Fun Back-to-School Elementary Music Activities for the First Days of School
Welcome students to your elementary music classroom with fun and engaging Back-to-School music activities.
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Back-to-school music activities should do more than just fill the first few classes. The right activities can help you teach routines, build a positive classroom community, get students making music right away, and begin developing important music skills.
Start simple. Choose activities that get students singing, moving, playing, and interacting while you establish expectations for your elementary music classroom.
You don’t have to plan everything at once. A few well-chosen activities can help you start the year feeling organized and ready.
What’s in this post? Click to open the Table of Contents
Back-to-School Elementary Music FAQs
What should I teach on the first day of elementary music?
Get students making music as soon as possible while introducing a few important routines and expectations.
Simple singing games, movement activities, rhythm activities, and musical classroom rules help students learn how your music classroom works without spending the entire class listening to directions.
How can I make music classroom rules more engaging?
Turn your rules into music!
Use rhythm patterns, body percussion, classroom instruments, or Boomwhackers to practice expectations while students are actively making music. Students learn the rules while also practicing rhythm, listening, and ensemble skills.
Teach Music Rules with Rhythm Activities
Who says teaching classroom rules has to be boring?
Turn your music classroom rules into rhythm patterns that students can clap, tap, speak, and play.
Students practice classroom expectations while learning how to listen, follow directions, play together, and use instruments appropriately.
Use:
- Body percussion.
- Rhythm instruments.
- Boomwhackers.
- Orff instruments.
- Movement and rotation stations.
Start with FREE Rhythm Rules Posters
Grab these FREE Rhythm Rules Posters to introduce your expectations and set up your first music bulletin board.
Print them, mount them on colored paper, and you’re ready to go.
👉 Get the FREE Rhythm Rules Posters
Just print, mount on colored paper, and hang and your first bulletin board is done!
Plan 4 Ready-to-Teach Rhythm Rules Lessons
Need more than posters?
The Rhythm Rules Orff Activities Bundle gives you four sequential lessons for your first days of music class.
- Day 1 – Body Percussion
- Day 2 – Rhythm Instruments
- Day 3 – Boomwhackers
- Day 4 – Rotation Stations
These activities help you teach routines and expectations while students develop rhythm, listening, and cooperative music-making skills.
👉 Preview the Rhythm Rules Orff Activities
For detailed teaching ideas and video demonstrations, see 4 Fun Ways to Teach Music Classroom Rules.
What Teachers are Saying
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I love how this helped my students remember our classroom rules while teaching them rhythms! Genius! – Rachel
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The students are engaged and I look really organized in the process! – Andrea H.
Build Your Music Classroom Community with Music Mixers
Students need opportunities to reconnect with classmates, meet new students, and feel comfortable participating in music class.
Music Mixer activities combine movement, singing, rhythm, and interaction so students can get to know one another while they’re actively making music.
They’re especially helpful during the first few classes, but you can also bring them back anytime a new student joins your class.
Choose activities designed for the age group you teach:
Make a Simple Plan for Your First Weeks of Music
Make a Simple Plan for Your First Weeks of Music
There’s a lot to think about at the beginning of the school year.
You don’t need to plan every lesson for the entire year before students arrive.
Start by identifying a few priorities:
- Classroom rules and routines.
- Singing and movement expectations.
- Instrument procedures.
- Music literacy skills.
- Grade-level concepts and skills.
Then build your lessons step by step.
Get FREE Elementary Music Planning Tools
Use the FREE Yearly Music Curriculum Charts to map out music concepts by grade level and create a logical sequence from year to year.
These charts can help you see the big picture while still giving you flexibility to adjust lessons for your students.
👉 Get the FREE Yearly Music Curriculum Charts
You can also use the FREE Elementary Music Resource Guide to quickly find lessons and activities by music element, skill, concept, or season.
It includes an at-a-glance visual index with both free and paid resources so you can quickly find activities that fit your lesson plans.
👉 Download the FREE Elementary Music Resource Guide
Begin Building Music Literacy from the Start
The first weeks of school aren’t only about rules and routines.
They’re also a good time to begin building the musical habits students will use all year.
Keep music literacy activities short and manageable.
- Begin with skills students already know.
- Use songs and games students enjoy.Include short rhythm or pitch-reading activities regularly.
- Introduce only one new musical element at a time.
- Build skills sequentially from lesson to lesson.
Need Sequential Music Literacy Lessons?
You don’t need formal Kodály training to teach music reading skills sequentially.
The Elementary Music Curriculum Kodály-Style Lessons with Orff Arrangements Mega Bundle includes ready-to-teach songs and activities that combine music literacy with singing, movement, games, and instrument activities.
Lessons include activities for different grade levels and skill levels so you can build on what your students already know.
The Elementary Music Curriculum Kodály-Style Lessons with Orff Arrangements Mega Bundle includes ready-to-teach songs and activities that combine music literacy with singing, movement, games, and instrument activities.
Lessons include activities for different grade levels and skill levels so you can build on what your students already know.
👉 Preview the Elementary Music Curriculum Mega Bundle
Individual rhythm and pitch bundles are also available when you need lessons for a specific music element.
Plan an Easy High-Interest Unit for the First Weeks of School
Once your classroom routines are established, a familiar, high-interest topic can help you move smoothly into your regular curriculum.
Learning about the families of the orchestra and band is an easy way to get students listening, comparing sounds, identifying instruments, and talking about music.
Instrument activities also work well across several grade levels, making planning easier when you teach many different classes.
The Musical Instrument Families of the Orchestra and Band Bundle includes lessons and activities for woodwind, brass, string, and percussion instruments.
Students can see the instruments, hear authentic examples, and learn how each instrument fits into its family.
👉 Preview the Musical Instrument Families Bundle.
Add a Back-to-School Storybook 📚
A storybook can provide a quiet change of pace during the first days of music class.
Choose books that encourage belonging, kindness, confidence, and respect.
A few favorites include:
Keep Your First Days of Music Simple
You don’t have to fit everything into the first class.
Choose a few back-to-school music activities that help students:
- You don’t have to fit everything into the first class.
- Choose a few back-to-school music activities that help students:
- Learn your expectations.
- Feel welcome and included.
- Make music right away.
- Practice important routines.
- Begin building music skills.
Start with your classroom rules, add a fun community-building activity, and gradually move into your regular music curriculum.
Most importantly, plan activities that you and your students will enjoy.
A positive, musical start can set the tone for the entire year.
More Back-to-School Elementary Music Ideas
- 4 Fun Ways to Teach Music Classroom Rules
- 3 Steps to Create Back-to-School Music Mixer Activities
- Elementary Ideas and Activities for September
- Elementary Music Classroom Management Ideas for a Positive K-5 Music Room
Meet the Author
Terri Lloyd is an experienced music educator with over 25 years of teaching in elementary music classrooms. She holds a Master’s in Education, an Instructional Technology Certificate in Curriculum Design, and a Bachelor of Music. Her resources are designed to help music teachers develop students’ music literacy and performance skills while enjoying learning.
She presents music education workshops, develops curriculum, and writes for her blog. Terri is on the music staff at her church and leads a children’s program. She performs as an active community musician with a local Big Band, pit orchestras, and at various events.
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