Singing games provide a variety of benefits for young students.  From providing musical context and content, to movement and imaginative play, singing games allow students to learn to learn through developmentally appropriate play.  At a time where play in the classroom is declining, providing play in the music room can be helpful to our students’ social and emotional well-being.   Today I’m sharing three of my favorite singing games to play in Kindergarten!

Sally Go Round the Sun

Sally Go Round the Sun is a well known folk tune with many variations of the melody as well as the game.  I’m sharing the version I sing in my classroom.

Directions: 

• Students stand in a circle formation holding hands. 
• Select one student to stand in the center of the circle.
• Students walk counterclockwise as song is sung.
• At the end of the song, students say “Ka-boom!”  On the “Ka” – students release hands.  On the “boom” students sit on the floor.

Chant (extension)

“Don’t cry Sally, don’t cry Sally!  Wipe those tears away!

Don’t cry Sally, don’t cry Sally!  Jump up now and play!”

Directions:

• Students tap a steady beat on the floor along to the chant
• Child in the center acts out the chant.
• At the end of the chant, the child in the center chooses a new child to be in the center of the circle.

Musical Content

• Major tonality (resting tone: Do)
• Triple meter (beat divides in 3 – regardless of time signature – it’s how you feel it)
• Major Tonic Pattern embedded in song (Do-Mi-Sol)
• Musical contrast – chant is in duple against song in triple
• Tonic-Dominant chord function

Sally Go Round the Sun

The Old Gray Cat

My students LOVE the Old Gray Cat because they get to act out the story!  I often teach the song in its entirety with stationary movements before teaching the students how to play it as a singing game.

Stationary Movements

• Old gray cat is sleeping (put hands to cheek and pretend to sleep)
• Little mouse is creeping (hands on knees, keeping a quiet microbeat)
• Old gray is creeping (hands on knees, keeping a quiet macrobeat)
• Little mouse is scampering (hands on knees, patting as quickly as possible)

Directions

• Students sit in a circle formation.  Choose one child to be the cat and one child to be the mouse.  The cat sits in the middle of the circle and the mouse sits on the outside of the circle.
• Old gray cat is sleeping (child in the middle of the circle pretends to sleep)
• Little mouse is creeping (child creeps/crawls around the outside of the circle)
• Old gray is creeping (child sneaks around the inside of the circle looking for the mouse)
• Little mouse is scampering (child in the center comes out of the circle and chases the “mouse” one time around the circle)

Musical Content

• Major tonality (resting tone: Do)
• Triple meter (beat divides in 3 – regardless of time signature – it’s how you feel it)
• Musical expression (dynamics/tempo)
• Tonic-Dominant chord function 

The Old Gray Cat

Bluebird, Bluebird

Bluebird is another student favorite with many variations.  My students love playing this singing game each spring.

Directions

• Students stand in a circle formation holding hands.  One student is selected to be the “bluebird.”
• Instruct students that they are going to lift their hands in the air, creating windows for the bluebird.
• As the song is sung, the “bluebird” weaves in and out the windows as they move around the circle.
• On the word “Johnny,” students will close their windows – trapping the bluebird either inside or outside of the circle.
• As the B section of the song is sung, the “bluebird” taps a child on the shoulder for the next turn.  Interchange girl/boy as necessary.

Musical Content

• Major tonality (resting tone: Do)
• Duple meter (beat divides in 2 – regardless of time signature – it’s how you feel it)
• Duration – long sounds (half note)
• Tonic-Dominant chord function 

Sometimes, if I am limited in time, I choose two bluebirds – one girl and one boy and send them in opposite directions around the circle.  

Bluebird

There are so many great singing games for your Kindergarten students to play in the music room.  These are just a few of the many we play in our classroom!  Looking for more singing game ideas?  Check out my song, One Little Spider on TeachersPayTeachers.  It’s FREE and a great little game for Kindergarten students!

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