How Kindergarten Teachers Can Use Music to Get Kids Moving (and Learning!)

If you teach kindergarten, you already know one thing for sure: kids are made to move. Sitting still for long periods just isn’t developmentally appropriate for five-year-olds. The good news? One of the easiest, most effective tools you already have is music.

Music isn’t just fun — it’s a powerful way to improve behavior, support academic learning, and meet physical education standards without adding more to your plate.

Why Music and Movement Work So Well in Kindergarten

Young children naturally respond to rhythm. When music is playing, kids are more engaged, more focused, and more willing to participate. Movement set to music helps children release energy in a positive way, which often leads to better behavior and fewer disruptions.

From a physical education perspective, music-based movement supports the development of fundamental motor skills, body awareness, balance, and coordination — all key components of national SHAPE America standards. When kids jump, skip, twist, and stretch to music, they are building the foundation for lifelong physical activity.

Improving Behavior Through Musical Movement

Music gives structure to movement. Instead of random wiggling or wandering, children have a clear beginning, middle, and end to an activity. That structure helps kids understand expectations.

For example:

• A freeze dance teaches self-control and listening skills.
• Call-and-response movement songs help children practice following directions.
• Transition songs can turn chaotic moments into calm, predictable routines.

When children know what to expect, they feel safer — and safe kids behave better.

Supporting Academic Learning

Music and movement don’t take away from academics; they enhance them.

Kindergarten students can:

• Count steps, claps, or jumps to reinforce math skills
• Move to letter sounds or spelling patterns
• Act out stories through creative movement
• Learn patterns, sequencing, and memory through repeated songs

These activities support academic standards while also addressing physical development. When children move while learning, they engage more senses, which helps information stick.

Meeting SHAPE America Standards (Without Stress)

You don’t need a gym or special equipment to support physical education standards. Simple music-and-movement activities help children:

• Practice a variety of locomotor skills (walking, hopping, skipping)
• Develop balance and coordination
• Learn to move safely in shared space
• Build confidence in their physical abilities

Music encourages moderate to vigorous physical activity in short, developmentally appropriate bursts — exactly what young learners need.

Easy Ways to Add Music and Movement Every Day

You don’t need to overhaul your schedule. Try adding movement in small, consistent ways:

• Start the day with a 3–5 minute movement song
• Use music for brain breaks between lessons
• Add movement to circle time
• End the day with a calming stretch or rhythm activity

Let kids explore different ways to move. There doesn’t need to be one “right” way — creativity is part of the learning process.

The Bottom Line

Music makes movement fun, and fun makes learning stick. When kindergarten teachers use music intentionally, they’re supporting behavior, academics, and physical education goals all at once.

So turn up the music, give kids space to move, and enjoy watching your classroom energy transform into purposeful, joyful learning. 🎶💃🕺