Engaging Ideas for Elementary Music Lesson Plans April 2023
There are MANY interesting and FUN holidays and observances for the month of April. They offer a wealth of ideas and themes for elementary music activities to engage your students and bring JOY to your classroom. You will definitely want to work a few of the observances below into your lesson plans.
Pick a few of these special observances to freshen up your lessons and provide a framework for cohesive activities for the week or month. Take a peek at the dates below before you create your elementary music lesson plans.
What’s in this post? Click to open the Table of Contents
April Holidays and Observances
- April 1 – April Fool’s Day
- April 2 – Children’s Book Day/National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day
- April 4 – School Librarian Day
- April 5 – National Walking Day
- April 7 – International Beaver Day/Good Friday
- April 9 – Easter
- April 10 – National Siblings Day
- April 11 – Barbershop Quartet Day/National Pet Day
- April 15 – World Art Day
- April 18 – Patriot’s Day
- April 20 – National High Five Day
- April 21 – Kindergarten Day
- April 22 – Earth Day (U.S.)/Ramadan Begins
- April 23 – National Picnic Day
- April 24 – National Skipping Day
- April 25 – World Penguin Day
- April 28 – Arbor Day
- April 29 – International Dance Day
- April 30 – International Jazz Day
Weekly Observances
- Week 1 – Library Week
- Week 2 – Garden Week
- Week 4 – Administrative Assistants Week
Monthly Observances
- Jazz Appreciation Month
- International Guitar Month
- Keep America Beautiful Month
- National Kite Month
- National Poetry Month
StoryBooks to Read, Sing, and Move
Sing-along books make perfect elementary music activities. They are ideal for sub days as well.
April 2 is Children’s Book Day AND National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day. Peanut Butter & Jelly, illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott, is a perfect sing-along book for any time this month! If you don’t have the book, consider using a real peanut butter and jelly sandwich as a prop!
Another favorite sing-along book is Over in the Meadow. This version is illustrated by David A. Carter. Verse 10 is about beavers. This provides the perfect ending for International Beaver Day on April 7. If you don’t have the book or can’t find it online, consider printing out pictures of each animal to use as props.
I found The Bunny Hop by Teddy Slater, illustrated by Larry Di Fiori, as I was looking through my book box. It is a fun book to introduce “The Bunny Hop” dance and get your kids up and moving.
Spring Play Along
Springtime is a good time to make Recycled Rhythm Instruments. This spring-themed play along by Elementary GrooveTracks is a perfect way to integrate your new instruments or “found sounds”. Enjoy!
I Don’t Care if the Rain Comes Down
If you don’t know this song, you need to look it up! This song is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE for April. This is a joyous song that will brighten everyone’s day.
I don’t care if the rain comes down. I’m gonna dance* all day. I don’t care if the rain comes down. I’m gonna dance all day. Hey, hey, carry me away. I’m gonna dance all day. Hey, hey, carry me away. I’m gonna dance all day.
In each verse substitute a different activity – jump, clap, snap, read, walk, etc. I always like to end with “I’m gonna SING all day.” Challenge your students to make up their own verses.
Sakura
Sakura is a beautiful, serene, Japanese song with simple rhythm reading activities. The Orff rhythm patterns are differentiated with varying levels of rhythm and pitch reading/performance activities making this song accessible for students in grades 2-5.
Camp Songs to Develop Music Skills
Yes! Fun camp songs CAN help your students develop music literacy and performance skills. And, they are also the perfect “hook” for your reluctant singers.
These NO-PREP camp song resources are specifically designed for the elementary music classroom. They have been created with differentiated activities for multiple grade levels.
Each of these common camp songs includes an Orff arrangement with 2 rhythmic and 2 melodic accompaniment patterns of varying degrees of difficulty.
Other activities include movement and fun facts to provide enrichment and help students make connections. These activities help to extend the lessons over several class periods without becoming stale.
Click to preview and listen to the arrangements in the video previews.
No-Prep Digital Activities
Boom Cards are perfect elementary music activities to further music reading skills in the classroom, private studio, and/or in the homeschool setting.
If you are new to Boom Cards, click the links below to learn more about getting started and using Boom Cards in the music classroom. You will be glad you did.
- How to Develop Students’ Music Literacy Skills Using Boom Cards
- Subscribe to Our Email List and Get 5 FREE Sets of Boom Cards
Boom Cards for Developing Music Literacy
These Boom Cards provide REAL MUSIC LITERACY LEARNING in a game setting. They are not simply “fluff” games. Boom Cards may be used for individual/group learning and/or assessment. In the classroom, they may be used as centers or stations as well.
Each music literacy Boom Cards series is organized similarly to instrumental band, orchestra, or piano method books. Each is sequential providing opportunities for simple differentiation. Click on the links below to determine which series would best meet the needs of your students.
Rhythm Dictation Blocks Series
Students listen and build the rhythms they hear by dragging and dropping rhythm blocks. Watch the short video to see a set in action. Click to see more.
Melodic Dictation Blocks Series
Students listen and build the melodies they hear by dragging and dropping melody blocks. Watch the short video to see a set in action.
Available in the Key of C, Key of F, and Key of G.
“What Do You Hear?” Ear Training Series
This series does NOT include the “cute” clipart of some of the other sets. Because it does not look “elementary,” these Boom Cards may be used in the middle and high school settings as well depending upon the needs of your students.
Set 1 of this sequential series begins VERY simply with just So-Mi for young elementary students. With six sequential sets, the upper levels will challenge older students.
Available in the Key of C, Key of F, and Key of G.
Treble Clef Note Name Series
There are 6 different sets in this series. Sets 1-2 introduce and practice space and line notes separately. Set 3 practices the lines and spaces together. Sets 1-3 include the BASIC notes on the staff only.
Sets 4-6 follow the same pattern while including EXTENDED notes above and below the staff. Click to see more on TpT.
Bass Clef Note Name Series
This series of 6 different sets follow the same pattern as the treble clef note names. Sets 1-2 introduce and practice space and line notes separately. Set 3 practices the lines and spaces together. Sets 1-3 include the BASIC notes on the staff only.
Sets 4-6 follow the same pattern while including EXTENDED notes above and below the staff. Click to see more.
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Make Your Classroom a Joy-Filled Safe Space
Teaching is always challenging. The past couple of years have presented even more obstacles. Our children feel this too. Make your classroom a JOYOUS safe space with simple engaging elementary music class activities that teach music literacy skills.
Spark joy!
Lesson Plan Ideas for the Upcoming Months
- Elementary Ideas and Activities for May
- Summer Elementary Ideas and Activities
- Free Lesson Planning Charts When You Subscribe to Our Newsletter
- Two Free Interactive Elementary Activities Your Students Will Love