Music games for preschoolers offer numerous benefits for children’s overall development. In addition to focusing on academic learning, parents should encourage their children to participate in age-appropriate music activities. These activities not only help children relax but also support their physical, cognitive, and emotional growth.

Join La Petite Ecole Ho Chi Minh city as we explore some fun and engaging music games for preschoolers in the following article.

Incorporating music into games for preschoolers offers immense benefits. Music is not just a form of entertainment; it is an effective educational tool that helps children develop comprehensively across various aspects.

>> READ MORE: What Is Play-based Learning In Child Development?

• Physical Development: Music-based activities like dancing games help preschoolers improve their flexibility, strengthen their muscles, and promote overall physical health.
• Language Development: Music introduces children to new sounds and words, enhancing their language skills and ability to communicate.
• Cognitive Development: Music games enhance concentration, memory, and creative thinking while encouraging children to recognise different sounds and rhythms.
• Emotional Development: Engaging with music allows children to express their emotions, build confidence, and improve social interaction.
• Mental Well-being: Music creates a relaxing environment, helping children to reduce stress and enjoy positive experiences.

Why is Music So Appealing to Preschoolers?

• Music is a universal language: Children have a natural sensitivity to music from an early age, regardless of language or culture.
• Music stimulates curiosity: The variety of sounds, melodies, and rhythms in music captures children’s attention and sparks their curiosity.
• Music brings joy: Listening to and playing music brings happiness, relaxation, and a sense of comfort to preschoolers, making it an ideal activity for young learners.

1. Who Can Hear Faster?

• Objective: The preschool music game “Who Can Hear Faster?” is a fun and engaging activity that helps children develop their listening skills and ability to distinguish different sounds. It also enhances their concentration and memory.

• Preparation: Simple musical instruments like drums, trumpets, maracas, or any object that can make a sound.

• How to Play:

• • Before starting the game, teachers or parents introduce the children to the different instruments and their unique sounds.
  • The adult then plays sounds using different instruments, and the children have to listen carefully and guess which instrument made the sound.
  • To make it more challenging, the adult can combine sounds from multiple instruments or create unexpected noises.

2. Loud Singing, Quiet Singing

• Objective: The “Loud Singing, Quiet Singing” music game for preschoolers is a fun and educational activity that helps young children develop important skills. Through this game, children learn how to adjust the volume of their voices, improving their focus and ability to follow instructions.

• How to Play:

• • Divide the children into two teams.
  • Choose a simple, familiar song.
  • The game leader will use their hands to control the volume of the teams’ singing. When the leader raises their hand, the teams sing loudly. When the leader lowers their hand, the teams gradually reduce the volume and stop singing when the hand reaches the lowest point.
  • The leader can switch hands or change the pace to add more excitement and challenge to the game.

3. Frozen Dance

• Objective: This music game for preschoolers is incredibly fun and a favourite among young children. It helps kids develop physical coordination, quick reflexes, and sparks their creativity.

• Preparation: A music player with lively, upbeat songs.

• How to Play:

• • Play an upbeat, fun song.
  • When the music starts, the children can dance freely.
  • When the music stops, they must freeze immediately and hold their pose.
  • The children can then laugh and observe each other’s funny “frozen” poses.

4. Passing the Object to Music

• Objective:  TThis simple but engaging music game is perfect for preschoolers. It helps them improve hand-eye coordination, boosts focus, and encourages teamwork.

• Preparation: A lightweight object that’s easy to pass around, such as a teddy bear, ball, or small toy.

• How to Play:

• • The children sit in a circle.
  • Choose a familiar, lively song to play.
  • When the music starts, the children pass the object to each other, either clockwise or anti-clockwise.
  • When the music stops, the child holding the object must perform a small task, like singing a line from a song, doing a quick dance, or telling a short story.

5. The Secret Door

• Objective: This creative and exciting music activity for preschoolers allows children to explore the world around them while developing their singing skills and learning to recognise different images.

• Preparation: A large board with various coloured squares, each hiding a picture.

• How to Play:

• • Prepare a board or large piece of card, divided into different coloured squares.
  • Each square represents a theme, such as animals, vehicles, or objects.
  • Each child takes turns choosing a coloured square they like.
  • After selecting, they reveal the picture hidden behind the door.
  • Depending on the picture, the child sings a song related to the image. For example, if the image is a shark, the child might sing “Baby Shark.”

6. Guess the Song by Listening to the Melody

• Objective: This preschool music game enhances children’s listening skills, helps them distinguish melodies, and boosts their memory of songs.

• Preparation: Bells or chimes to signal answers.

• How to Play:

• • Divide the children into two teams.
  • Choose a selection of songs that the children are familiar with.
  • The teacher or parent plays a short melody from one of the songs.
  • The children listen carefully and try to guess the name of the song.
  • The first child to guess correctly earns a point for their team.
  • After all songs have been played, the team with the most points wins.

7. Sing the Right Words

• Objective: This activity helps children improve their ability to remember song lyrics, react quickly, and think logically.

• How to Play:

• • The teacher or parent picks a random keyword from songs that the children have learned.
  • The children then recall any songs that contain that keyword.
  • When they remember a song, they sing it out loud.

8. Paper Dance

• Objective: This music game helps children develop their agility, balance, and body control.

• Preparation: Tissue paper.

• How to Play:

• • Each child receives a piece of tissue paper.
  • The children place the tissue on their heads, trying to keep it balanced.
  • When the music starts, they dance around while ensuring the tissue stays in place.
  • The child who keeps their tissue on their head the longest wins.

9. DIY Drumming

• Objective: Children love to explore and be creative. The “DIY Drumming” game introduces them to music while developing various skills.

• Preparation: Items that can make sounds, such as tin cans, empty boxes, and coffee cans.

• How to Play:

• • Give each child a basic item to use as a drum.
  • Decorate these items with coloured paper and stickers to create unique drums.
  • The children will use their DIY drums to make different sounds.
  • Split them into groups to create a small orchestra together.

10. Where’s the Singing Coming From?

• Objective: This engaging preschool music game helps children improve their listening skills, spatial awareness, and concentration.

• Preparation: Blindfold and a spacious area.

• How to Play:

• • One child is blindfolded while the others stand in a circle around them.
  • When the music starts, the children will sing.
  • The blindfolded child tries to determine where the singing is coming from.
  • Once they think they know the direction, they point at the child they believe is singing and call out their name.
  • If they guess correctly, the role of the blindfolded child is passed on. If they guess incorrectly, they must perform a fun task, such as hopping on one foot or singing a song.

11. Create Your Own Melody

• Objective: This activity introduces children to basic music concepts while encouraging creativity and independent thinking. It also provides an opportunity for children to combine drawing with physical movement.

• Preparation: Paper and coloured pens.

• How to Play:

• • Together with the child, create simple drawings to represent different sounds, such as:
    • Circle: Stamping feet
    • Square: Clapping hands
    • Triangle: Tapping on a table
    • Zigzag line: Tapping fingers lightly
  • Once you have your “musical language,” the child can freely draw these symbols as they wish to create a melody. For example, they might draw a zigzag line, followed by two circles, then a triangle…
  • Together, perform the melody they’ve just composed by looking at the drawings and executing the corresponding actions.

 12. Painting to Music

• Objective: This fun music game for preschoolers helps develop their listening skills while stimulating their creativity in painting. By combining music with art, children will have unique and exciting experiences.

• Preparation: Music player, paper, and coloured pens.

• How to Play:

• • Play a lively and rhythmic piece of music.
  • Invite the children to listen to the melody and draw images that the music inspires in their minds. These can be simple lines, quirky shapes, or even storytelling pictures.
  • After a short while, change the music, and the children will continue drawing on their neighbour’s picture.
  • At the end of the activity, enjoy looking at the colourful artwork together and share feelings about what they created.

 13. Jumping with Props

• Objective: This engaging music and movement game helps children enhance their physical coordination while experiencing music in a lively and enjoyable way.

• Preparation: Music player and a variety of props such as hats, balls, scarves, soft toys, and flowers.

• How to Play:

• • Play a cheerful tune and encourage the children to warm up with simple movements.
  • Place the props on a table or mat in the centre of the room. When the music begins, the children will run over and choose a prop they like.
  • Each child will use their prop to create quirky and imaginative dance moves.
  • When the music stops, the children will swap props and continue dancing.

14. Ducking Under the Rainbow 

• Objective: This game helps children develop physical skills while enhancing agility and coordination.

• Preparation: Use a lightweight pole or a soft, flexible object (like a pool noodle) about 1.5 to 2 metres long, along with a music player featuring lively tunes.

• How to Play:

• • Two adults (or older children) will hold the pole high, creating a “rainbow” for the children to pass under.
  • When the music starts, the children will duck, bend, or move beneath the pole without touching it.
  • Anyone who touches the pole must sit out for the remainder of that round.
  • After each round, the pole will be lowered gradually to increase the difficulty.
  • The last child remaining who can pass under the pole without touching it will be the winner.

 15. Dancing Animals

• Objective: This fun music game encourages children to be active while allowing them to express their creativity. It not only enhances physical skills but also fosters imagination and communication abilities.
• How to Play:

• • Start the music and invite the children to jump along.
  • While the music is playing, the teacher or parent will unexpectedly call out the name of an animal. At this point, the children must imagine they are that animal and perform corresponding jumping movements.
  • The children can also incorporate the animal sounds to make their dance more lively.

At La Petite Ecole International Bilingual School Ho Chi Minh City, children have the opportunity to engage in a range of exciting and beneficial music activities.

With a team of experienced educators and modern facilities, La Petite Ecole nurtures children’s musical skills in a natural and holistic manner. The children not only learn music theory but also participate in music games, performances, and hands-on activities, fostering a lifelong love for music.

We hope this article has provided parents with a better understanding of music games for preschoolers and the benefits music brings to a child’s development. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact La Petite Ecole Ho Chi Minh city directly for detailed advice on educational programmes and music activities offered at the school.