March Elementary Music Activitities – Celebrate School Music Month 2025

March is School Music Month! March provides an opportunity to shine an extra spotlight on the importance of your school music program. It’s also the perfect time to focus on music advocacy.

If you’re struggling to develop support for your elementary music program, take a look at the helpful 3-part blog series below. Each section offers practical steps to build advocacy among parents, fellow teachers, administrators, and even students.

• Steps to Build Music Advocacy in the Elementary Grades
• Increase Music Advocacy by Developing Music Literacy
• Increasing Music Advocacy by Involving Others

• Music in Our Schools Month
• Irish American Month
• National Women’s History Month
• National Nutrition Month
• National Craft Month
• Fire Prevention Month

The United States Navy recognized “The Star-Spangled Banner” as our national anthem as far back as 1889. However, it was not official until March 3, 1931, when President Herbert Hoover signed it into law.

This is why we celebrate National Anthem Day on March 3. This can be a meaningful opportunity to teach students about the anthem and its history. Depending on their age, students might listen to the first verse and learn about proper etiquette, or sing all four verses.

National Anthem Etiquette

There are many different storybooks that depict the history of The Star-Spangled Banner. This picture book by Peter Spier is perfect for the upper elementary music classroom. It makes teaching meaningful lessons about the history of our national anthem easy for teachers and memorable for students.

Check with your school and public libraries to see other children’s storybooks they have available.

March is the perfect time to teach Irish folk songs. Many Irish songs are set in 6/8 meter and may have complicated rhythmic patterns. The simple patterns in “There’s a Big Ship Sailing” make it an ideal song to introduce and practice reading 6/8 meter.

This version includes differentiated Orff accompaniments designed for grades 2-5. The simple, engaging accompaniments make for successful music reading lessons, even for first-time readers of 6/8 meter.

This resource includes rhythm syllable charts for Kodály, Gordon, and Takadimi methods, offering clear guidance for teaching 6/8 meter.

Click to see more of this no-prep, ready-to-use resource.

Interactive rhythm flashcards with a St. Patrick’s Day theme are fun and flexible activities to use all month long. Need inspiration? Check out the post 10 Ways to Use Interactive Flashcards for creative and interactive ideas.

This resource includes 8 sequential sets of leveled digital flashcards perfect for musicians of all skill levels. My favorite is the iconic rhythm patterns for your youngest musicians. But, your more accomplished musicians will be challenged by 16th-note patterns, syncopation, and dotted rhythms.

For an extra creative twist, try adding lyrics to a few patterns and turn them into an Orff-style speech piece. It’s a festive way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and School Music Month!

With St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner, I’ve got a fun and festive music activity that your early elementary students will love. These FREE St. Patrick’s Day Rhythm Clip Cards are a great way to incorporate the holiday theme into your music lessons while reinforcing rhythm concepts. Plus, it’s a super easy and low-prep activity that you can use with students of all skill levels.

I know how busy the school year can get, so I want to make it easy for you to bring a little St. Patrick’s Day cheer into your music classroom. Just click the link to download the free set and get started today!

Not sure how to use clip cards? Click to see ideas and tips for ways to use these rhythm activities for elementary music in your classroom.

P.S. Clip cards a perfect as a fun observational assessment.

Do you need something simple and quick to acknowledge St. Patrick’s Day? This FREE Irish Word Search introduces traditional Irish musical instruments and styles. Just download, print, and go.

Or, use the DIGITAL version. This puzzle is ready to assign by using a link to the Free Easel Activity (TpT’s Digital Tool).

Both the puzzle and Easel Activities are FREE to use.

Boom online task cards are a fun and effective way to practice and review. Boom Cards give students get immediate feedback and can also be used as assessments. Use Boom Cards for centers or stations, whole-class practice using simple manipulatives, or 1:1 devices.

If you’ve never used Boom Cards before, getting started may seem a little overwhelming. I promise you, it’s NOT hard but there are some tips to help you get a seamless start. To see a set of Boom Cards in action or learn more ways to use them in your classroom, click on the links below.

To see Boom Cards in action or discover creative ways to use them in your classroom, click the links below.

If online access isn’t an option or you’re looking for an alternative, PowerPoint interactive games are a fantastic choice. These interactive games provide immediate feedback for students and, once downloaded, don’t require an internet connection.

Try out this FREE sampler set. Download it today and give it a test drive with your students!

*NOTE: You must have PowerPoint to use these interactive presentations. Google Slides does not yet have the same level of interactivity.

As the fourth quarter approaches, it’s time to plan culminating projects that integrate music concepts students have learned throughout the year. Music composition is one of those culminating projects.

Composing is challenging for young students, but templates can make the process much more manageable. Resources like “drag-and-drop” composition templates are especially effective. Students can easily modify and “erase” their work, boosting confidence and creativity.

Printable worksheet-style activities doesn’t mean boring – far from it! This building block format with manipulative music note blocks makes music composition simple and fun.

The blocks are perfectly sized to fit the templates. Students select the notes they want to use and arrange them as they choose. When they are satisfied with their composition, they may glue it down. Or, use the blocks as reusable manipulatives.

What’s Included. . . .

• 5 Composition templates in meters of 2, 3, 4, and 6/8
• 10 Printable rhythm block sets of varied difficulty
• Large print note blocks for use as reusable activities
• Small print note blocks for use as reusable activities
• Detailed directions for various types of compositions
• Creative ways to use this resource

There are many different ways to celebrate and acknowledge School Music Month. No matter how you choose to celebrate, take a little time to publicize the learning activities that are happening in your elementary music classroom.

Real learning is happening here.