I’m very excited to share this preschool music lesson pan with you, all about FISH! This is one of my favorite music lesson plans and one that my preschoolers love, too. I remember planning for this lesson plan and thinking “Would my students (all 140 of them?! 🤪) like this theme this week? And absolutely they did!
One thing I should mention about this music lesson plans is that, for the most part, it features traditional or popular songs by other children’s music artist. It also includes my original song Jellyfish and a melody I created for the popular book The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen. Typically, the preschool and kindergarten music lesson plans I share inside the Music For Kiddos Community include my original songs, written around a theme with different developmental, SEL and academic goals in mind. I am sure that this music lesson plan will be an absolute hit with your preschoolers!
Here is the Fish music lesson plan and a quick break down of how I use the songs!
1. Hello Song
Use the Hello Song of your choice! (Here’s a video with 3 of my favorites!)
2. Explore the xylophone!
Take turns playing and pretend the mallet is popping bubbles. Explore low to high. As the music gets higher, pretend the bubbles are floating higher and higher!
3. Jellyfish
by Stephanie Leavell
I know, I know, I know… Jellyfish are not a fish! They have unique bodies made up of a bell-shaped umbrella and long tentacles that dangle beneath them. A fish's anatomy is centered around its backbone, and jellyfish are invertebrate (they have no bones!), so they are not a fish.
We love this song so much, that we decided to include it on this lesson plan. And, what a perfect opportunity to share with kids some fish and jellyfish facts!
4. All The Fish
by Caspar Babypants
It's been super fun using this Caspar Babypants song with my preschoolers! We turn this into a movement song (we swim like the fish, we paddle like the ducks, we jump like the frogs, etc.) and for the "bubble, bubble, bubble... POP" we start low, gradually move up and then JUMP on "POP".
5. The Goldfish
by Laurie Berkner
Of course, we cannot forget my favorite Laurie Berkner’s song, The Goldfish! Hands down the most popular song in my preschool classes! Just the perfect amount of kid humor. 😉
6. The Pout-Pout Fish
by Deborah Diesen
The Pout Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen has been a long-time favorite music book of mine (this melody is catchy!!) and I recently brought it out again. Kids love it and it’s probably my favorite book melody I’ve written. Hope you and the kids in your life love it, too!
7. This A Way, That A Way
by Ladybug Music
This A Way, That A Way by Ladybug Music {based on This A Way, That A Way by Ella Jenkins) is one of my favorite movement songs of all time. To continue with the lesson plan theme, we changed it to focus on sea creatures (wiggle like an octopus, swim like a fish, etc) and ask kids to come up with their own movements!
*Couldn’t find an available recording or video of This A Way, That A Way by Ladybug Music, but here’s a video of how I use this song in my preschool groups!
8. Goodbye Song
Use the goodbye song of your choice! Here are 4 of my favorites. You can download my Hello + Goodbye Songs Packet here!
This lesson plan was such a hit with the kids! Let me know how it goes for you in the comments below!
Did you know I create new preschool and kindergarten lesson plans every months for the Music For Kiddos Community members? If you liked this lesson plan, you might love my library of more than 500 early childhood music resources, including lesson plans with original songs and visuals. The Community welcomes new members twice a year. Learn more about it and sign up for the waitlist HERE.
Hope you enjoy this lesson plan!
xo stephanie
