150+ folk songs and singing games organized by solfège set, grade level, and musical concept — every one demonstrated on video.
Start Your Free Trial →The Kodály teacher's problem
You have a carefully built scope and sequence. You know the solfège set you're introducing this week. But hunting through books, binders, and YouTube to find a song that's the right pitch set, the right grade, and actually demonstrated well — that takes far longer than it should.
The Singing Classroom organizes its entire library by solfège syllable set, grade level, and musical concept. Search for what you need in minutes, not an evening.
Why singing games work
In a well-chosen Kodály singing game, the musical concept is embedded in the game structure itself. Students don't play the game after learning the concept — the game is how they learn it.
Passing games and circle dances where the beat must be kept for the game to work. No explanation required — the game enforces it.
Cumulative songs, solo moments, and call-and-response games that develop pitch accuracy in a low-stakes, high-engagement context.
Circle games and longways dances where the game structure maps directly onto musical form. Students feel it before they name it.
Silent beats, echo patterns, and guessing games that develop the inner ear — the foundation of all musical literacy, built through play.
See it for yourself
Every song is demonstrated on video, either by Deborah walking you through how to teach it or by the bunnies animation of the game, and many songs have both. Here's the bunnies animation for Apple Tree, a do-pentatonic circle game for K–2 — quarter notes and paired eighths throughout, with do arriving just once, at the very end.
The Apple Tree bunnies animation, one of the video demonstrations in the library.
Browse by solfège sequence
Select a solfège set to see songs from the library — tagged by grade level, game type, and concept so you can find what fits your sequence immediately.
United States · Songs with Motions or Body Percussion
United States · Circle Games
United States · Circle Games
United States · Ball Bouncing
Do-Based Pentatonic · United States · Given Movements/Dance
Do-Based Pentatonic · England
Do-Based Pentatonic · England · Circle Games
Plus 7 more in the library tagged La.
United States · Circle Games
United States
Full teaching video plus bunnies animation.
Germany · Songs with Motions or Body Percussion
Plus 2 more in the library tagged Do.
Circle Games
Do-Based Pentatonic · United States · Circle Games
England · Arch/Window Games
Do-Based Pentatonic · United States · Songs with Motions or Body Percussion
Plus 10 more in the library tagged Re.
Do-Based Pentatonic · United States · Longways Sets
United States · Circle Games
United States · Hand Claps
La-Based Pentatonic · United States · Circle Games
Plus 9 more in the library tagged Low sol.
Caribbean · Play Acting
African-American · Circle Games
United States · Songs with Motions or Body Percussion
United States · Circle Games
Plus 15 more in the library tagged Fa.
United States
Caribbean · Circle Games
Circle Games
Aeolian (minor) · Israel
Plus 15 more in the library tagged Low ti.
What's included
Every song in the library comes with a full set of teaching materials built around Kodály principles.
Every song is demonstrated on video, either by Deborah walking you through it step by step or by the bunnies animation of the game, so you know exactly how to teach it before you walk in.
Sheet music with solfège syllables, Curwen hand sign reference, and rhythm syllables included for every song.
Filter the entire library by solfège syllables — sol-mi, la-sol-mi, do-pentatonic, la-pentatonic, modal — to find songs that fit your sequence immediately.
Song cards, posters, manipulatives, and teaching notes ready to print — including materials for substitutes who don't know the Kodály approach.
Questions
Try The Singing Classroom free for 7 days. Search by solfège set, watch any video, download any printable.