Hello readers! It’s the holiday season, and I’ve got some of my favorite holiday listening and movement activities for elementary music class listed for you. These are tried and true activities that I use every year with my students and they have always been a big hit. I’ve even been able to use them this year, with all the COVID restrictions (just requires a lot of sanitizing hands and instruments).
Feliz Navidad Listening and Movement Activity with Instruments
I use this song as a movement activity with my kindergarteners to work on steady beat. We also use it as a listening activity, listening for instrumental versus vocal parts of the song. Click here to view this lesson.
Jingle Bells Movement Activity
This is another great movement activity for working with the steady beat and musical form. We listen to the song and determine that the form is AB. During part A (Dashing through the snow …) we tap the big beat. During part B (Jingle bells …) we tap the little beat. Make it fun. Imagine different winter activities you could pantomime (snow falling, brush snow off yourself, put ornaments on the tree, etc …) and use those for your movements. During part A, do these motions to the big beat, and then switch to the little beat during part B.
Students need MANY repetitions of saying and doing the big and little beat to feel secure with that skill, and students have endless ideas of things to do, so you can really get in a lot of fun and learning with this.
Then, we add jingle bells (of course!). You could use them during the whole song, but I like them just during part B and everyone clap during part A. I often use this as an assessment piece, where I watch to see if they can perform the big and little beat accurately.
In the Window Hannukah Holiday Song
It is so refreshing to find a song in minor. In the Window is a great song for Hanukkah that uses multiple verses. Also it is a great chance to add some solo singing. Perfect for primary grades. Click here to see more info on this song.
The Nutcracker Listening and Movement Activity
I know my readers love a good listening map, and who doesn’t love listening and moving with the Nutcracker? It’s a holiday classic! I find that listening maps are a great way to introduce songs. Then I often add a movement activity (GamePlan has a great one for Trepak) or listening activity. Often I will take the original listening map the week (or two) after we first listened along and I will white out dynamic marking or add in questions with a Sharpie pen (example: what tempo do you hear here). Or just number parts of the song and have the questions displayed on the board, so you don’t have to squeeze things in. This turns the song into a great listening activity and a chance for my older kids to describe music using known vocabulary.
Click here to get Nutcracker Listening Maps.
These are just a couple of my favorite holiday listening and movement activities for elementary music class. What are you’re holiday go to songs?
But remember – movement should be in your lessons year round. For more fun ideas you can use any time of the year, check out 10 Easy Movement and Music Activities for Elementary Students by the Carpe Diem Music Blog. So many fun and unique movement ideas to try!
More Blog Posts You’ll Love!
Need some ideas on what to do after the holiday season wraps up. Consider some of these ideas for the new year.
The 1812 Overture: 3 Fun Ideas for Elementary Music
Making Classical Music Fun: Ways to Teach the Classics to Kids
The Planets Suite by Holst: 7 Lesson Ideas for Elementary Music
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