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It's no shock that toddlers and preschoolers are busy, busy kiddos. They are constantly moving, exploring, and learning through hands-on play. Movement songs are an excellent way to work on specific gross motor skills such as bilateral coordination, crossing midline plus getting bonus proprioceptive and vestibular input. Here are some fun movement songs for toddlers and preschoolers with some movement suggestions to go along with each song.
10 Movement Songs for Toddlers and Preschoolers
If You're Happy And You Know It – Movements include clapping hands, stomping feet, shouting, and then doing all 3 in a row.
Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes – Movements include using both hands to touch your head, shoulders knees toes, eyes, mouth, ears, and nose. A great activity for body awareness too.
Shake Your Sillies Out (The Wiggles) – Movements include shaking, nodding, clapping, jumping, and then stretching your bodies out as a rest.
The Hokey Pokey – Movements include using both sides of the body and discriminating between left and right sides of the body.
Silly Dance Contest (Jim Gill) – We love this one because it works of lots of fun bilateral coordination moves and also works on terms like fast and slow.
Down Down Baby (Laurie Berkner) – Working on clapping and rhythm.
Run Baby Run (Caspar Babypants) – Running in place, jumping, spinning and many other fun movements with this song!
The Dinosaur Stomp (Mother Goose Playhouse Kids Song) – Stomping, chomping, crunching, munching and even roaring like a dinosaur. A very fun song!
Rolly Polly (Mother Goose Playhouse Kids Song) – This one is an excellent song for learning about words such as up, down, in, out, left, right and more!
Let's Get Movin' (Lauren Meyer) – Shaking to the side, hoping, turning around, touching the ground, and moving to the beat of the music.
My friend Angela has written an amazing song transitions book. It's a great way to help kids transition from one task to another. Grab your copy of Songs & Rhymes for Transitions to use in your preschool classroom or therapy sessions.
What are some of your favorite movement songs? Let me know in the comments below.
EJ says
Thank you so much for this list! I just realized yesterday that preschool is starting a week later than I thought. Our summer sitter has already said goodbye. Two weeks is a looong time to make the most of with 2.75 year old twins. They are going to LOVE these when we start tomorrow!!!
Heather Greutman says
Awesome, you’re welcome EJ! Have fun!
Vesna says
Thank you , those are great ides.
I like and kids toooo The New Zoo Review and Listen And Move by Greg Scelsa
Best regards and thank you for shering
H Green says
Do you have any of the words to these songs. We do not have screen time for our little ones. The songs are good recommendations, many are new to me so thank you so much for putting them together. The Roly Poly song seems to need the video for the “in” concept.
Heather Greutman says
Hi, I don’t. It becomes a copyright issue for me to include them all without permission from each author. I’m glad you found some new ones to include!
Sharon says
Google Nancy Stewart. She has great songs for preschool kids. Lots are movement songs. Dinocars and Dinosaur Dance Floor are some of my favorite. Don’t forget about Looby Loo and London Bridge.