Preschoolers are at a wonderful time of life! They are old enough to do a few things independently, uninhibited enough to be genuinely excited about everything, including music sessions and silly enough to laugh at cheesy jokes
Between the ages of 3-5, children are typically developing a larger vocabulary, and really, this is the best time to introduce new words. This is why many authorities recognise this age as the perfect time to be reading to children throughout the day or at bedtime. Children this age also enjoy funny words, although this can sometimes work against us, as they are also very interested in the body and bodily functions – thankfully they can be easily distracted, too!
Preschoolers love dress up – and will often come to nursery and groups, even go shopping, while dressed up. Fantasy is a big part of their lives, especially with their unlimited imagination, and this is also evident in their playing together, making up rules, stories and songs.
While 3–5-year-olds have been around long enough to know what needs to be done, and even how to do it, they are not always big or strong enough to do things safely on their own. Creating opportunities – often building extra time into their routines – can allow children to still feel as independent as possible – although this strategy is not always successful when there are other pressures present.
Children begin to make friends in their class, modelling their own active or quiet identity on the important adults in their lives. Familiarity gives them confidence to be active, so it is helpful to base new knowledge on old experience.
Music and music sessions is one of the most familiar and least invasive, least demanding ways of inviting children to learn. It is also surprisingly successful for recalling and retaining new information in the long term.
By incorporating the known with the unknown, familiar songs and new dances, new songs and familiar games, we create an atmosphere of freedom where children are free to develop in their own time, express themselves safely, and develop interests and skills that will carry them through their lives. Here are some songs that go down particularly well with this age group.
Music Sessions: Circle To The Left
Circle to the left, old brass wagon
Circle to the left, old brass wagon
Circle to the left, old brass wagon
You’re the one, my darling
Circle to the right, old brass wagon
Circle to the right, old brass wagon
Circle to the right, old brass wagon
You’re the one, my darling
Everybody down, old brass wagon
Everybody up, old brass wagon
Everybody down, old brass wagon
You’re the one, my darling
Everybody in, old brass wagon
Everybody out, old brass wagon
Everybody in, old brass wagon
You’re the one, my darling
This is a lovely, straightforward circle dance, introducing preschoolers to the physical concepts of circles and shapes, co-operative working together, and following directions. Historically, songs like this were used in Victorian cultures where society tried to control courtships between people, and this was one way in which single people could meet others and secretly make plans to stay in touch!
Children hold hands and walk in a circle to the left for the first verse, stopping at “you’re the one my darling”, where they can give themselves a hug! The second verse is similar, holding hands and walking to the right until they stop and hug. The third verse has the children crouching down and jumping up until the stop and hug. The final verse has children holding hands and walking forwards towards the middle, and then walking backwards, then forwards again, before ending with a stop and hug.
Music Sessions: Clementine
In a cavern, in a canyon
Excavating for a mine
Lived a miner, forty-niner
And his daughter, Clementine
Oh my darling, oh my darling
Oh my darling, Clementine
You are lost and gone forever
Dreadful sorry, Clementine
This song works really well with preschoolers as they are starting to develop their sense of humour – knock-knock jokes and cheesy “dad” jokes keep them in stitches! Children who understand the language used will understand the impossible but funny situations that the song describes, so this song is a great opportunity to develop language and comprehension skills, as well as learn about the past. For example, this first verse alone describes a cave, that is a valley, which is being dug out (?!) to mine.
This song could be used as a clapping game between pairs. It is in ¾ timing, which is typical of waltz music, which is perfect for a clap – cross-right – cross-left pattern, or even more simply to start, clap – against each other-against each other, both emphasise the first, strong beat!
Music Sessions: Drunken Sailor
What shall we do with a drunken sailor
What shall we do with a drunken sailor
What shall we do with a drunken sailor
Ear-lie in the the mornin’
Way-hey and up she rises
Way-hey and up she rises
Way-hey and up she rises
Ear-lie in the the mornin’
Put him in a longboat until he’s sober
Put him in a longboat until he’s sober
Put him in a longboat until he’s sober
Ear-lie in the the mornin’
This traditional sea shanty is a possibly the most well-known of all sea shanties, with its easily repeated lines and catchy rhythm. And even better, it combines the two skills worked on in the previous two songs – turns a clapping game into a circle dance!
Clap right left
Children form two circles , one inside the other, with the inside circle facing the outside circle partner and vice versa. Each pair performs a clapping pattern for the verse:
Clap – right – clap – left – knees – knees – clap together – clap together
Then during the chorus, ‘way-hey’, children link arms and go around each other. At the end of the song, the outside circle moves to the left, to a new partner.
Two circles, facing each other.
Building on children’s existing skills makes the learning experience a whole lot of fun – especially with music sessions!
Musician, researcher and author, Frances Turnbull, is a self-taught guitarist who has played contemporary and community music from the age of 12. She delivers music sessions to the early years and KS1. Trained in the music education techniques of Kodály (specialist singing), Dalcroze (specialist movement) and Orff (specialist percussion instruments), she has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology (Open University) and a Master’s degree in Education (University of Cambridge). She runs a local community choir, the Bolton Warblers, and delivers the Sound Sense initiative aiming for “A choir in every care home” within local care and residential homes, supporting health and wellbeing through her community interest company.
She has represented the early years music community at the House of Commons, advocating for recognition for early years music educators, and her table of progressive music skills for under 7s features in her curriculum books.
Frances is the author of “Learning with Music: Games and Activities for the Early Years“ “Learning with Music: Games and Activities for the Early Years“, published by Routledge, August 2017.
Favourite preschool music song?