I don’t know about you but when it comes to lesson planning as a music therapist and music educator, I love the months of October, November and December. There are so many songs and ideas available! In October, we sing about bats, Halloween, monsters and about a Shy Little Monster. In November, we sing about leaves, pumpkins and we can find an abundance of fun fall props! And although the month of December is shorter, especially if you work in a school setting, there are so many songs, music activities and books we can bring into our early childhood music classes.
But, what do we teach after Winter break in January and February? I can’t be the only one asking herself this question. The start of the year is a sometimes tricky time to plan for our music classes. So, in this blog post, I’m sharing with you 4 Winter preschool & Kindergarten music lesson plan themes that you and the kids you work with will love.
Winter preschool & kindergarten music lesson plan themes and ideas
Lights
💡Teaching ideas: In the winter, we see lights everywhere! But, the versatility of this theme is that it does not have to be holiday specific. We can talk about traffic lights, fireworks, the moon, the stars, candles, and other things that create light. Speaking of candles, check out one of our most beloved self-regulation songs, “Light A Candle”, you can use to encourage kids to take some big, deep breaths.
2. Snow
💡Teaching ideas: There are so many things we can talk and sing about related to the snow. How do snowflakes form? What’s the weather like during the winter months/when snow falls? What type of clothing do we wear when it’s snowing? We can also teach about polar bears, penguins, seals, walruses and other arctic animals.
You might also want to read: Winter Music Activities and Ideas for Preschool and Kindergarten Music Time
3. Comfy and Cozy
💡Teaching idea: I love this theme! We can talk about clothing items we can wear to keep us comfy and cozy (a blanket, a soft sweater, fuzzy socks, etc.). Maybe we sing about foods we like to eat to keep us warm (soups, hot chocolate, etc.). This theme is also full of sensory opportunities that kids might connect through songs: cozy smells & sounds (chimes, bells, etc.), things we can touch or feel (sweaters, blankets, snow, cookie batter, warmth of the fireplace, etc.), things we can taste (sweet cookies, hot drinks, etc.) and bright (fuzzy, colorful, blue, etc.) things we can see.
You might want to check out the lyric video for one of our most popular children’s songs, “Hot Chocolate” below. You can also download the mp3, chords and lyrics here.
4. Snow Day
💡Teaching idea: I know I already shared with “Snow” as one of the themes on this blog post BUT there’s so much more we can talk about, specifically, about things we can do on a snow day! We can teach and share about winter activities, sports and games we play in the snow. Sledding, making a snow man, making snow angels, and more!
These winter themes & music lesson plan ideas live in our Cold weather Preschool & Kindergarten Music Lesson Plan Bundle.
Done for you Winter Preschool & Kindergarten Music Lesson Plans
I know that coming up with themes, and finding purposeful & developmentally appropriate songs & resources can be time consuming. That’s why every month I create a pre-k/kindergarten music lesson plan packed with original music for my Music For Kiddos Community Members. And some of those lesson plans, like this Cold Weather Preschool & Kindergarten Music Lesson Plan Bundle, live in our shop, too!
If you are running out of ideas for themes or if you just want high-quality lesson plans already made for you and your early childhood music classes, then you will love this Winter lesson plan bundle.
This bundle of music lesson plans include:
🎵 5 complete lesson plans, each featuring original music by Stephanie Leavell
🎵 a 55-page PDF with chords, lyrics, visuals, some MP3s, AND
🎵 implementation video for each lesson plan (that features even more tips and tricks)!
🎵5 different themes:
🕯️ Lights
🍲 Comfy Cozy
🕎 December
❄️ Snow
🛷 Snow Day
If you need even more music lesson planning support…
Every month, I create a pre-k/kindergarten music lesson plans packed with original music for my *massive* resource library of 400+ early childhood music resources including lesson plans with original songs and visuals. The Music For Kiddos Community welcomes new members twice a year. Learn more about it and sign up for the waitlist HERE.
