The air is a bit chilly and the wind’s a blowin’ and, in some places, it might even be snowin’!
So here are some November themed music and movement activities to do with children ages 4-8.
NOVEMBER MUSIC AND MOVEMENT ACTIVITIES
Using thematic materials for music and movement activities makes learning fun. In this post I’m sharing poems, songs, chants, scarf, and brain break activities you can use to help children exercise those gross and fine motor muscles.
And as we’re moving to music, we’re also developing our reading skills.
All the poems and songs can help children:
- ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN GROUP READING ACTIVITIES
- FOLLOW WORDS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT AND UP AND DOWN
- RECOGNIZE THAT SPOKEN WORDS ARE REPRESENTED IN WRITTEN LANGUAGE BY SPECIFIC SEQUENCES OF LETTERS
- RECOGNIZE AND PRODUCE RHYMING WORDS
These activities are perfect for circle time or literacy lessons.
Read the poem, teach the actions, do the words and actions together, then practice daily for 3-5 days.
Use the activities in the resource along with the movement activities for a complete days worth of lessons.
POEMS AND CHANTS
“November” by Sandra Hendrickson
It’s time to sing and move for the month of NOVEMBER. This action song “November” sung to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” is an easy to learn action song for Kindergarten and Preschoolers to help with reading skill development.
Your preschool, Kindergarten and First grade children can have fun singing “November” while strengthening literacy skills through singing, reading, and moving!
November Action Song “November” TpT Store
November Action Song “November” SPC Store
“I LOVE FALL FOOD” by Sandra Hendrickson
Easy to learn “I Love Fall Food” is perfect for your Fall and Thanksgiving activities. This action poem and/or song is sung to the tune of “Mary Had a Little Lamb”. Little fingers can do the actions and will help with speaking and reading skills development.
As always, our resources come with so many materials like the video and Presentation (in google apps too), hand actions, coloring pages, flashcards, you’ll find it perfect for literacy centers, music programs, movement activities and name the month activities.
”I Love Fall Food” SING PLAY CREATE SHOP
Fall & November Poem: “The Wind” Literacy Activities
A fun fall poem about the fall wind to get students to Read and Move during your morning meetings, literacy circles and activities for shared reading time.
The actions use cross-body movement, up and down and across the body helping students with directions and brain connections.
Preschool, Kinder and First grade teachers and parents will love the interactive variety of materials to use in their classrooms during fall. Reading, coloring, actions for interactive literacy learning.
Use this song in your November music and movement activities, literacy circles, morning meetings and reading time.
“The Wind” by Sandra Hendrickson
A fun fall poem about the fall wind to get students to Read and Move during your morning meetings, literacy circles and activities for shared reading time.
The actions use cross-body movement, up and down and across the body helping students with directions and brain connections.
I also like to use this poem as a “calm down” activity or “stretch break”.
Teach your students this poem and then use it to line up, get quiet or transition from recess to work time.
Fall & November Poem: “The Wind” TpT Store
Fall & November Poem: “The Wind” Sing Play Create Shop
“Pumpkin Pie” by Sandra Hendrickson
Easy to learn “Pumpkin Pie” is a fun story song your students will love to read-sing-and move to during your Fall and Thanksgiving activities.
This action song is sung to the familiar tune “Itsy Bitsy Spider”.
It’s perfect for Kindergarten, Preschool and music classes to foster speaking and reading skills development.
https://youtu.be/D4bLRqHepiE
Thanksgiving Action Poem and Song: “Pumpkin Pie” TPT STORE
Thanksgiving Action Poem and Song: “Pumpkin Pie” SPC SHOP
“Turkey Dinner” by Sandra Hendrickson
Turkey action song ““Turkey Dinner” ” is easy to learn and a fun song for November and Thanksgiving literacy and music activities. This action song “Turkey Dinner” sung to the tune of “Frere Jacques” is an action song for Kindergarten, Preschool and Music classes to foster speaking and reading skills development.
Thanksgiving Action Song “Turkey Dinner” TPT STORE
Thanksgiving Action Song “Turkey Dinner” SPC SHOP
THANKSGIVING AND TURKEY ACTION SONGS
I love fingerplays and this one’s a favorite!
“Where’s the Turkey?”
Sing Read Move in your Kindergarten, Preschool, First Grade and Music classes to this familiar song and fingerplay, “Where’s the Turkey?” sung to “Frere Jacques”. It’s perfect for morning meetings, literacy circles, whole class activities and brain breaks.
I included a teaching video in this resource to help teachers manage students as they learn a new song.
Thanksgiving Action Song: “Where’s the Turkey?” TPT STORE
Thanksgiving Action Song: “Where’s the Turkey?” SPC SHOP
“Do the Turkey Dance” by Sandra Hendrickson
You’ll want to gobble up this action song “Do the Turkey Dance” for November music and movement activities.
The lines “gobble, wobble, wobble to the turkey dance” will get your students excited about doing the dance and reading the words.
What does it mean to gobble? Just watch the little turkeys go crazy!
What does it mean to wobble? You may need to explain that it means unsteady. So then put them together and have your turkey’s gobble and wobble to the music.
One idea is to have the entire class make a circle.
Choose half the group to be inside the circle and be the turkeys.
The outside of the circle are the farmers.
The farmers clap hands and stomp their feet while the turkeys gobble and wobble to the turkey dance.
Breaking the class into two groups helps with management and keeps one group calm. Then switch.
You can always have the farmers sitting down and patting knees and clapping too if they get too excited.
Turkey Action Song “Do the Turkey Dance” TpT Store
”Do the Turkey Dance” SPC SHOP
SCARF ACTIVITY FOR MOVEMENT CLASSES
What a great way to finish off class with a scarf activity. Students tend to be quieter when waving scarves.
And you can tell them you want them moving to the music, so everyone needs to be quiet so they can hear the music.
Not only can you use the scarf activity for movement, but also connect learning HIGH/LOW, FAST/SLOW, EXPRESSION and DIRECTIONAL Math words using the flashcards, worksheets and teaching presentation in this resource.
I know your students will love swishing, swooshing, wiggling, and tossing scarves in your classroom!
Turkey Scarf Activity: TpT Store
Turkey Scarf Activity: SPC SHOP
BRAIN BREAK TIME
Gobble, gobble! It’s a Turkey Freeze Dance brain break and movement activity with mini music lessons and coloring pages to practice Music Dynamics.
You may be looking for a November themed brain break. Here it is!
The great thing about this video is that you can use it for a short time and then students FREEZE. A perfect place to sit down, take a deep breath and get calm.
The movements have students using lots of gross motor muscles too.
This is truly a workout and can be used as an exercise video for indoor recess.
Freeze dance is more than just moving. Your students can make learning connections using these types of activities too.
Turkey Freeze Dance, Brain Break, Movement TpT Store
MUSIC AND MOVEMENT ACTIVITY IDEAS
Overall, November can be a wonderful learning time in the school year. Though there may be little turkeys out of control, they can still learn and develop reading skills, motor movement and coordination skills.
I hope this November you’ll try including interactive action songs and movement activities into your classroom with success.
Looking for more November activity ideas?
Check out these Blog Posts:
November and Thanksgiving Music Activities
November Elementary Music Activities
November Turkey Action Song and Music Lesson
Terrific Tips for Interactive November Music Class Lessons
Here at Sing Play Create we’re working to bring you interactive resources you can easily use in your classroom.
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Let’s Move and Learn with Music!
Sandra
![November music and movement activities using thematic materials makes learning fun. I’m sharing poems, songs, chants, movement activities.](https://www.singplaycreate.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/November-Music-and-Movement-Activities_tk_1-354x630.jpg)
![November music and movement activities using thematic materials makes learning fun. I’m sharing poems, songs, chants, movement activities.](https://www.singplaycreate.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/November-Music-and-Movement-Activities_IG-630x630.jpg)