10 Easy Ways to Add Music to Your Preschool or Daycare Day
…even if you’re not musical!
Hans Christian Andresen said, “Where words fail, music speaks.”
When you’re trying to get the attention of a bunch of busy preschoolers, music will nearly always “speak” better than just words. And, of course, it’s rare to meet a teacher who hasn’t used rhythmic clapping to get everyone’s attention. That’s because it works!
Why You NEED to Add Music Into Every Part of Your Daycare Day (Without Adding a Single Thing to Your Schedule)
Ask most people what “music time” looks like in a daycare or preschool and you’ll get the same answer: 10-20 minutes, a few familiar songs, maybe during circle time… DONE. Move on with the day. Check the box.
Here’s what I want you to take out of that: THE BOX! Lose the box!
Music was never meant to live in a box! Especially when it comes to early childhood. Preschool music, music time in daycare should be all the time! Music should be sprinkled throughout the whole day — the hand-washing, the line-waiting, the “okay friends, five more minutes” moments that make up 90% of what actually happens in a classroom. TRANSITION TIME = MUSIC TIME!
When teachers stop treating music as just the standalone subject and start treating it like a tool, kids transition faster. They remember more. They regulate better. And nobody had to plan a single extra thing! Your entire daycare day, your full preschool class, can run more smoothly when its powered by music.
Yes, I’ve spent 25+ years teaching music. Yes, I’ve specialized in early childhood music. Yes, I’m a little biased — okay, A LOT biased — but my path has also given me tons of opportunities to witness what happens when preschool teachers and daycare providers use music and the power it contains. It really does make everything better.
Here are 10 easy ways to work music into the day you’re already running and help it flow more smoothly:
1. Open with the same hello song, every single day.
Predictability is a gift to a young nervous system. Repetition is how young brains build confidence — the tenth time they hear a song, they’re not bored, they’re finally singing along and they know exactly what’s happening. A consistent greeting song tells kids what time it is — and even the criers usually come around by the second verse. Bonus: it’s doing quiet work on name recognition and listening skills the whole time.
2. Stop announcing transitions. Sing them.
Handwashing, line-up, clean-up, coat time — sing it instead of saying it. I promise you, a sung direction beats a repeated verbal one nine times out of ten. Kids aren’t ignoring you. They’re just wired to respond to melody faster than to spoken instructions.
Need some ideas?! Subscribe to the Little Kiddos Music® Monthly Newsletter (never SPAM, just helpful tips, free activity ideas and resources) and get 10 Transition Songs that you can start using in your preschool day or at your daycare…right away, today!
3. Bookend story time with sound.
A short listening song before you open the book:
Story Time
Melody: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Ears are listening, eyes are too,
Hands are quiet, me and you.
Turn the pages, one by one,
Story time has now begun.
Listen close and you will see,
What our story’s going to be!
A quick “what happened” song when you’re done:
Today’s Story
Melody: Skip to My Lou
Tell me, tell me, please
About today’s story
Tell me, tell me, please
What did you hear and see?
Music is basically Velcro for vocabulary — kids hang onto story details longer when there’s a tune attached.
4. Teach rhythm with zero instruments.
Clap the syllables in a kid’s name. Tap a pattern on your knees and have them echo it. March while you count. This is quiet math instruction wearing a very fun disguise — sequencing, listening, pattern recognition, all of it.
5. Let music do the wiggle management.
Little bodies were not built for long stretches of sitting, and fighting that is a losing battle. Give it an outlet instead. Fast/slow, freeze/move, high/low — these movement games burn energy while sneaking in coordination, focused listening, and self-control practice.
6. Use real music words.
Don’t undersell these kids. Swap “loud” and “quiet” every once in a while and try forte and pianissimo. Swap “fast” and “slow” for presto and largo. Music is a language. Preschoolers are learning-sponges. They will pick this up faster than you’d think, and there is nothing better than a three-year-old dropping “pianissimo” into casual conversation.
Learn more about how the Little Kiddos Music® curricula teaches real music terms .
7. Give instrument time a job to do.
Shakers and rhythm sticks are fun. Shakers and rhythm sticks with a purpose — practicing steady beat, echoing a rhythm, stopping and starting on cue — are actually teaching something. The difference between noise and music is intention, and that’s an easy switch to make. Learn more about the 4 Best Musical Instruments for Toddlers and Preschoolers.
8. Use music to bring the energy down, too.
Music isn’t just for the loud moments. A quiet song or some gentle instrumental sound before rest time, or after a big transition, gives kids a way to reset that doesn’t involve you saying “calm down” four more times.
9. Tie it to whatever theme you’re already teaching.
Dinosaurs, bugs, colors, weather — whatever’s on your lesson plan this week, there’s a song angle. It reinforces the theme and gives kids one more way to hold onto what they’re learning.
10. Make it a habit, not just an event.
The magic isn’t in one incredible music lesson. (Although, that’s very magical, too, of course!) It’s in the fact that when music shows up every day, in small, familiar ways, throughout the whole day. It makes everything run more smoothly — in perfect harmony, you might say!
If you’re thinking,“Great list, but who has time to plan all of that?!” I’ve got ya covered! When you subscribe to the Little Kiddos Music® newsletter, you’ll immediately receive 10 of our favorite Transition Songs. But it gets even better than that…
Want the easiest way to bring preschool music classes into your daycare or education center? Little Kiddos Music Academy® makes it stress-free!
The full curriculum gives you complete, ready-to-go music lessons for ages 1–6 — plus the songs, movement, and rhythm pieces that naturally spill into the rest of your week. Transitions, circle time, theme days — it’s all covered, and none of it requires a music background or extra planning time.
Whether you’ve got one classroom or twelve locations, it turns “we should really do more music” into something that just… happens. Every day. On its own.
“As a preschool director of a large early childhood center, I am thrilled that Jenny has developed this curriculum. Our school was so fortunate to have her as our music teacher — most preschools do not offer this vital program. With Little Kiddos Music Academy, now you can.”
– Cynthia Chaney, Preschool Director
Jenny Martin, M.Ed. is the founder of Little Kiddos Music Academy® and has been developing early childhood music curriculum for over 25 years. Her video-based and written curriculum programs are used in preschools, childcare centers, and early learning programs across the country.
