Looking for ways to keep your preschoolers active, entertained, and learning all at the same time? Movement and music are a big deal for preschoolers. They’re fun and they help little ones grow physically, mentally, and socially. 

Music and movement activities offer mini workouts for minds and bodies. Clapping along to a catchy song, marching to the beat, or practicing storytelling through chants are just a few ways these activities bring excitement and developmental benefits. 

Here are nine exciting music and movement activities that will spark joy and growth in your preschoolers:

1. Music Circle Preschool Activities

Have your preschoolers stand in a circle and clap their hands to the beat of the music. Ask them to jump up and down or sway side-to-side when they feel inspired. You can also have each child take a turn leading the music circle, giving them a chance to exercise their leadership and creativity. 

For song ideas, try classic nursery rhymes or interactive favorites like “The Wheels on the Bus”, “If You’re Happy and You Know It”, or “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes”. These are familiar and encourage plenty of movement and participation.

To take it up a notch, bring in instruments like tambourines, bells, or shakers. Kids can experiment with making their own sounds. These small variations keep the circle engaging every time.

2. Making Use of a Drum

Stop tossing your empty yogurt cups or oatmeal canisters—fill one with rice, and you’ve got yourself a fun shaker. Or, grab a cardboard box and turn it into a drum. Let the kids go wild with spoons, sticks, or even a whisk to tap out rhythms.

Here’s how to make a DIY drum:

Materials Needed:

• Empty plastic containers (yogurt cups, oatmeal canisters, or even coffee tins)

• Cardboard boxes (small ones work best)

• Rice, beans, or lentils (for filling)

• Strong tape (like duct tape)

• Wooden spoons, sticks, or other utensils for drumming

Instructions:

1. If you’re using a plastic container, fill it with a small handful of rice or beans to add a shaker element to your drum. For cardboard boxes, you can skip this step or experiment with adding sound-makers.

2. Secure the lid or top of the container with strong tape to ensure it stays closed during enthusiastic drumming sessions.

3. Decorate the drum using markers, stickers, or colored paper. Let your little one’s creativity shine!

4. Hand your preschoolers some drumsticks (or spoons) and let the music-making begin.

This is a fantastic way to boost sound discrimination (a critical pre-literacy skill). When kids learn to hear different drum sounds, like soft taps vs. loud bangs, they build the skills to recognize sounds in words. There’s something magical about watching a preschooler create their own rhythm for the first time—it means you’re teaching right.

3. Using Props for Movement Activities

Have your students grab scarves, ribbons, or other materials to wave around. Ask them to move to the music while waving their props. This movement for preschoolers’ activity helps with motor coordination and creative expression.

For props, try colorful streamers, fluffy pom-poms, or even glow sticks for a magical nighttime dance. These add a whole new level of excitement and make the activity feel new every time.

You can also give the activity a theme. For example, use red and orange scarves to mimic falling leaves for an autumn-themed session or have the kids pretend to be butterflies fluttering with ribbons in a springtime dance. Want to teach the kids about animals? Scarves can transform into lion manes, while pom-poms become bird wings.

These little additions turn a simple movement activity into a hotbed for creativity, giving your preschoolers a chance to express themselves!

4. Marching to a Beat

Marching to a Beat is another great preschool movement activity. Encourage your children to raise their knees high and let their feet stomp down onto the floor. Rhythmic music is great for marching games! Try tunes with a strong, steady beat like “When the Saints Go Marching In.” This song naturally inspires marching and makes it easy for kids to stay on beat. Marching is a full-body workout that strengthens gross motor skills, which means every step boosts their physical development.

You can also have your preschoolers move to the beat of the music through Imaginative Play. For example, you could play classical music and have them pretend to be ballerinas or have them move like animals. This activity helps with imagination, communication, and physical coordination.

5. Egg Shaker Dancing

Creating music with egg shakers is another fun and engaging music activity for preschoolers. Have your child shake their egg shakers to the beat of the song.

Want to make your own egg shakers? It’s a simple and fun craft to do with kids!

DIY Egg Shakers

Materials Needed:

• Plastic Easter eggs

• Rice, beans, or lentils (for the filling)

• Strong tape (like duct tape)

• Optional: Stickers, markers, or paint for decorating

Instructions:

1. Open the plastic egg and fill it halfway with rice, beans, or lentils. Experiment with different fillings to see how the sounds change!

2. Close the egg securely and seal the seam with tape to make sure nothing spills out during all that enthusiastic shaking.

3. Let your preschooler decorate the shaker however they like—it’s their musical masterpiece!

Once the shakers are ready, pick some songs with a recognizable beat like “We Will Rock You” or “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” and encourage kids to shake along. Egg shaker dancing helps preschoolers improve their rhythm and timing while building fine motor skills. 

6. Freeze Dance

Party Freeze Songs will get your preschoolers moving their bodies and learning coordination. Turn up the music and have them dance around.

Once you stop the music, tell them to freeze in position. This activity helps with focus and following directions. Play this Party Freeze Dance Song, or try themed variations.

When the music stops, have the kids freeze like a statue, an animal, or even a superhero. This game is fantastic for building impulse control. Kids have to stop themselves mid-dance and hold their position when the music stops. It’s an amazing way to help them practice self-regulation.

7. Story Chants

Story chants are an interactive way to blend music, movement, and storytelling for preschoolers. They’re like a mini performance.

Start with something simple and engaging, like “The Itsy Bitsy Spider.” This one’s perfect because they have repetitive phrases and natural rhythms that are easy for kids to follow. As you chant the story together, add movements—pretend to bounce like monkeys or walk like a spider. You could also try chants based on short poems or rhymes, like “Jack Be Nimble” or “This Little Piggy.”

Story chants are powerful tools for language development. When kids chant along, they’re practicing rhyming, sequencing, and repetition—all of which are building blocks for literacy. 

8. Dance Parties

Dance Parties are a great time to include an energy boost into your preschoolers' day. Have them dance to their favorite songs and move around freely.

This activity helps with motor coordination, balance, and social-emotional development. For around 5-10 minutes, no rules, just dancing.

Here’s some music inspiration!

• “Shake It Off” (Kids Version)

• “Can’t Stop the Feeling” (Trolls Soundtrack)

• “Baby Shark” (Pinkfong)

• “Happy” (Pharrell Williams)

• “We Are the Dinosaurs” (Laurie Berkner)

This is another great opportunity to introduce a theme! For a jungle theme, play animal-inspired songs and have the kids pretend to stomp like elephants. Or, try a space adventure theme where they can float like astronauts and blast off like rockets. 

Dance parties are a great way for kids to let loose. Plus, they’re the perfect mood-lifter. Who knows? You might find yourself joining in on the fun too!

9. Musical Chairs

Musical Chairs is a great way to work on movement and balancing skills. Have your preschoolers march around the chairs or other objects, then when the music stops, each child needs to quickly sit down. This activity involves group participation which can help children feel a sense of belonging and strengthen their social skills as they learn to make new friends and help others.

Make sure to use soft chairs, cushions, or even tape circles on the floor instead of hard chairs. That way, there’s no worry about bumps or tumbles if things get a little too enthusiastic. Musical Chairs is such a simple game, but it’s packed with opportunities for learning and laughter. Your preschoolers can master their balance, practice quick thinking, and build friendships!

Music and movement activities for preschoolers are excellent ways to help kids grow and learn how to express themselves creatively. Incorporating some of these activities into your preschoolers’ daily lives can help them boost motor skills, spark imagination, and build social connections. Start with a free-form lively dance party or a quiet moment creating a DIY drum, and you’ll be amazed at how much joy and growth these activities bring. Together, let’s keep those little minds and bodies moving, growing, and having a blast.