Singing Circle Time Games for Preschool Children
Circle time is a great way to start the day with any group of preschoolers. It gives children of any age the time to understand the concept of listening, learning, and respecting a teacher’s place to expand their knowledge on a variety of subjects. The hard part can be getting everyone interested to sit long enough to absorb the lessons planned. So, utilizing preschool and circle time games and songs is a great way to help everyone interact together, and learn a certain lesson to the beat of a fun rhythm.
Begin With a Song
Every child arrives full of energy and the wiggles, so getting everyone to sit down quietly to focus on circle time can be a chore. The easy way to get past this is to start circle time with a song that everyone can participate in and utilize that energy just bursting to get free.
Have the entire group stand in a circle with the adult at one end. While singing a song, each student will go through a set of motions with the song and all end up sitting and ready to see what’s next. The song is called Two Little Hands and the words are :
Two little hands go clap clap clap (have students clap three times) Two little feet go tap tap tap (have students stomp three times) Two little hands go thump thump thump (have students tap their fist on the floor) Two little feet go jump jump jump (have students jump three times) Every boy and girl goes round and round (have students turn around twice) Every boy and girl sits quietly down (every student should end sitting down quietly).
This song helps teach children to follow directions and gives them a chance to get their sillies out at the same time.
Calendar Songs
Teaching preschoolers the days of the week and the months of the year can be one of the most challenging part of circle time. Try mixing preschool and circle time games or one of these songs in with calendar time during the next gathering and they will be engaged in the experience more then they ever have. The days of the week song is sung to the tune of “Oh my darling Clementine” and its verse is :
There are seven days, there are seven days,
There are seven days in the week.
There are seven days, there are seven days,
There are seven days in the week.
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday Wednesday,
Thursday, Friday, Saturday.
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday Wednesday,
Thursday, Friday, Saturday.
My favorite song to help teach preschoolers the months of the year is this song sung to the tune of “Three blind mice” and its verse is:
January, February, March,
April, May, June.
July, August, September,
October, November, December.
These are the twelve months of the year.
Now sing them together so we can all hear.
How many months are there in a year?
Twelve months in a year
The Shape Song
A great way to help children understand the different shapes is to let them sing a song with you while you show pictures so they can put the song to the vision. This particular song is sung to the tune of “The Farmer in the Dell” and its verse is:
Circle’s like a ball,
A circle’s like a ball,
Round and round
It never stops.
A circle’s like a ball
A square is like a box,
A square is like a box,
It has four sides,
They are the same.
A square is like a box
A triangle has 3 sides,
A triangle has 3 sides,
Up the mountain,
Down, and back.
A triangle has 3 sides
A rectangle has 4 sides,
A rectangle has 4 sides,
Two are long, and
Two are short.
A rectangle has 4 sides
More Ideas
Circle time is a fun and popular activity for preschoolers. For more information and ideas on how to implement circle time in a preschool classroom, read Preschool Circle Time: Activities and Ideas for a Preschool Circle Time.
