Kindergarten Music Lesson Plans (Pre-K to 1st Grade)

These five free kindergarten music lesson plans cover steady beat, high and low, loud and quiet, rhythm patterns and a short toddler music circle. Each plan lasts 15 to 30 minutes and lists objectives, timings, resources, differentiation, assessment and National Core Arts Standards links. They suit pre-K, kindergarten and 1st grade, and each one has a built-in lesson timer.

Updated 28 October 2026 · By the Classfern Music Department

UKUSWorks in the UK and the US. This version uses US music words (measure, quarter note, staff) and US grades; the UK version uses bar, crotchet, stave and UK year groups. · UK version of this page

Kids’ mode: bigger buttons and text (shared with the other music pages)

Key facts

• 5 lesson plans: four 30-minute lessons and one 15-minute music circle.
• Ages 2–7: toddlers, preschool and pre-K, kindergarten and 1st grade.
• Skills: steady beat, pitch (high and low), dynamics (loud and quiet), rhythm (ta and ti-ti) and singing.
• Each lesson lists National Core Arts Standards (Music) codes such as MU:Pr4.2.Ka.
• Every song is traditional and out of copyright.
• Every plan has a lesson timer with a steady-beat click and a print button.

• The lesson plans
• Higher or lower game
• 6-week unit

What should a kindergarten music lesson include?

A good kindergarten music lesson is short and active: a hello song, a steady-beat activity, one new idea (such as high and low, or loud and quiet), a game that practices it, and a goodbye song. Aim for 15–20 minutes for pre-K and 25–30 minutes for kindergarten and 1st grade.

Young children learn music by doing it. Keep talking to a minimum, change activity every 3 to 8 minutes, and come back to the same songs every week: repetition is how they get better. Every lesson below follows the same shape, so children know what is coming.

The lesson plans

Press Run the lesson timer on any plan to put a big countdown for each part on the board, with a chime between parts and an optional steady-beat click. Print this plan prints just that plan.

Lesson 1: Find the steady beat

Grade

Kindergarten and 1st grade (ages 5–7)

Time

30 minutes

Focus

Steady beat (pulse) and the difference between beat and rhythm

Learning objectives

• Walk, march, pat or clap a steady beat together with others.
• Show when the beat gets faster or slower.
• Tell the difference between the beat and the rhythm of the words in “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”.

Resources

• Space to move in a circle.
• A drum or tambourine for the teacher (or the steady-beat click in the lesson timer below, at about 80 beats a minute).
• The freeze game player on the Classfern games page.
• A picture of a heart (the beat is the music’s heartbeat).

Lesson outline

30-minute lesson. Each row is one part; the lesson timer below follows these times.

Time	Part	What happens
0–3 min	Hello song	Sing hello to each child by name on two notes (so and mi): teacher sings “Hel-lo Sam”, Sam sings back “Hel-lo Mr Lee”. Children who are shy can wave instead.
3–10 min	Beat moves	Pat knees to the steady beat while the teacher plays a drum. Change the action every eight beats: pat, clap, tap shoulders, march on the spot. Then play faster and slower – children follow.
10–17 min	Beat or rhythm?	Sing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”. First pat the beat (steady, like a heartbeat). Then clap the words (the rhythm: “twin-kle twin-kle lit-tle star” – the claps on “star” last longer). Half the class pats the beat while half claps the words, then swap.
17–25 min	Freeze game	Play the freeze game with “Fast and slow changes too”: children march to the beat, move slowly when the music slows, and freeze when it stops.
25–30 min	Goodbye and reflect	Sing goodbye on so and mi. Ask: “Show me with your hands – was the beat steady like a clock, or bumpy?” Thumbs up if they kept the beat in the game.

Differentiation

• Support: Hold hands with a partner while marching, or tap the beat on the child’s shoulder. Use a big, slow beat (around 70 a minute) first.
• Stretch: Ask a child to be the drummer and lead the class, changing the speed. Can they keep the beat on a drum while everyone else sings?
• Access (IEP and 504 ideas): Offer a seated option for every movement; use a visual beat (the flashing beat in the class screen or a waving scarf) for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Assessment

• Self-assessed “Thumbs up, sideways or down: I kept the beat in the freeze game.”
• Judged by a teacher or parent (rubric) Watch during Beat moves: 1 = not yet with the beat, 2 = with the beat some of the time, 3 = steady with the beat most of the time.

Standards links

• MU:Cr1.1.Ka – With guidance, explore and experience music concepts (such as beat and melodic contour). (verified: false)
• MU:Re7.2.Ka – With guidance, demonstrate how a specific music concept (such as beat or melodic direction) is used in music. (verified: false)

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Lesson 2: High and low sounds

Grade

Pre-K, kindergarten and 1st grade (ages 4–7)

Time

30 minutes

Focus

Pitch: hearing, singing and showing high and low

Learning objectives

• Show high and low sounds with their body (hands up high, hands down low).
• Sing a two-note song (so and mi) and hear that so is higher.
• Answer “higher or lower?” for two notes played one after the other.

Resources

• Chime bars, a glockenspiel or Classfern’s online glockenspiel.
• A slide whistle or your voice for sliding sounds.
• The “Higher or lower?” listening game further down this page.

Lesson outline

30-minute lesson. Each row is one part; the lesson timer below follows these times.

Time	Part	What happens
0–3 min	Hello song	Hello song on so and mi, as in Lesson 1.
3–9 min	Sirens	Voices slide up like a rocket and down like a slide. Children’s hands follow the sound. Then the teacher slides and children show the direction with their hands without singing.
9–17 min	Big and small bars	Play a long (low) chime bar and a short (high) chime bar. Which is higher? Which bar is bigger? Children stand tall for high and crouch for low as the teacher plays.
17–25 min	Higher or lower game	Play “Higher or lower?” (level 1) on the board. Children point up or down before someone presses the answer.
25–30 min	Goodbye and reflect	Sing goodbye. Each child sings one high “hello” and one low “hello”.

Differentiation

• Support: Use very wide jumps (a whole octave) and add movement: tiptoe for high, stomp for low.
• Stretch: Play three notes: which one was the highest? Let a child play the bars for the class to answer.
• Access (IEP and 504 ideas): Children can show high and low with a toy or puppet raised and lowered instead of standing and crouching.

Assessment

• Marked by Classfern The “Higher or lower?” listening game counts right answers.
• Judged by a teacher or parent (rubric) During Big and small bars: can the child show high and low correctly for three sounds in a row?

Standards links

• MU:Pr4.2.Ka – With guidance, explore and demonstrate awareness of music contrasts (such as high/low, loud/soft, same/different). (verified: false)
• MU:Re7.2.Ka – Demonstrate how a music concept (such as melodic direction) is used in music. (verified: false)

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Lesson 3: Loud and quiet

Grade

Pre-K and kindergarten (ages 4–6)

Time

30 minutes

Focus

Dynamics: loud (forte) and quiet (piano), and getting gradually louder

Learning objectives

• Play and sing loudly and quietly when asked.
• Use the words loud and quiet (and, for older children, forte and piano).
• Follow a simple picture score that shows loud and quiet.

Resources

• Shakers, drums or homemade instruments (rice in a sealed bottle).
• Two picture cards: an elephant (loud) and a mouse (quiet).
• The freeze game player with “Loud and quiet changes too”.

Lesson outline

30-minute lesson. Each row is one part; the lesson timer below follows these times.

Time	Part	What happens
0–3 min	Hello song	Sing hello loudly, then again in a whisper.
3–10 min	Elephant and mouse	Show the elephant card: everyone plays loudly. Show the mouse card: everyone plays very quietly. Then show the cards faster. Stop sign = silence.
10–17 min	Getting louder	Start with the tiniest shake and get gradually louder, like a storm coming, then gradually quieter as it goes away. Introduce the word crescendo for older children.
17–25 min	Loud and quiet freeze game	Use the freeze game with loud and quiet changes: stomp when the music is loud, tiptoe when it is quiet, freeze when it stops.
25–30 min	Picture score and goodbye	Lay four cards in a row (elephant, mouse, mouse, elephant) and play the “score” together. Sing goodbye quietly.

Differentiation

• Support: Model each sound first; let a child hold the card to give them a role without playing.
• Stretch: Children make their own four-card score for a partner to play.
• Access (IEP and 504 ideas): Warn children who are sensitive to noise before loud parts and offer ear defenders; the quiet parts can be their turn to lead.

Assessment

• Judged by a teacher or parent (rubric) Can the child change between loud and quiet straight away when the card changes? 1 = with help, 2 = sometimes, 3 = every time.
• Evidence kept at home Take a photo of the child’s own picture score (kept at your setting, not uploaded).

Standards links

• MU:Pr4.3.Ka – With guidance, demonstrate awareness of expressive qualities (such as voice quality, dynamics, and tempo). (verified: false)
• MU:Pr6.1.Ka – With guidance, perform music with expression. (verified: false)

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Lesson 4: Rhythm patterns with ta and ti-ti

Grade

1st grade (ages 6–7)

Time

30 minutes

Focus

Rhythm: copying, reading and playing quarter notes (ta) and eighth notes (ti-ti), and an ostinato

Learning objectives

• Copy short rhythm patterns clapped by the teacher.
• Read four-beat patterns written with quarter notes and eighth notes (stick notation).
• Keep a repeated pattern (ostinato) going while others sing.

Resources

• Rhythm cards: | for ta (one beat) and ⊓ for ti-ti (two half beats).
• Untuned percussion (claves, drums, shakers).
• The Classfern metronome or the steady beat in the lesson timer.

Lesson outline

30-minute lesson. Each row is one part; the lesson timer below follows these times.

Time	Part	What happens
0–4 min	Copycat rhythms	Teacher claps four beats, class echoes. Use word patterns: “ap-ple ap-ple pear pear” (ti-ti ti-ti ta ta).
4–12 min	Read the cards	Show four cards at a time. Say the rhythm (“ta ta ti-ti ta”), then clap it. Swap one card and repeat.
12–20 min	Ostinato	Half the class plays “ta ta ti-ti ta” on percussion over and over while the other half sings “Frère Jacques”. Swap.
20–26 min	Make a pattern	In pairs, children arrange four cards to make their own pattern and play it to the class.
26–30 min	Share and reflect	Two pairs perform. Class says the pattern back. Self-check with the I can list.

Differentiation

• Support: Start with only ta cards, then add one ti-ti. Say the words before clapping.
• Stretch: Add a quarter rest (a silent beat, shown as a Z-shaped sign or a gap) and an eight-beat pattern.
• Access (IEP and 504 ideas): Larger cards with high contrast; a child can point to the cards while others clap.

Assessment

• Self-assessed “I can copy a rhythm. I can read four cards. I can keep my pattern going.”
• Judged by a teacher or parent (rubric) Pair performance: 1 = pattern not yet steady, 2 = mostly steady, 3 = steady and correct.

Standards links

• MU:Pr4.2.1b – When analyzing selected music, read and perform rhythmic patterns using iconic or standard notation. (verified: false)
• MU:Cr2.1.1b – With limited guidance, use iconic or standard notation and/or recording technology to document musical ideas. (verified: false)

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Lesson 5: Toddler and preschool music circle

Grade

Toddlers and preschool (ages 2–4)

Time

15 minutes

Focus

Joining in: singing, shaking and stopping

Learning objectives

• Join in with actions and some words of familiar songs.
• Shake an instrument and stop when the music stops.
• Enjoy music with others.

Resources

• One shaker or bell per child, and a basket to put them back in.
• A scarf for peekaboo.
• Traditional songs: “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”, “The Grand Old Duke of York”, “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”.

Lesson outline

15-minute lesson. Each row is one part; the lesson timer below follows these times.

Time	Part	What happens
0–2 min	Hello	Wave and sing hello to each child by name.
2–6 min	Row your boat	Sit in pairs (or with a grown-up) and rock forwards and back while singing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”.
6–10 min	Shake and stop	Shake the shakers while you sing; hide them behind your back when the song stops. Do it fast, slow, loud and quiet.
10–13 min	Up and down	“The Grand Old Duke of York”: stand up on “up”, crouch down on “down”.
13–15 min	Goodbye	“Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” quietly, with twinkling fingers, then shakers back in the basket.

Differentiation

• Support: Sit the child on a grown-up’s lap; it is fine to watch first.
• Stretch: Let a child choose the next song or lead the stop signal.
• Access (IEP and 504 ideas): Offer instruments that are easy to grip; let children who need to move walk around the circle.

Assessment

• Evidence kept at home A quick note or photo in your own records of who joined in with actions (nothing is saved by Classfern).

Standards links

• MU:Pr6.1.Ka – With guidance, perform music with expression (nearest standard – the National Core Arts Standards start at pre-K). (verified: false)

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Higher or lower? A listening game for the board

Two notes play, one after the other. Children point up or down, then someone presses Higher or Lower. Level 1 uses big jumps; the notes change every time. Marked by Classfern

Start the listening game

How do you teach music to preschoolers?

Teach music to preschoolers through movement, singing and play: march and clap to the beat, sing short songs with actions, and use stop-start games such as musical statues. Keep each activity to 3–5 minutes, repeat favorite songs every week, and praise joining in rather than getting it right.

• Move first, then sing. A child who is marching to the beat is already learning the beat.
• Use two notes. Songs on so and mi (the “cuckoo” interval) are easiest to sing in tune.
• Stop and start. Freeze games teach listening and self-control at the same time.
• Let them lead. Being the drummer or holding the stop card is a big motivator.

What do 1st graders learn in music?

In 1st grade, children learn to keep a steady beat, copy and read short rhythm patterns (quarter notes and eighth notes, often said as “ta” and “ti-ti”), sing in tune within a small range, hear and show high and low, and perform for others. The National Core Arts Standards group this under Creating, Performing, Responding and Connecting.

The standards are written for each grade, from pre-K to grade 8, and each one has a code. For example, MU:Pr4.2.Ka is Performing, anchor standard 4, kindergarten: noticing contrasts such as high and low, loud and soft, same and different. Your state may use its own version of these standards, so check its wording before you copy codes into your plans.

A 6-week unit plan

Use the lessons in this order for a six-week unit. Repeat the hello song, the steady-beat warm-up and the freeze game every week.

How long should a toddler music class be?

About 15 minutes is enough for two- and three-year-olds, made of four or five activities of two to four minutes each. Stop while they are still enjoying it, and repeat the same songs for several weeks so the children can join in.

For a preschool or daycare setting, the music circle (Lesson 5) can be part of every day. For more ideas see the music games and activities for kids and Classfern’s preschool lesson plan template.

Where these plans come from

The plans were written by the Classfern Music Department for lessonplanner.info and are free to print and use. Standards codes and wording come from a published copy of the National Core Arts Standards; they are marked “verified: false” until they have been checked against the official site. All songs are traditional.

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