering on its belly. 

How it Helps: This is one of the most fun movement games that allows children to use their bodies in various ways. Engaging in this game helps develop their motor skills and expands their creativity by allowing them to imagine themselves as different animals.

Set up a simple obstacle course using household items like pillows to jump over, boxes to crawl through, and toys to zigzag around. Encourage the children to go through the course as quickly as possible while navigating the obstacles safely. 

This movement idea is perfect for preschoolers as it helps enhance their physical coordination and agility. It also teaches them to follow instructions and solve physical challenges.

Play music and let the children dance freely around the room. When the music stops, they must immediately freeze in whatever position. This activity is a fun way to teach children about rhythm and to react quickly to changes. 

Freeze Dance is effective for improving listening skills and reaction times, making it a great addition to movement games for preschoolers.

Give each child a balloon and ask them to keep it in the air using only their hands or feet. They can toss it up gently and catch or hit it before it touches the ground. This activity is enjoyable and helps children develop their hand-eye coordination and balance. It’s an excellent choice for movement activities for preschoolers because it encourages them to control their movements and stay focused on the balloon.

If you are looking for mess free play time, here is a fun online balloon pop game you should try:

Use a large parachute or a bedsheet, and have the children hold the edges. Everyone should lift it high and then lower it down, creating waves. Place lightweight balls on the parachute and try to keep them bouncing without falling off. This game improves teamwork and coordination among preschoolers, as they learn to work together and predict the parachute’s movements.

Lead a game of “Simon Says” by instructing the children to perform different actions like jumping high, stomping loudly, or twirling around, only when “Simon says” to do so. This game sharpens listening skills and enhances physical awareness as children engage in a variety of motor movements. It’s a fun way to encourage active listening and quick responses.

Teach simple yoga poses suitable for young children, such as the tree pose, where they balance on one foot, or the cat-cow, where they arch and round their backs. These poses help improve flexibility and balance. Introducing yoga is beneficial for preschoolers as it promotes a sense of calm and helps them practice focus and body awareness.

Create large dots on the floor with tape or paper. Ask children to connect the dots by walking, hopping, or jumping from one to the next in a sequence. This activity enhances their ability to follow directions and recognize patterns. It is a fundamental part of creative movement activities as it allows children to explore space and practice their locomotor skills.

11. Alphabet Scavenger Hunt

Hide objects around the room or outdoor area that start with different letters of the alphabet. Give each child a list of letters to find. This scavenger hunt is a dynamic way to incorporate learning with physical activity, making it an exciting choice for action activities for preschoolers. It encourages them to move around while enhancing their letter recognition and problem-solving skills.

12. Action Songs & Rhymes

Use songs that include instructions for movements, such as “If You’re Happy and You Know It” or “The Hokey Pokey.” These songs engage children in music and movement activities, helping them to listen and move according to the lyrics. Singing and performing the actions improve their motor skills, coordination, and rhythm.

13. Skip Counting Hopscotch

Draw a hopscotch grid on the ground and number the squares for skip counting (like 2, 4, 6, 8, etc.). As children hop on each square, they count out loud. This game is a fantastic way to combine physical exercise with learning math concepts. It’s one of the best creative movement activities that encourage children to think and move simultaneously, enhancing both cognitive and physical development.

14. Bean Bag Toss

Set up several targets using boxes or hoops at varying distances. Give each child a bean bag and let them try to toss it into the targets. This activity is excellent for developing children’s aiming skills and hand-eye coordination. It also encourages them to understand distance and force as they learn how hard to throw the bean bag to reach different targets.

15. Duck, Duck, Goose

Have the children sit in a circle. One child walks around the outside of the circle, tapping each seated child lightly on the head while saying “duck” each time. Randomly, they will say “goose” when tapping a child, who must then jump up and chase the “it” around the circle. The goal is to tag that child before they can sit down in the vacant spot. This game is a fun way to develop quick reflexes and speed and social interaction among preschoolers.

4 Benefits of Movement Activities for Preschoolers

Movement activities for preschoolers are more than just fun ways to burn energy. They help your little one grow strong and healthy in many ways!

• Running , jumping, and throwing – these movement activities build gross motor skills, which your child needs for climbing, playing sports, and everyday activities. They also help with fine motor skills, like holding a crayon or kicking a ball with control. Plus, coordination gets a boost, helping your child move their body smoothly.
• Movement activities are like a brain workout! They help develop your child’s brain, improve memory, and even build problem-solving skills . Think about it: figuring out how to climb over a pillow obstacle course is like solving a mini-challenge!
• Playing tag or sharing a parachute with other kids encourages teamwork, cooperation, and communication. These movement activities help your child learn to work together, share, and make new friends!
• Movement activities aren’t just physical. They help your child manage emotions, like calming down after a meltdown or releasing energy when restless. They can also reduce stress and boost your child’s self-esteem, making them happy and confident!

Incorporating various movement activities for preschoolers into their daily routine is essential for their physical and cognitive development. These fun and engaging activities help little ones grow stronger, smarter, and more coordinated, making learning through play a joyful experience for everyone involved.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is a movement activity.

A movement activity involves physical actions that increase mobility and exercise different parts of the body. These activities are often designed to improve health, coordination, strength, and cognitive skills through playful and structured exercises.

What are the 4 types of movement?

The four types of movement are locomotor, non-locomotor, manipulative, and stabilizing. Locomotor movements involve traveling from one place to another, like walking or jumping. Non-locomotor movements are performed without traveling, such as twisting or bending. Manipulative movements involve handling objects with control, like throwing or catching. Stabilizing movements focus on maintaining balance and posture.

What are the 5 movement patterns?

The five basic movement patterns are push, pull, hinge, squat, and rotation. These patterns cover the fundamental ways in which the body can move and are essential for performing daily activities efficiently and safely. They are used in various combinations in all physical activities and exercises.

What are some sensory movement activities?

Sensory movement activities include crawling through tunnels, jumping on a trampoline, or playing with textured balls.

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Music and Movement for Preschoolers and Toddlers

• brightwheel
• Child development

Music and movement play pivotal roles in the development of young children. With an innate affinity for rhythm and motion, children find joy in singing and moving, presenting preschool educators with a unique opportunity to foster growth across physical, cognitive, social, and emotional domains. By weaving music and movement into daily routines and lesson plans, educators can significantly enhance the educational experience.

Although music and movement activities are often used for fun and entertainment, they are also powerful tools for teaching preschoolers essential skills and concepts. Early exposure to these activities not only enriches their learning environment but also lays a foundation for future achievements.

For preschool educators, understanding how music and movement influence child development is crucial. This article explores various music and movement activities suited for young learners, discusses their benefits, and offers practical advice for seamlessly integrating them into classroom settings.

What is music and movement?

Music and movement activities combine music with physical movement. This includes singing, dancing, playing instruments, and moving to the beat.

Most early childhood education programs include music and movement activities such as singing nursery rhymes, dancing to children’s songs, or playing instruments together.

Music and movement activities can be adapted to meet any child's needs and can be used in various settings. The key is to choose developmentally appropriate activities that fit the interests and abilities of the children you work with.

With brightwheel's Experience Curriculum , you get access to a complete curriculum system with digital lessons in brightwheel and hands-on learning materials mailed to you each month. These engaging learning experiences include games, discovery projects, songs, and dances to help build essential skills.

Why is music and movement important in child development?

Children are born with an innate love of music and movement. They show signs of enjoyment when exposed to music and movement from the moment they are born. Music and movement help children in many ways as they grow and develop. Here are some key reasons why they are important in child development:

Supports physical and motor skills development

Large and small muscle groups are developed through music and movement activities. Bouncing, clapping, stomping, dancing, and jumping get children moving and support physical development in children. Fine motor skills, such as playing instruments and participating in finger-play songs, are also enhanced through music and movement activities. 

While children are exploring their movements, they are also building an understanding of how their bodies work and what they are capable of doing. This physical awareness can lead to a stronger sense of coordination and independence.

Enhances language development

Phonological awareness , letter recognition, and other early literacy skills are enhanced when children engage in activities such as singing the alphabet song, clapping out syllables in words, and playing instruments. Children also learn new words and concepts when singing songs or chanting rhymes, and their listening and comprehension skills are also improved.

Improves social-emotional skills

Singing and dancing together help children feel connected to others and develop a sense of belonging. It also develops social skills , such as turn-taking, following rules, and sharing.  The rhythmic nature of music can help to calm and focus the mind, and the physical activity of moving releases pent-up energy and tension, teaching children how to regulate their emotions .

Encourages creativity

Music and movement activities encourage children to be creative and use their imaginations . They can experiment with different sounds, rhythms, and movements to create unique expressions when dancing to songs or creating music with instruments.

Strengthens cognitive skills

Cognitive skills such as memory, categorization, and problem-solving are strengthened through music and movement activities. For example, songs with repetition and counting can help support memory and counting skills. Children can also learn pattern awareness by detecting patterns in a song’s beat, rhythm, and lyrics and categorizing similar and different sounds and instruments.

Reinforces healthy habits

Music and movement activities are a great way to get children up and moving, which is essential for physical fitness. These activities also help children develop healthy habits, such as being active, which can continue into adulthood.

How to use music and movement in the classroom

Successfully incorporating music and movement activities into a preschool classroom requires careful planning and a bit of creativity. Here’s some practical advice to integrate these activities into your classroom setting:

Create a routine

Make music and movement a part of the everyday schedule. This could be during circle time, transitions between activities, or as a way to break up longer stretches of sitting.

Reinforce lessons

Educators can incorporate music and movement activities into their existing curriculum as a way to reinforce learnings from their lessons. For example, if a teacher is focusing on the alphabet theme for one week, songs about letters and sounds can be used in the lesson plan to strengthen children’s understanding of letters. 

Designate a specific space

Create an area within the classroom for music and movement activities. This can be a space with musical instruments, scarves, ribbons or other props that children can use during free play.

Improve transitions

Transitioning from one activity to the next can be challenging for some children. Playing a song can signal to children that it’s time to stop one activity and move on to the next. A quick song and dance break can be a fun way for children to expend restless energy and improve their attention for the next task.

Consider all perspectives

Incorporate a diverse range of songs and movements that represent the children in your classroom. This promotes inclusivity, celebrates diversity, and helps children feel represented and included.

Music and movement activities for preschoolers

Incorporating music and movement into a preschool curriculum is not only beneficial but also highly enjoyable for children. Here are some engaging activities that can stimulate development and encourage creativity:

Singing and dancing

Simple songs accompanied by movements such as clapping, stomping, or jumping are easy to incorporate into circle time or transitions between activities. These activities help develop gross motor skills, enhance listening and memory abilities, and foster a sense of rhythm.

Musical instrument exploration

Providing children with an array of age-appropriate musical instruments, from shakers and drums to xylophones and hand bells, encourages exploration, creativity, and self-expression. It also promotes fine motor skills development.

Freeze dance

This activity involves dancing to music that is periodically paused. When the music stops, everyone dancing must freeze in place until the music starts again. This activity helps develop listening skills, coordination, spatial awareness, and impulse control.

Musical chairs

A classic game beloved by children of all ages that involves walking or dancing around a group of chairs while music plays. When the music stops, everyone must quickly find a seat on one of the chairs. The person left without a chair is eliminated, and one chair is removed with each round until there is only one winner left. However, to make this a noncompetitive game, simply play with enough chairs for each child. This game supports gross motor skills development, turn-taking, and social interaction.

Animals in action

This song encourages children to imitate various animal movements, helping them explore motion and space while learning about different animals.

Marching to the beat  

Play a song and show your children how to march to the beat around the classroom or outdoors. 

Preschool movement songs

Preschool movement songs are often accompanied by simple, repetitive dance moves to make learning fun and also improve motor skills, coordination, and rhythm. Below are some examples of movement songs:

If You're Happy and You Know It

This song that promotes emotional awareness and expression through its lyrics, asking children to perform actions like clapping their hands or stomping their feet to show happiness. These simple, catchy lyrics make it easy for even the youngest children to sing along and follow the movement prompts.

The Hokey Pokey

An all-time favorite that teaches body part identification and coordination as children follow the instructions in the song, moving different parts of their body in and out of the "hokey pokey."

The Wheels on the Bus

The actions in this song match the lyrics, making it easy for children to follow along. Children can mimic the wheels going round and round, the wipers swishing, and the people on the bus going up and down.

Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes

This song is perfect for helping children learn their body parts. As they sing, they touch each body part mentioned in the song, accelerating both their physical and cognitive development .

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Have your preschoolers stand up and row their arms as they sing this song . Consider having the children pair up in groups as they row along in their imaginary boats and pick up other children to row along with them as they sing along.

Five Little Ducks

This song is perfect for helping children learn to count. As children sing, have them hold up the corresponding number of fingers for the amount of ducks mentioned in the song.

The Itsy Bitsy Spider

Children use their fine motor skills during this song as they use their hands to crawl their fingers up high and then splash them down low as they sing along.

Ring Around the Rosie

This song encourages children to work together as they move in a circle and fall down in time with the lyrics.

Children love clapping and patting to this song . Give each child a partner and have them clap and pat each other's hands as they sing along.

I'm a Little Teapot

This song encourages preschoolers to use their imaginations. As they sing, they pretend to be teapots and pour tea into their “cups.”

Music and movement activities engage young children in the learning process and help develop things like motor skills, coordination, and balance. They also improve children’s language and social-emotional development and promote creative expression. Children of all ages and abilities can benefit from music and movement activities. So have fun, be creative, and get moving!

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Indoor Movement Activities for Home

March 17, 2020 by Rachel Cooper

Inside: These indoor movement activities require minimal supplies to keep your child moving around and entertained when they cannot go outside. A great way to strengthen large motor skills!

We all know the importance of allowing a child to get their wiggles out .

Besides allowing them to feel satisfied and calmer afterwards, moving around in large motions is very important for a young child’s development.

Large motor movements are important for their abilities such as hand-eye coordination and flexibility.

However, going outside to run around is unfortunately not always an option.

Below are some gross motor activities that can be done safely indoors , while only requiring simple materials to make setting up even easier!

Indoor Movement Activities for Preschoolers

Dance to Action Songs – Dance to children’s music that contain actions like hopping like a bunny!

Ocean Animal Yoga – These yoga poses for children are themed around ocean animals such as turtles and jellyfish. (Kids Yoga Stories)

Laundry Basket Skee Ball – Set up laundry baskets to be worth different ‘points’ for preschoolers to throw or roll balls into. (Frugal Fun 4 Boys)

Easy Balance Beam – Place a line of tape down on the ground to become a safe balance beam to walk, hop, or skip across. (Fun Learning for Kids)

Hallway Laser Maze – Tape streamers, ribbon, or yarn to your hallway walls in various positions for kids to try to maneuver through without touching the materials. (It’s Always Autumn)

Lego Ring Toss – Stack towers of Lego Duplos or other bricks to try to toss some sort of ring around from a distance. (Stir the Wonder)

Body Movement Dice – Print out these movement dice to create various movement combinations. (Life Over C’s)

Follow the Line – Put tape or yarn down on the floor for preschoolers to follow across with their feet. (Little Bins for Little Hands)

Box Jumping – Place some painter’s tape down on the ground and invite preschoolers to jump from box to box. (Mama Papa Bubba)

Gross Motor Bingo – Call out different movements for children to do and check off of their bingo boards. (The Inspired Treehouse)

Indoor Obstacle Course – Use toys and furniture to set up your own indoor obstacle course for kids to complete. (How to Run a Home Daycare)

Name Hop – Write each letter of your child’s name on paper plates and place them on the floor, calling out various letters of it for them to hop to. (Fantastic Fun and Learning)

More large motor ideas:

Circle Hunt Game

Parachute Games for Toddlers

20 Fun Outdoor Games

Looking for ideas your toddlers and preschoolers can easily do at home?

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Teach Preschool Music

Preschool Music Lesson Plan: Animal Theme

April 26, 2021 by Megan

Animals are one of my very favorite themes to use in preschool music class. Animal-related activities never disappoint the preschool crowd and there are endless possibilities!

I’ve collected so many wonderful animal songs and preschool music activities over the years, so I compiled all the best into my no-prep, animal-themed lesson plan.

Click here to purchase the animal-themed lesson plan for preschool music classes.

This lesson plan was designed for movement-based preschool music classes . All of the activities support and encourage large, full-body movements in children to help them develop important skills such as gross motor skills and coordination. As they hone in on these skills, finer motor skills will start to fall into place. This sets kids up for success in future music lessons.

I make a point to keep my preschool music lesson plans super simple so that any teacher can follow them, even if you don’t have a lot of music knowledge. You can also easily rearrange the plan or substitute your own activities and ideas as needed. Many of the songs are piggyback songs so that you don’t have to learn tons of new music in order to teach the class. There is sheet music to follow for sing-along songs and the plan shows you exactly which pre-recorded songs you’ll need to add to your playlist. These are all songs that are easy to find on Amazon Music, Spotify or your favorite music streaming platform.

You can find the full lesson plan on Teachers Pay Teachers , but here are the highlights:

• 5 easy sing-along songs featuring the animal theme
• Sheet music and lyrics for those 5 songs
• 4 fun songs to add to your playlist that appeal to young kids
• A list of animal-themed stories to read to your class
• Specific instructions on how to use all of the songs and activities with kids ages 0-5
• Carefully ordered activities to keep your students engaged and to help your class flow smoothly

Click here to purchase the animal-themed lesson plan.

Other Articles You May Enjoy:

• Six Hello Songs For Preschool Music Class
• Four Goodbye Songs For Preschool Music Class
• Why Preschoolers Thrive With Movement-Based Music Classes
• Why Repetition Is So Important For Preschoolers
• Themes To Use In Preschool Music Classes

Movement in Early Childhood: Movement Lesson Plans, Children Learn about Force

• Categories : Lesson plans & worksheets for grades 1 & 2
• Tags : Teaching grades pre k to 5

Circle Time

Introduce to the children the various muscles in their bodies. Show how muscles are used when stamping their feet, moving their arms or clapping their hands. The object of this lesson is to show how the movement of force is about light and heavy. Read the story based on a childhood song, The Ants Go Marching by Mary Gruetzke, editor. This story prepares the children for the movement activity using the element of force.

Elements of movement in early childhood using force, includes music , such as the song, “The Ants Go Marching”. This allows the children to march around the classroom, as they listen and follows the directions in the song. Other songs are " Hinges", which allows a robotic movement, and “Clap, Clap, Clap Your Hands” by the Cedarmont Kids. This song teaches them to clap their hands and stamp their feet loud and soft.

Conclude by introducing this transition activity as you instruct them to “reach high with your hands and float down as light as a feather, now lift your hands high up to the sky and come down like a brick!” This activity of stretching, relaxing and force is guaranteed to be a favorite.

Using large hoops , call up 5 or 6 children and give one to each child, as they lie in the center of the hoop, curled up as small as they can get. Explain that they are a kernel of popcorn waiting to pop. As you “pour” oil over the “kernel”, a child pops up. The class will add as each child pops up. This math activity may be adjusted for older children. Use the concept of “sticky popcorn” to add greater numbers, by pretending to pour caramel over the popcorn. As the children “stick” together, have the class add the groups.

Suggested reading:

Silly Sally by Audrey Wood

Do Goldfish Gallop? by Michael Dahl

Ants Go Marching by Mary Gruetzke (editor)

This post is part of the series: Elements of Movement in Early Childhood

The Elements of Movement in Early Childhood Unit, is a series of lessons on space, shape, time, force, flow, and rhythm.

• Elements of Movement in Early Childhood: Spatial Awareness
• Elements of Movement in Early Childhood: Shape and Time
• Elements of Movement in Early Childhood: Force
• Elements of Movement in Early Childhood, Part 4: Flow
• Elements of Movement in Early Childhood, Part 5: Rhythm

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Joy of Movement: Lesson Plans and Large-Motor Activities for Preschool and Kindergarten

Email a friend.

Help children reach their large motor milestones with quick and easy activities

Author Mary Lynn Hafner took the time out of her busy schedule to talk to us about the necessity of movement, her professional journey, and her go-to movement game. Click here to read her Author Spotlight interview .

About Mary Lynn Hafner, PT, DPT

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"A practical manual filled with ready-to-use lesson plans that are both developmentally designed and respectful of the maxim that learning is fun... This gem of a book is surely useful in a preschool classroom. It may also be just the tool for energizing and motivating teachers who are ready to discover the joy of movement for themselves."

"Exceptionally well organized and presented, The Joy of Movement is ideal and very highly recommended curriculum resource for center[s], preschool, and kindergarten teachers and support staff."

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The Joy of Movement: Lesson Plans and Large-Motor Activities for Preschoolers Paperback – January 15, 2019

Purchase options and add-ons.

• Print length 120 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Redleaf Press
• Publication date January 15, 2019
• Dimensions 9 x 0.25 x 11 inches
• ISBN-10 1605546429
• ISBN-13 978-1605546421
• See all details

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Editorial Reviews

" The Joy of Movement is a practical manual, packed full of ready to use lesson plans that are both developmentally appropriate and fun! I have had the pleasure of witnessing preschoolers' positive response to Mary Lynn's planned activities." --Rose Covert, preschool teacher with over 15 years' experience working with three-year-olds, Fort Hunt Preschool

About the Author

Product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Redleaf Press (January 15, 2019)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 120 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1605546429
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1605546421
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.4 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9 x 0.25 x 11 inches
• #1,011 in Family Activity
• #1,094 in Curricula (Books)
• #2,251 in Early Childhood Education

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Dr Seuss Theme for Preschool

Dr Seuss makes us think of everything rhyming!

Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham and many other favorites!

This Dr Seuss preschool theme page is filled with preschool activities and ideas for all areas of your classroom.

You'll find more themes to help you with your planning on my  preschool themes page .

Let the Theme planning begin!

You can either scroll down through this page to see all of the preschool activities.

Or, you can click the link below to go to specific preschool activity types you are looking for.

Dr Seuss Theme Art

Materials Needed: Fingerpaint and paper!

The children make footprints, one of each color.

Allow them after that to sit on a chair and just "paint" with their feet!

Materials Needed: A variety of colors of paint, brushes, and half sheets of construction paper.

Encourage the children to use one color on each half sheet to make their own color book.

VARIATION: Let the children experiment mixing colors while they paint.

Grocery Bag Hats

Materials Needed: One grocery bag for each child and items to decorate it!

Roll the paper bag so that it fits on each child's head. Let them decorate by painting or by glue on some crazy Seuss-like items: chenille wires (pipe cleaners), stickers, fabric, etc.

You could also use this activity to work on patterns with the children. In advance, draw bold stripes on the bag with a dark marker. They can try to create a patterned hat using each striped area.

Gertrude McFuzz Hats!

Another Hat Idea!   This idea suggested by Jessica from Battle Creek, MI

Materials needed: red and white paper, paper plate (with the middle cut out).

The children use the paper to make layers to see how high they can make their hats!

Like What You See So Far? Join my FREE Preschool Teacher Tips Email Community today and receive: Weekly tips and planning ideas! And, on the 1st of each month I'll email you a free theme starter pack that includes a printable activity mat or game,  Calendar pieces, a playdough recipe and a song poster!  Join NOW and I'll also send you the theme planning forms I use! It's all FREE? You in?  Just tell me where to send your goodies below!

Seuss World Critters

Materials: Provide a large variety of recyclable items (boxes, water bottles, etc.), arts and crafts materials (ribbon, yarn, google eyes) and glue.

Encourage the children to make their own creature and name it!

Trufulla Trees!

This is a super cute idea!  

I'm not sure where the image is from, let me know if you do!

Use playdough and provide pipe cleaners, pom poms, glue and other items.

Return to Top

Dr Seuss Theme Block Center Ideas

Block Balancing

Materials: Wooden unit blocks, foam blocks and any other blocks you want to add!

Try adding stuffed animals and see how high the blocks can go to balance them! Run the Zoo

Add zoo animals (stuffed or sorters/counters) to your block area for your children to build a zoo. 

Dr Seuss Theme Circle Time Ideas

Circle Time is such a great time for children to learn the social skills of being together as a large group AND to learn more about your theme! Mr. Brown Can Moo!

VARIATION: Ask a parent to record the sounds!

VARIATION: Prior to this theme, record the children making the sounds and don't tell them why! When you have this theme, pull out the recording! They will LOVE hearing their own voices!

The Foot Book

This is a great book to jump start their knowledge about opposites. Do some opposite practice! Say things like:

Not up but......

Not left but.......

Not in but ........

Follow this up with a foot art activity!

Favorite Book Chart

Materials Needed: A large sheet of paper with the names of all of the Dr. Seuss books you've read with the children this week!

At the end of your Dr. Seuss Theme, have all of the books you've read out for the children to look at.

Encourage the children to print their name on a piece of paper. If they are not writing their names yet, have papers with each child's name available.

Give the children their name and a piece of tape. Have them place their name next to their favorite Seuss book.

Is there a class favorite? Which book was enjoyed the most? The least? Wish List

Materials Needed: Chart paper and a marker; I Wish I Had Duck Feet

In advance, ask the children what they would wish for if they could have any ONE thing they wanted.

Follow up by encouraging the children to draw a picture of what they said they wanted!

Snack Recipe Ideas to Cook Up for Your Dr Seuss Theme!

Cooking with children helps develop their math skills and helps them to learn how to follow directions. It also allows for some great conversation! Ask many questions while cooking with your children to encourage conversation! Be sure to ask specific themed questions while making these fun snacks!

Green Eggs and Ham, of course!

Then, make some scrambled eggs and add some green food gel to the eggs before cooking!

Heat up some ham.

Dr Seuss Theme Ideas to Transform Your Dramatic Play Area

Materials: Pull out your dress up clothes and props such as hats, scarves, shoes etc. Also, place a large variety of Seuss books out. Encourage your preschoolers to dress up like the characters in the book! Kitchen Cooking

Set up your kitchen set! Make some green eggs and ham out of felt pieces.

Dr Seuss Theme Ideas for your Easel--More Than Just Painting (Although that is always THE favorite in our classroom!)

Sam I Am Painting

Materials Needed: green paint, white paint, rectangular paper OR actual shoe box lids!

Make different shades of green. Painting on a shoe box or other box lid helps Sam I Am to "eat them in a box"!

Dr Seuss Theme Large Group Games to Help Your Preschoolers Build Their Muscles While They Have Fun Together!

Balance....Balance!

• On one foot
• Walk on a line of tape
• Place a line of wooden unit blocks in a row to use as a balance beam if you don't have one.
• Use bean bags and balance one: on your head, on your elbow, one your back, on your foot!

Pin The Hat on the Cat! Thank you Esily from Greenbelt, MD for this idea!

This is a variation of pin the tail on the donkey.

Materials Needed: Blown up picture of the Cat in the Hat. The red and white hat that can be taped to the cats head.

Blind fold the child and have them place the hat on top of the cats head as close possible and give out a sticker as a prize. Everyone wins :)

Dr Seuss Theme Ideas for Your Library Area

Book Suggestions for the Library

Dr Seuss Theme Math Activities to Help your Preschoolers Develop Their Math Skills and Those Small Muscles in Their Hands!

How Many Feet?

Materials: construction paper, marker, scissors and rulers!

Encourage your children to trace their foot and cut it out. They can use these cut outs to measure everything in the classroom--the chairs, tables, their friends! Also provide rulers so they can measure with them as well.

Bubble Popping

Provide bubble wrap and encourage the children to count each bubble they pop (fine motor development and counting all in one!)

Fish Matching

Materials Needed: Programmed Fish shapes of different colors or with different numbers. Children match either by color or number as a follow up to One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

Daisy-Head Maisy Headbands and more

Materials: Strips of long construction paper (about 2 inches wide and long enough to be a headband!); artificial flowers, glue.

Encourage children to create patterns with the flowers and foliage and glue it to the strips of paper. When dry, they can wear their Maisy Headbands.

EXTENSION: Provide large wreaths (purchased at a craft store or donated). The children can place the flowers in the wreaths. You can either hang the wreaths or leave them in the manipulative center for the children to use all week.

One Fish Two Fish Sorting

Materials: Colored Goldfish snacks and bowls.

Give each child a handful of colored fish for them to sort and count.....and, of course, EAT!

Dr Seuss Theme Music and Movement Activities and Ideas to Get Your Preschoolers Movin' and Groovin'!

Mooney Moving!

Bring the book Marvin K. Mooney and pause to have the children move in the ways Marvin moves (on a cow, on skates, etc.)

If You're Happy and You Know It

Sing and act this song out in honor of The Foot Book!

EXTENSION: Provide foot movement activities for the children: Kicking balls, "tap" dancing, jogging, running!

Dr Seuss Activities for Your Sand and Water Table!

Materials: Cornstarch and water

Mix equal amounts of cornstarch and water into your sensory table. This is the greatest texture! It is hard when you touch it. When you scoop some up, the heat from your hands melts it and then it hardens again!

Tooth Paste Sculpting!

Add mini tubes of toothpaste to the sensory table. Let the children squeeze them out and sculpt with them after reading The Tooth Book. Ask a local dentist if they can donate some in exchange for your passing out their brochure to families (be sure this is ok with your school's administration first!)

Dr Seuss Theme Science Activities-- For Your Preschool Scientists in Training!

Dr Seuss Oobleck

Make your own Bartholomew Oobleck!

You will need: 2 cups of water, 1 cup of glue, 2 tablespoons of Borax (it is found in the laundry detergent aisle).

• Mix 1 cup of the water with the 1 cup of glue.
• In a separate bowl, mix the remaining cup of water with the Borax and a few drops of food coloring if desired.
• Pour the Borax and water mixture into the glue/water mixture SLOWLY while stirring.
• Once it becomes rubbery, stop pouring in the borax mixture!
• Pour off the excess liquid and let the kids enjoy using this!

Remember, this WILL stick to clothes, hair and carpeting!

How Many Teeth?

Materials Needed: Hand mirrors, tooth shaped paper, marker, the book The Tooth Book

Children count how many teeth they have and write it on a paper. It is fun to compare! Who has all 20? Has anyone lost teeth yet?

Writing Activity Ideas for Your Preschool Classroom's Dr Seuss Theme!

My Shape Book

To go along with the book The Shape of Me and Other Stuff, provide shape stencils in your writing center for the children to trace and decorate.

Where Would I Go?

After reading Marvin K. Mooney, encourage the children to draw where they would go. Provide colored pencils and white paper and perhaps some Dr. Seuss stickers!  

Click the picture below to check out a very inexpensive box of 255 Dr. Seuss Stickers from Amazon!

Miscellaneous Activities for Your Dr Seuss Theme!

Jammies and Socks

In advance, send a notice home for your children to come to school in their pajamas AND wearing crazy socks! Read A Great Day For Up and Fox in Socks to start your day!

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss Theodor Seuss Geisel- was born on March 2nd, 1904. Have a birthday or UN-birthday party in his honor!

Read Across America

The National Education Association sponsors a campaign for reading and Dr. Seuss Birthday each year. Check out their website for more ideas on making this day special. Read Across America Website

Our Foot Book   Thank you Linda from Brooklyn, NY for submitting this idea!

We made a class book using Oh the Places You'll Go and The Foot Book.

After reading these books, we sent construction paper home for the parents to trace the children's feet. When they returned the papers, we documented all the places their feet have taken them. The children really enjoyed "reading" their own book after we finished!

How Many Yertles Tall are YOU? Thank you to Kierstyn for this idea!

We are reading Yertle the Turtle. I made 14 "Yertles" and stacked them out in the hall as a height chart. Students get to measure how many Yertles tall they are and stick their picture by it.

Don't forget to sign up for my free club and receive oodles of activities and a full week's theme each month!  

You'll also receive my weekly newsletter, free downloads and more!

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Hey there! Welcome to Preschool Plan It! I’m Cheryl, a preschool teacher of over 20 years.

I KNOW, I know , you spend hours of time developing your preschool themes, activities and preschool lesson plans each week. You are commited to planning preschool themes and activities that are engaging hands-on, interactive, fun AND meet the goal of supporting each child’s level of growth and development.

I am commited to providing you, the preschool teacher, with everything you need to develop preschool lesson plans and preschool activities for your classroom all in one place!

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