Ideas for Musical Playdates

All you need is an open space for movement and a music player. Turn on your child’s favorite playlist, get everyone dancing, and then tell them to “Freeze!” when the music stops. Start and stop the music at different intervals. Older children will love being in charge of turning the music on and off!

Choose a bunch of well-known songs, write them down separately, and put them in a “hat.” When it’s their turn, each person pulls a piece of paper and acts out their song so the others can guess what it is. Try different groups of songs: Christmas carols, folk songs, patriotic songs—and, of course, your Music Together tunes!

Dance in a Conga line to your favorite song. Try the Music Together songs “Mr. Rabbit” or “Palo, Palo,” or popular songs like “Shake Señora” (Harry Belafonte). After each refrain, choose a new leader and ask them to share a new way to dance during the verse. Hopping during “Mr. Rabbit” is so much fun!

Start singing a song that mostly everyone knows (or can learn easily!). Choose a “conductor” who will be in charge of leading the song. Tell them to change the song’s tempo (sing faster or slower), dynamics (sing softer or louder), or even style (swing, operatic, country, blues, etc.). Switch conductors a few times during the song, such as at the beginning of each new verse.

For this game, use scarves or shaker eggs if you have them—or pass balls, tissues, or even small stuffed toys or figurines! Sit in a circle, put on some music (or sing a song), and pass the object(s) from one person to another around the circle, and be sure to pass on the beat to make it musical. Start with a large division of beat and then divide the beat to pass twice as many times per beat, or if you are singing without recorded music, simply quicken the tempo to get faster. Changing directions is a fun development.

Put on a song and pass a ball from one person to another, trying to throw and catch on the beat. This game can be played with just two people or in a large group. If the music you're playing speeds up, it's a lot of fun—so choose wisely!