Fun Ideas for Your Elementary Music Lesson Plans April 2025
Develop music literacy skills with engaging spring elementary music activities for all learners. Update your lesson plans with creative ideas.
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April has many fun holidays and observances that can spark inspiration for your elementary music activities. Incorporate a few of these special observances into your lesson plans to add a cohesive framework or theme for your weekly or monthly activities.
Take a peek at the dates below, freshen up your lesson plans with a few fun new activities, and “spark joy” in your classroom.
And, you don’t have to observe these activities on the exact day. I’ll never tell. 😊
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/National Walking Day
- April 4 – School Librarian Day
- April 7 – International Beaver Day
- April 10 – National Siblings Day
- April 11 – Barbershop Quartet Day/National Pet Day
- April 15 – World Art Day
- April 17 – National High Five Day
- April 18 – Good Friday
- April 19 – Patriot’s Day
- April 20 – Easter
- April 21 – Kindergarten Day
- April 22 – Earth Day (U.S.)
- April 23 – National Picnic Day
- April 24- National Skipping Day
- April 25 – World Penguin Day/Arbor Day
- April 29 – International Dance Day
- April 30 – International Jazz Day
Weekly Observances
- Week 2 – Library Week
- Week 4 – Administrative Assistants Week
Monthly Observances
- Jazz Appreciation Month
- International Guitar Month
- Keep America Beautiful Month
- National Kite Month
- National Poetry Month
April is Jazz Appreciation Month – Children’s Storybooks
There are many fun storybooks about jazz and jazz musicians. Check with your school librarian or add a few titles to your collection.
Jazz Musicians Playing Cards
These Printable Jazz Musician Playing Cards are fun for upper elementary music or middle school general music classrooms. The versatile decks may be used to play any standard card game such as Memory, Go Fish, Rummy, etc.
Games work well for centers or stations, music sub plans, homeschool, and group activities. Print and laminate multiple decks for use with large groups.
Or, use the cards as collectible trading cards. One creative teacher even used them as a bulletin board and featured one musician during each class.
Rent Party Jazz read by Viola Davis
Rent Party Jazz by William Miller is a children’s book set in 1920s New Orleans. The story is about a family facing hard times and possible eviction. Sonny holds a “rent party” with live jazz music to help his mother pay the rent.
The story highlights the power of community and the rich culture of early jazz.
Storybooks to Read, Sing, and Move
Sing-along books make perfect elementary music activities, especially on sub days.
Celebrate Children’s Book Day and National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day (April 2) by adding Peanut Butter & Jelly, illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott, into your early elementary lessons. If you don’t have the book, try using a real peanut butter and jelly sandwich as a prop!
Over in the Meadow, illustrated by David A. Carter, is another favorite sing-along book. Verse 10 is about beavers, making it a perfect activity for International Beaver Day (April 7). If you can’t find the book online or don’t have a physical copy, print or display pictures of each animal to use as props instead.
Spring Play-Along Video
Earth Day is April 22 making April a natural time to make Recycled Rhythm Instruments. And, this spring-themed play-along is a fun way to integrate your new instruments or “found sounds”.
Thank you Elementary GrooveTracks. Enjoy!
Joyous Song for Spring and All Year Long
If you don’t know this song, look it up! I Don’t Care if the Rain Comes Down is an ABSOLUTE FAVORITE any time of year. This joyous song 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, cook, etc. I always like to end with “I’m gonna SING all day.”
Challenge your students to create their own verses.
Spring Folk Song with Orff Accompaniments – Sakura
Sakura is a beautiful serene Japanese song with simple rhythm reading patterns. The differentiated Orff accompaniments with varying levels of rhythm and pitch reading and performance activities make this song accessible for students in grades 2-5.
Click to listen to the accompaniment in the video preview.
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 lessons are specifically designed for the elementary music classroom with differentiated activities for multiple grade levels.
Activities include differentiated Orff accompaniments, movement, fun facts to provide enrichment and help students make connections, and more. Add-on activities are designed to extend lessons over several class periods without becoming stale.
Click to preview and listen to each arrangement in the video previews.
Free Spring Rhythm Clip Cards
These FREE Rhythm Pattern Identification Clip It Cards are perfect for your early elementary kids. Students are engaged as they listen and identify the rhythm patterns they hear.
Need some ideas for using clip cards in your classroom? Take a peek at this post – Fun Rhythm Activities for Elementary Music.
Music Literacy Boom Cards Series
Music Literacy Boom Cards provide game-like learning that builds real music literacy skills. Unlike other online games, these Boom Cards are not simply fluff, time-filler activities. These activities help students develop real music reading skills.
Versatile sequential sets may be used for individual or whole-group learning, or as centers or stations. They are perfect for practice or as assessments in the classroom, private studio, or homeschool. Our sets are structured sequentially, similar to instrumental method books. This allows for easy differentiation.
Each series is designed to support gradual and systematic learning as students build their music reading skills. Take a peek at the sequential sets available below.
“What Do You Hear?” Ear Training Boom Cards
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 each series begins VERY simply for young elementary students. With six sequential sets, the upper levels will challenge more advanced students.
Melodic sets are available in the Key of C, Key of F, and Key of G.
Treble Clef and Bass Clef Note Names
Each note name series includes 6 scaffolded sets that provide a structured learning environment building skills successively.
- Set 1 – Basic Spaces
- Set 2 – Basic Lines
- Set 3 – Basic Lines and Spaces
- Set 4 – Extended Spaces
- Set 5 – Extended Lines
- Set 6 – Extended Lines and Spaces
Note: Boom Cards may be purchased from TPT or directly from Boom Learning. It’s much easier to purchase directly from Boom. (No redemption process.)
Make Your Classroom a Fun Joy-Filled Safe Space
Teaching is always challenging. But 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 real music literacy skills.
Spark joy! 😊
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More 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
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. She is on the music staff at her church and leads a children’s program. She performs as a active community musician with a local Big Band, pit orchestras, and at various events.