150+ circle games, hand claps, body percussion, partner games, and play-acting songs — every activity demonstrated on video, organized by grade and musical concept.
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The Sunday evening problem
You search Teachers Pay Teachers, scroll Pinterest, skim YouTube — and still aren't sure the activity you found is right for your 2nd graders, or whether it actually teaches the concept you're covering this week.
The Singing Classroom organizes every elementary music activity by grade level, activity type, and musical concept — and shows you exactly how to teach it on video, with real students in a real classroom.
"I used to spend two hours hunting for activities every Sunday. Now I search by concept, watch the video, and I'm ready in ten minutes."
Browse by activity type
A sample of what's inside. Every activity shown here includes a full teaching video, printable materials, and concept tags so you can find exactly what fits your sequence.
Circle games are the heartbeat of a music classroom — everyone participates, no one watches from the outside. 32 circle games from simple PreK ring games to complex 5th-grade dances.
A classic circle game where one child walks the outside and drops a basket. Builds solo singing confidence and melodic memory.
A name-learning circle game that works perfectly on day one of school and keeps working all year long.
A circle game with a passing element. Clean and simple — great for the first weeks of school.
A ball-bouncing circle game that genuinely works at every grade. The accelerando happens naturally — no one has to be told.
A lively circle game for upper elementary with a pentatonic melody. Works beautifully with barred instruments.
A circle and movement game from England. The skipping-to-the-phrase makes musical form completely physical.
Hand-clapping and passing games make steady beat completely physical. Students aren't keeping the beat — they are the beat. 27 games from simple partner claps to complex multi-part passing.
A Spanish-language hand-clapping game with a built-in accelerando. A crowd favorite across every grade.
A classic upper-elementary partner clap game. Students who think they're too cool for music games love this one.
Rhythm sticks passed on the beat — every student stays accountable for the pulse in the most natural way possible.
A Caribbean hand-clap game that introduces syncopation through feel, not notation. Upper grades love it.
A satisfying partner clap game with layered body percussion on top of a simple melody. Works at every level.
A circle passing game that makes steady beat a group responsibility. One student off the beat and everyone notices.
Body percussion connects rhythm directly to the body — no props, no setup, no prep time. 30 songs with body percussion, fingerplays, and movement that work for every grade.
An Italian folk song with a layered body percussion pattern. One of the most satisfying upper-elementary activities in the library.
A sea chantey with multiple verses and body percussion. Teaches loud/soft in a context students actually care about.
A body percussion and motions song with a cumulative element. Works beautifully from PreK all the way through 4th grade.
A movement activity where students internalize phrase structure through physical response. No explanation needed — they feel it.
A gentle fingerplay for PreK and K. Simple enough for the youngest students, musical enough to be worth teaching.
A folk song with motion that spans a wide grade range. The melody is simple; the teaching possibilities are not.
Partner and small-group games develop cooperative musical skills — listening to another person, matching their timing, and making music together. 22 games from simple PreK partners to longways sets.
A longways set dance on a Do-pentatonic scale. Students feel the A/B form through their feet before they ever analyze it.
A groups-of-four partner game that has delighted young students for generations. (Hippopotamus Version)
An arch game where the group creates the structure for one child to move through. Form made completely tangible.
A partner game with a dramatic element — two groups negotiate in song. Students are always completely engaged.
A Scottish folk dance in longways set formation. One of the most satisfying upper-elementary partner activities in the library.
A simple arch game for the youngest students. Everyone participates; nobody waits on the sidelines.
Play-acting songs make imaginative drama the vehicle for musical learning — especially powerful for PreK and K where play is the primary mode of understanding.
A play-acting game where two groups take turns performing and guessing. One of the best student-led activities in the library.
A Caribbean play-acting song with a dramatic narrative. Students take turns as the thief — nobody wants to stop playing.
A counting and play-acting song for the youngest students. The drama of each duck disappearing keeps them completely focused.
A play-acting song with a simple narrative and clear character roles. PreK students ask for it every single week.
A classic nursery song with play-acting around animal characters. Simple, joyful, and completely singable.
A motion and imitation song where students take turns leading the class. Builds confidence and musical listening simultaneously.
50+ songs with instrument parts — barred instruments, unpitched percussion, and rhythm sticks. Each comes with printable sheet music you can hand out or project directly onto your smartboard.
A longways set dance with barred instrument parts. The movement and the instrument work reinforce each other beautifully.
A sea chantey with barred instrument parts and body percussion. Multiple entry points for different skill levels.
A simple circle game with a gentle barred instrument part. Easy enough for the youngest Orff players.
A circle passing game with both barred and unpitched percussion parts. The ensemble element makes it genuinely musical.
A circle game with a barred instrument accompaniment. The La-pentatonic scale makes it immediately accessible.
A movement and circle game with an unpitched percussion part. Perfect for early Orff instrument introduction.
By grade level
Every activity level-appropriate and carefully sequenced — from PreK ring games to complex 6th-grade dances.
How it works
No special training required. No guesswork about what to do or how to handle the tricky moments.
Filter by grade level, activity type, musical concept, or keyword. Find exactly what your students need for exactly where they are in your sequence.
Every activity includes a full teaching video — Deborah demonstrates with real students in a real classroom, from first introduction through the complete game.
Print the sheet music, poster, or manipulatives. Or project them directly on your smartboard. Everything is formatted for classroom use and ready to go.
Walk into class knowing exactly what you're doing and why it works — not just the steps, but the musical purpose behind every activity.
Common questions
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