This week, I’m excited to share a couple of fun activities from the Back to School unit on MusicplayOnline— one brand-new icebreaker and one old favorite. Both are perfect for creating a welcoming, positive atmosphere in your classroom and give students a low-pressure (and musical!) way to kick off the year.
This or That - Whole Class Icebreaker
Back to School Unit
Teaching Suggestions: Set up the room so one side is option 1 and the other is option 2, then show a slide with two choices. As you play a fun rhythm on a drum, students walk to their choice, and when the music stops, they freeze on their side. Ask a couple of students to explain why they chose it—like why they’d rather sing than play an instrument. It’s a simple way to break the ice, learn about your students, and build excitement for music class!
Welcome to Music
Musicplay Grade 5 - Song #2
Teaching Suggestions: A simple way to create structure in your music room is by starting and ending class with a song. Use “Welcome to Music” (Grade 2 - Song #1) to begin each lesson—sing it yourself (or play the video) and have students echo you. Close with “The Music Time Is Over” (Grade 1 - Song #6) to signal the end of class. Once students know “Welcome to Music,” invite one to be the “teacher” and lead. This builds leadership skills and lets you hear individual voices. Since it’s a call-and-response song, it’s also a natural way to practice echo singing. These songs make for a welcoming routine while also building musical skills. Once students are comfortable with singing the song, try the rhythm play along version below.
Check out the "Back to School" unit on MusicplayOnline for MORE welcome song ideas!
Musicplay Mentorship
Session #3 - Musical Literacy and Skill Development
Tuesday September 2nd, 2025 @ 4:30-5:15 MST
A recorded version will be available if you are unable to watch live.
About the Webinar:
In this webinar, Stacy will explore the wide range of resources and tools in Musicplay Online designed to build music literacy in fun and engaging ways. We’ll take a deep dive into the Song List activities, explore interactive tools in the Toolbox, and highlight the Rhythm and Solfa Practice sections. You’ll also discover how to use the Listening Kits to connect classical music to the elements of music and support skill development in your students.
