Preschool Music & Active Movement: Ocean Theme (1)

Today I taught an ocean theme in our preschool music class.  I'm teaching a preschool class this year that combines music and movement to teach basic music concepts like pitch and listening skills while letting our preschoolers sing, run, and play! 

You can also use a lot of these ideas and activities with toddlers or kindergarteners...just adapt them for your kid's abilities!

I'm sharing my lesson plans here in case anyone else wants some ideas for Music Time!

Themes we've already done for our music class are Moon & Space and Dinosaurs!

This lesson is already tested--we had a great time! This is a 40-minute class, and includes transition and movement time. :) 

Theme: Ocean (1)

Gathering Activity: Play with musical instrument toys.

Hello Song: Hello Song:   
Hello *kid's name*
Hello *kid's name* 
Hello *kid's name*
We're glad you're here today!

to the tune of "Goodnight, Ladies."

Warm-up Song: When I Sing La, La, La by Janeen Brady with sock puppets. Check out my Moon & Space Music Time post for more background on this song! Emphasize opening your mouth really big like the puppet when you sing, lift the puppets high for high notes, and lower the puppets low near the floor for low notes.

Action Song: The Goldfish (Let's Go Swimming) by Laurie Berkner. We acted out the action suggestions throughout the song, and "went swimming" all around the room every chorus.

Instrument: Rhythm Sticks. We reviewed sounds the rhythm sticks made, played with them, and then tapped them to the beat of Baby Shark while we listened to Super Simple Song's version of Baby Shark!

Instrument: Shaker Eggs: We talked about how fish and sharks lay eggs that hatch into more fish and sharks and then shook our eggs while marching, sneaking, walking, and running (as suggested) to the song "I Can Shake My Shaker Egg" by Mr. Eric and Mr. Michael, singing "shaker moon" instead of "shaker egg." I actually forgot to discuss how fish and sharks lay eggs until right after the song when one of my girls asked! It worked out great because we also talked about how seahorse males carry the eggs around (as if they were pregnant)! This led right into the next song...

Theme Song: Animals in the Ocean! by Kiboomers. We talked about some of the animals in the ocean, how you could act like those animals, and then we acted like each animal in the song (including crabs, seahorses, clams, and others).

Instrument: Bells: I absolutely love the Preschool Prodigies music curriculum, and pull their bells out whenever I can! Today, I pulled out an E and high C bell, and the kids took turns playing them. When they played the E bell, everyone "swam" around the room like slow fish. When someone played the high C bell, everyone "swam" like fast fish!


Parachute Fun: We absolutely adore parachute games and songs! This week we started by making little waves and big, stormy waves. Then we practiced pulling the parachute down by our ankles, lifting it high above our heads, stepping underneath it, and sitting down on the parachute, creating a mushroom-y "ocean" above us. 

The Shark Game: Start out by choosing one or two "sharks." Everyone else will sit with the parachute on their laps and their feet under the parachute. The sharks will crawl around under the parachute "catching" kids by touching their feet. Once they're "caught" the kids become a shark too! We played this about five times in a row--it works out because each time only takes about 30 seconds!

Walk Around (the Moon) by Music With Nancy: I love ending our parachute time with this! Everyone holds one handle of the parachute and walk in a circle...or jump, or whatever the song suggests. ;)  When it finishes, everyone sat on top of the parachute in the middle, and the adults made a few final waves around all the kids.

Goodbye Song: I'm doing the same tune for this as the Hello Song, just singing "Goodbye *name*."  

I know I've mentioned this before, but it's related so I'll tell you again! If you're looking for a music curriculum that teaches all the music basics like pitch, rhythm, and even reading notes I have a program that I 100% recommend!  Here's my affiliate link: Preschool Prodigies is absolutely "open and go!" AND your kids learn a musical instrument (bells) through the program! We are actually using this as well, and ALL my kids LOVE it (this includes my preschoolers, elementary kiddos, and my middleschooler)!! In addition to the bells curriculum for preschoolers, they have lessons for recorder, ukulele, and more!  I am super excited about this program and am sharing it with everyone I know! I simply have not seen any other system as fun and effective for teaching music. 

I hope all of this is helpful for you! Let me know if you use any of it in your Music Time!!

Happy Educating,

Carla

Have you seen HEEP? It is a preschool homeschool curriculum! Learn more here!

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