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Peabody TeachFor teachers and grown-ups

Music theme for toddlers: a week of activities

A music theme lesson plan for toddlers: what a day looks like, then the week's circle time (two or three minutes, on laps), books, craft, song, snack, letter and outside time, each with what changes at this age.

Plan this week for toddlersThe whole music week

A day of the music theme with toddlers

  1. Arrival and free play on the floor.
  2. Sing “Old King Cole” with actions; repeat it while you change and feed.
  3. Hold and pass something real for the week (drum), and say its name.
  4. Snack: a toddler-safe version of fruit kabobs (check the recipe's lines for under-4s).
  5. Outside: a short walk looking for shake.
  6. Read Tim Taps on laps, pointing and naming.
  7. Nap, then the song once more at pick-up.

Music circle time

  1. Hello song: sing hello to each child by name.
  2. Look out of the window together: sun, rain or clouds?
  3. Show the theme: hold up something real and name it.
  4. Sing: Old King Cole.
  5. Read: Tim Taps (level 0).

Infants and toddlers: two or three minutes, on laps.

Music theme books

  • Tim Taps (level 0, free on peabody.kids): Tapping out a beat.
  • Ring the Bell (level 2, free on peabody.kids): A bell and a friend at the door.
  • Pit, Pat (level 0, free on peabody.kids): The beat of rain, to tap along.
  • Rain on the Hat (level 3, free on peabody.kids): A pattern you can drum.

Infants and toddlers: one book, read every day; point and name.

Music craft: Shaker

You need (4): a small bottle with a lid, dry rice or pasta, tape, stickers.

  1. Pour a little rice in the bottle (a grown-up helps).
  2. A grown-up closes it and tapes the lid shut.
  3. Decorate it and shake it loud, then soft.

With a grown-up. No heat, nothing hot.

Infants and toddlers: let them touch and hold the materials while you make it; nothing small enough to swallow.

Music song: Old King Cole

The words

Old King Cole was a merry old soul, And a merry old soul was he; He called for his pipe, and he called for his bowl, And he called for his fiddlers three.

Traditional; public domain. From Top 52 nursery rhymes with lyrics.

Music snack

Fruit Kabobs from the Peabody Kitchen: picture steps, allergy swaps and safety lines on the recipe.

Letter M activities

MmM is for music. Print the two pages (a trace page and a color page).

Infants and toddlers: skip the trace page; show the picture page and say the word.

Outside activity: Room band parade

March with shakers and pots: play loud for big steps, soft for tiptoes, stop when the leader stops.

Music theme for 2 year oldsMusic theme for 3 and 4 year oldsMusic theme, all ages

Checked 2026-10-30