10 Singing Games for the Music Classroom (K–5)

Singing games are one of the easiest, most joyful ways to teach real musical skills — steady beat, pitch, rhythm, and listening — while kids get the wiggles out and sing together. They're easy to set up too: most are sung in unison, need few or no props, and require no accompaniment.

They're also a great icebreaker and a perfect way to break up a long rehearsal. Below are 10 classroom favorites. Want these games inside a full, sequenced curriculum? Our elementary music curriculum builds singing, solfege, and rhythm into a PreK–5 scope and sequence. Start a membership → play.prodigies.com/join

Why use singing games?

• They're fun and build a sense of community.
• They're a welcome counterpoint to seated, high-concentration work.
• They let students connect with their own heritage and that of others.
• They sneak in real musical learning — beat, pitch, and form — through play.

Tips for making the most of singing games

Always leave them wanting more. When a student gets to be “it,” you don't have to keep playing until everyone has a turn — that gets boring. Play each game three to five times max, so kids stay excited to play again another day. Use a favorite game as a reward after hard work, and encourage big movements: running, jumping, and wiggling make the games far more fun.

Lean into the Curwen (solfege) hand signs

Pair these games with the solfege Curwen hand signs. Attaching a concrete physical movement to an abstract concept like pitch makes it far easier for kids (and adults) to develop their musical ear. See how high and low your students' voices can travel up the scale. The Prodigies PK–5 Curriculum teaches the hand signs step by step.

🎨 Download our FREE Music Room Pack — includes solfege posters, hand-sign charts, and more.

1. We're Floating Down the River

Great for comparing meters — one section is compound, the other duple. Students make a circle with one person in the center for the first section, stepping on the big beats clockwise. In the second section, the center student picks someone to dance with while the rest stand in place.

2. A Hunting We Will Go

Everyone forms a circle, hands over eyes. “Hunters” outside the circle move as everyone sings; at “we'll catch a fox,” each hunter gently guides a child to the center, then releases them back at “and then we'll let it go.”

3. Bobo Ski Waten Taten

A hand-clapping game kids love. Pair off. Each verse has a sung and a spoken section; fill in the blank with a body word (lips, knees, elbows…) that gets incorporated next time through. (Here's a lyric sheet.)

4. Down in the Valley

Played in pairs. Children squat holding hands and tug playfully through the first stanza; at “Come on and rise, sugar rise,” they stand. At “Let me see you make a motion,” each child makes any movement, then steps side to side clapping. Switch partners and repeat.

5. Alley Alley-O

A British singing game. Players make a line and hold hands, weaving under each other's arms until everyone's arms are crossed, then reverse the motions back to the start.

6. Round De Doo Bop (Going to Kentucky)

An easy, wiggly favorite. Lyrics: “We're going to Kentucky / We're going to the fair / To see the senorita / The flowers in the hair / Shake it shake it shake it / Shake it all you can / Shake it like a milkshake / And do the best you can / Oh shake it to the bottom / Shake it to the top / And turn around and turn around / Until it's time to stop.” One student stands in the middle; each line has a movement. At the end, the center child spins and points — whoever they point to is “it” next.

7. Brown Bear, Brown Bear

Simple call-and-response: everyone sings the “call,” then an individual gets a little solo “response.” Stuffed-animal props are welcome.

8. Down Down Baby

Stand in a circle holding hands. On “Down down roller coaster,” make a downward wave; on “I'll never let you go,” hug yourself. Add movements: “Shimmy shimmy cocoa pop” (hands up, small explosive move), “Grandma sick in bed” (sad face), “Call the doctor” (phone gesture), “Ding Dong” (rock head), “Rhythm of the hands” (two claps), “Rhythm of the feet” (two stomps).

9. Old Brass Wagon

The class stands in a circle and walks or skips left or right while singing. The teacher calls variations each verse: “to the right,” “to the left,” “with swinging elbows.”

10. Shoo Fly

Kids hold hands in a circle, moving in and out from “Shoo fly don't bother me” through “I belong to somebody.” At “I feel like a morning star,” two students raise their hands and the others pass through to form an outward-facing circle, then reverse.

Bring these games into a full curriculum

Singing games are even more powerful inside a sequenced program. Prodigies turns the notes of the scale into colors and characters, so kids sing, sign, and play along with 1,000+ guided video lessons. Pair them with color-coded bells and glockenspiels and you've got a complete music classroom. 🎵 Get started → play.prodigies.com/join

Frequently asked questions

What are singing games?
Singing games are group activities where children sing a song while doing coordinated movements — circle games, hand-clapping games, and call-and-response — that build beat, pitch, and rhythm through play.

What age are singing games for?
They work beautifully from preschool through upper elementary; simply adjust the complexity of the movements.

Do I need instruments or accompaniment?
No — most singing games need few or no props and no accompaniment, which makes them perfect for quick transitions and warm-ups.