Elementary Music  ·  PreK–Grade 6

Elementary Music Lesson Plans
Stop Scrambling on Sunday Night — Your Lesson Plans Are Already Done.

A searchable library of 150+ folk songs and singing games — with a built-in drag-and-drop lesson planner that turns your song choices into a printable plan in minutes.

See the library →
150+
Songs & games
PreK–6
Every grade
Built-in
Lesson planner
Print
Any plan

Finding the songs is half the work. Building the plan is the other half.

Most music teachers have two problems: finding the right song for what they're teaching, and then turning that song into an actual lesson plan they can hand to a sub, share with their department, or refer to mid-class.

The Singing Classroom solves both. Search 150+ folk songs by grade level, musical concept, and activity type — then drag songs into the built-in lesson planner and print a complete plan in minutes.

"I find the songs, drop them into the planner, and I have a printed lesson plan in ten minutes. That used to take me two hours on a Sunday night."
RH
Rachel H.
K–5 Music Specialist, Texas

Drag songs in. Print it out. Done.

Every Singing Classroom subscription includes a drag-and-drop lesson planner. Find a song, add it to your plan, rearrange the order, add notes — then print a clean plan you can use in class, share with a substitute, or file for your department.

1

Search for songs

Filter by grade level, musical concept, or activity type. Find the songs that fit what you're teaching this week — in seconds, not an evening.

2

Add to your plan

Click to add any song to your lesson plan. Drag to reorder. The planner tracks grade level, concept focus, and time for each activity automatically.

3

Add your notes

Include warm-up ideas, transition notes, or anything specific to your class. The planner holds your thinking so you don't have to hold it in your head.

4

Print and teach

Print a clean, formatted lesson plan — or access it on any device mid-class. Hand it to a substitute without rewriting anything. Walk in ready.

Lesson plan resources for every grade you teach

Every song is tagged by grade level, musical concept, and activity type. Browse a sample below — the full library has 150+ songs searchable in seconds.

80+ songs for PreK and Kindergarten — ring games, fingerplays, cumulative songs, and circle games that build singing voice, steady beat, and musical exploration through pure play.

All Around The Buttercup
PreK–K
Form · Sol-mi

A name-learning circle game that works perfectly on day one of school. Every child hears their name sung — a powerful way to build community and singing confidence simultaneously.

Bounce One Bounce Two
PreK–K (and all grades)
Steady beat · Tempo

A ball-bouncing circle game with a natural accelerando. The beat gets faster through the game itself — no explanation of tempo needed. Works from PreK all the way through 6th grade.

Five Little Ducks
PreK–1
Counting · Play acting

A counting and play-acting song for the youngest students. The drama of each duck disappearing keeps children completely focused and eager for what comes next.

Oh Row the Rattlin' Bog
PreK–3
Steady beat · Low sol

A cumulative Irish folk song where each verse adds one more thing to the bog. Students are so absorbed in remembering the sequence that steady beat and pentatonic melody become effortless.

Miss Polly Had a Dolly
PreK–1
Drama · Singing voice

A beloved nursery song with a simple dramatic narrative. PreK students ask for it every week. Simple enough for the youngest students, musical enough to be worth teaching.

Come Through The Sawmill
PreK–1
Form · Arch game

A gentle arch game where the group creates the structure for one child to move through. Everyone participates — nobody waits on the sidelines.

+ 74 more PreK–K songs inside · Start free trial to access all →

100+ songs for grades 1 and 2 — circle games, hand claps, and partner songs that develop pitch accuracy, rhythmic reading, and musical independence through active play.

Apple Tree
Grades K–2
Steady beat · Sol-mi-la

A circle game with a passing element. Clean, simple, and pedagogically rich — one of the most-used songs in the library for early grades.

Bate Bate Chocolate
Grades K–3
Steady beat · Accelerando

A Spanish-language hand-clapping partner game with a built-in accelerando. Students are chanting it in the hallway by the end of the week.

A Ship A-Sailing
Grades K–2
Phrase · Form

A circle and movement game where students skip to the phrase. Musical form becomes completely physical — they feel it before they name it.

Lemonade Crunchy Ice
Grades K–4
Improvisation · Play acting

Two teams take turns performing and guessing. One of the most genuinely student-led activities in the whole library — kids take ownership of it immediately.

A Tisket A Tasket
Grades 1–4
Form · Fa

The classic circle chase game. Builds solo singing confidence and melodic memory — and introduces fa in a completely natural musical context.

Draw A Bucket of Water
Grades PreK–3
Do pentatonic · Partners

A groups-of-four movement game that has delighted young students for generations. The physical rocking motion is irresistible — even reluctant students join in.

+ 94 more grades 1–2 songs inside · Start free trial to access all →

90+ songs for grades 3 and 4 — complex circle games, folk dances, body percussion, and instrument work that develop ensemble skills, rhythmic literacy, and deeper musicianship.

Alabama Gal
Grades K–6
Phrase · Repeat sign

A longways set dance where students feel musical form through their feet. The A and B sections are physically distinct — no analysis needed, they just know.

A Capital Ship
Grades 3–5
Dynamics · Ti and low ti

A sea chantey with barred instrument parts and body percussion. Multiple entry points for different skill levels — everyone can participate meaningfully.

Come And Pass The Sticks Around
Grades K–4
Steady beat · Passing

Rhythm sticks passed around the circle on the beat — every student accountable for the pulse in the most natural way possible.

All 'Round the Brickyard
Grades 3–5
La pentatonic · Circle game

A lively circle game on a La-pentatonic scale with barred instrument parts. Upper elementary students find it genuinely engaging — the energy is high.

Bim Bum
Grades 3–6
Form · Body percussion

An Italian folk song with a layered body percussion pattern and clear two-part form. One of the most musically satisfying pieces in the upper-elementary library.

Jump In Jump Out
Grades 2–6
Phrase · Movement response

Students respond physically to the phrase structure — jumping in or out at exactly the right moment. The game is the assessment. Wrong timing is immediately obvious to everyone.

+ 84 more grades 3–4 songs inside · Start free trial to access all →

65+ songs for grades 5 and 6 — partner dances, complex folk songs, and challenging games that respect older students while keeping learning joyful and genuinely musical.

Bobo Ski Waten Taten
Grades 4–6
Steady beat · Partner clap

The upper-elementary partner clap game. Students who think they've outgrown singing games completely change their minds. One of the most-requested songs in the 5th and 6th grade library.

Four White Horses
Grades 4–6
Syncopation · Caribbean

A Caribbean hand-clap game that introduces syncopation through feel, not notation. The rhythm feels cool to older students — which matters a great deal at this age.

Flow Gently Sweet Afton
Grades 4–6
Longways set · Scottish

A Scottish folk dance in longways set formation. One of the most musically sophisticated demonstrations in the upper-elementary library — beautiful melody, elegant movement.

Down By The River
Grades 4–6
Hand claps · Passing

A complex hand-clap and passing game for upper elementary. The challenge level is exactly right for 5th and 6th graders who want to feel genuinely tested.

Buy A Penny Ginger
Grades 3–6
Passing on the beat · Ensemble

A circle passing game with barred and unpitched percussion parts. The ensemble element — everyone responsible for the beat simultaneously — makes it genuinely musical.

A Capital Ship
Grades 3–5
Dynamics · Ti and low ti

A sea chantey with multiple verses, body percussion, and barred instrument parts. Upper grades find the content genuinely interesting — maritime history, challenging melody, real musical depth.

+ 59 more grades 5–6 songs inside · Start free trial to access all →

How the repertoire builds across grades

Every song is tagged with the musical concepts it teaches. Here's how the library maps to a typical K–6 sequence — works with Kodály, Orff, Dalcroze, or any general music approach.

Grade Core concepts Representative songs
PreK–K Singing voice, steady beat, sol-mi, simple form, imitation, call & response All Around The Buttercup, Bounce One Bounce Two, Five Little Ducks
Grade 1 Sol-mi-la, quarter & eighth note, phrase, AB form, steady beat reinforcement Apple Tree, A Ship A-Sailing, Bate Bate Chocolate
Grade 2 Do pentatonic, half note & rest, repeat sign, simple partner work Draw A Bucket of Water, A Tisket A Tasket, Lemonade Crunchy Ice
Grade 3 La pentatonic, low sol, compound meter intro, longways sets, barred instruments Alabama Gal, All 'Round the Brickyard, Jump In Jump Out
Grade 4 Fa, ti, minor mode intro, multi-part ensemble, complex passing games A Capital Ship, Come And Pass The Sticks Around, Bim Bum
Grade 5 Low ti, hexatonic, syncopa, advanced partner games, folk dance Bobo Ski Waten Taten, Four White Horses, Flow Gently Sweet Afton
Grade 6 Modal scales, complex rhythms, sophisticated ensemble, world music Down By The River, Buy A Penny Ginger, Bim Bum

Everything you need to plan and teach — not just the song title

Every song in the library includes a complete set of materials so the plan writes itself and the lesson runs itself.

Teaching video

A full step-by-step demonstration with real students — from how to introduce the song through the game or activity. See it before you teach it.

Sheet music

Notation for every song, with solfège syllables, rhythm notation, and Curwen hand signs where applicable. Print once, use all year.

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Printable materials

Song cards, game cards, classroom posters, and manipulatives — all formatted for immediate use. Hand them to a substitute without rewriting anything.

Concept & grade tags

Every song tagged with grade level, musical concepts, game type, and standards alignment — so the planner can organize your lessons automatically.

About elementary music lesson plans

The lesson planner is included with every subscription. You search for songs by grade level or concept, then add them to your lesson plan with one click. Drag to reorder, add your own notes, and print a clean formatted plan whenever you're ready. Plans can be accessed on any device — including mid-class from your phone or tablet. It's designed to replace the Sunday-night planning document you're building from scratch every week.
Yes. Deborah Skydell Pasternack, who created every demonstration in the library, holds complete Kodály certification and has Orff and Dalcroze training. The library is built with Kodály sequencing in mind — every song is tagged with solfège syllables, rhythm patterns, and musical concepts so teachers using any approach can find exactly what fits their sequence. The repertoire itself is strong enough to support any method.
Yes — that's the primary way most teachers use the library. Search by solfège set (sol-mi, do pentatonic, la pentatonic, etc.), rhythmic concept (quarter note, eighth note, syncopa, etc.), activity type (circle game, hand clap, body percussion, etc.), grade level, or any combination of these. The search works on an "and" basis — so you can find a circle game for 3rd grade that teaches la pentatonic in seconds.
New songs and demonstrations are added to the library regularly — at least once a month, often more frequently. Members receive notifications when new content is added. All new content is included in your subscription at no additional cost.
The monthly plan is $19.95/month. The annual plan is $219.95/year — $18.33/month, with full access to the complete library. The 7-day free trial gives you complete access from day one with no limitations. You can cancel any time before the trial ends without being charged.
Yes. School and district purchase orders are welcome. If you'd like to discuss a school-wide or district subscription, contact us at thesingingclassroom.com/contact and we'll be happy to help.

Your Lesson Plans.
Done Before Sunday Evening.

Try The Singing Classroom free for 7 days. Search songs, build your plan with the drag-and-drop planner, print it, and walk in ready.

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