45+ of the Most Awesomely Joyful Preschool Songs
Music can bring so much joy to people, especially our smallest children singing their preschool songs.
If you are looking for songs to teach to your preschooler or young child, you came to the right place! By the time you are done reading this, you will have a huge bank of children’s songs.
In this post you will learn:
- Why songs are important for preschoolers
- The best common songs for preschoolers
- Preschool songs that are lesser known
- Great YouTube channels for preschool music
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Why should kids learn to sing preschool songs?
Like I said above, music is so good for the soul! Most everyone enjoys music of some kind, but is there more to it than just delight?
Every child should learn basic preschool songs and there are so many reasons why. We’re going to cover a few of them here.
Reasons preschool songs are important:
- Teach rhythm
- Expand vocabulary
- Get children moving
- Accommodate auditory learners
- Encourage rhyming and word play
- Build community
- SUPER FUN!
Are you going to use these preschool songs as you start your homeschooling journey? We have a 2-part guide about the first day of homeschool preschool.
First Day of Homeschool Preschool- A How-To Guide, Part 1
First Day of Homeschool Preschool- A How-To Guide, Part 2
Preschool songs teach rhythm
Rhythm is the most basic component of music. It is the pattern of beats in a song or poem. Developing good rhythm in children does more than just give them musical knowledge.
Understanding rhythm as a pattern helps children unconsciously notice patterns in other parts of life. Everyday actions are full of these rhythmic patterns: walking, speaking, dancing, and even breathing.
If children understand the rhythmic patterns of natural occurrences such as their heartbeat, waves crashing into the beach, or the chirping of crickets, they will start to apply that knowledge to create their own patterns (I’m thinking of the color or shape patterns made in the preschool classroom.)
Children will increase their vocabulary by learning and singings songs
Kids pick up on words quickly, but they must be exposed to them to learn them. Many preschool songs have words that we don’t necessarily use in our everyday language.
The silly, rhythmic nature of children’s songs encourages kids to repeat them, therefore using new words more often. This helps them remember these words and file them away in their brain’s schema to use another time.
Sometimes adults take for granted our knowledge of simple words and don’t understand that little kids just don’t know them like we do.
Think of the word ‘goose’. That’s just a basic farm animal. Everyone knows that! Well small children who haven’t grown up on a farm or read books about farm animals will have no clue what that means.
Preschool songs put those unfamiliar words into context and help kids understand what they mean.
Songs encourage movement
Okay, go listen to your favorite song and try not to tap your foot, sway, or nod your head to the beat. Most of us move to music without even realizing it!
Children will do the same thing! But they are not going to be as reserved about it as adults. Kids will break out into full on dance mode when they hear a song they like!
Not only will kids move to the beat to many preschool songs, but so many of these songs tell kids to move their bodies! Some examples are:
- Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes
- Hokey Pokey
- Skip to My Lou
- If You’re Happy and You Know It
Of course, there are countless more songs that have motions and encourage movement. We know that exercise is good for our bodies and minds, and songs are one way to make exercise fun for our kids!
For more ways to get your child moving, go to this post.
Auditory learners excel with preschool songs
Around 30% of people learn best through auditory (or hearing) experiences, and 30-40% of children learn best through tactile and movement experiences. Preschool songs encompass both of those learning styles!
There is a reason why numerous preschool songs are about counting, rhyming, letters, and academic topics. These songs are powerful tools in helping children learn.
Case in point: when you have had to alphabetize something, how do you remember the alphabetic order? I guarantee you sing the ABC song!
These silly little rhymes and songs stick with us all our lives, and really do help people remember skills.
Rhyming and word play in preschool songs
A HUGE passion of mine is children’s literacy! Foundational literacy skills include phonemic awareness- rhyming, identifying specific sounds in a word (beginning, middle, and ending sounds), deleting sounds from words, changing a sound, etc.
These foundational skills are encouraged in preschool songs! Rhyming is especially prevalent in these songs meant for kids. I have an entire post about rhyming and why it’s important- check it out here.
Playing with words is not only fun, but it also develops better readers, writers, and speakers. It’s truly a skill that affects lives!
Building community through music
Preschool songs are meant to be shared with others. Parents and teachers are encouraged to teach them to children. Children are inspired to teach these songs to their friends.
Shared experiences are a huge part of social constructs, and therefore, building community and inclusiveness.
Everyone needs to feel a sense of belonging, and sharing in singing songs with friends fulfills this need.
Preschool songs are SUPER FUN!!
Who doesn’t want to have fun and laugh? It’s almost a given that preschool songs will bring a smile to your face.
Get the giggles started by singing your child’s favorite songs and create some happy memories with them.
The best common preschool songs
There are numerous preschool songs that most people know. Some of the most popular preschool songs go back over a hundred years!
I have a list of some of the most popular preschool songs. You probably know them, but you can always refer to this list if you draw a blank when you want to teach a song to your child.
List of common songs for preschoolers:
- Old MacDonald Had a Farm
- The Wheels on the Bus
- Hokey Pokey
- Itsy-Bitsy Spider
- 5 Little Ducks
- ABC Song
- Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
- I’m a Little Teapot
- 5 Green and Speckled Frogs
- The Muffin Man
- Humpty Dumpty
- If You’re Happy and You Know It
- The Farmer in the Dell
- Rain, Rain Go Away
- Baa, Baa Black Sheep
- Pat-a-Cake
- Row, Row, Row Your Boat
- My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean
- This Old Man
- B-I-N-G-O
- Here We Go ‘Round the Mulberry Bush
- Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear
- Rock-a-Bye Baby
- Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes
- The Ants Go Marching
- Ten in the Bed
- Where Is Thumbkin?
- Miss Mary Mack
- Are You Sleeping?
- Down By the Bay
There are oodles and oodles more songs I could have included, but that would be so overwhelming to read.
We’ll start with these because I still have another list of awesome preschool songs!
Preschool songs that are lesser known
The songs listed above are widespread throughout the country and most people know them.
This next list has songs that are not so common but are incredibly fun and are sure to be loved by your little ones!
Less common songs for children:
- Peanut Butter and Jelly
- Mr. Golden Sun
- Boom Chicka Boom
- Herman the Worm
- Go Bananas
- We Are the Dinosaurs
- Alice the Camel
- On Top of Spaghetti
- If All the Raindrops
- Baby Bumblebee
- The Cat Came Back
- Tootie Ta
- Purple Stew
- Sticky, Sticky Bubblegum
- Princess Pat
- Zoom, Zoom, Zoom We’re Going to the Moon
- Little Red Wagon
- Looby Loo
Listen to preschool songs online
There are some incredible artists out there who sing children’s songs. I’ve found a ton of them on YouTube that I use in my classroom and with my own kids.
- Jack Hartmann
- The Laurie Berkner Band
- Dr. Jean
- Danny Go
- The Kiboomers
- Bounce Patrol
- Koo Koo
- The Learning Station
- The Singing Walrus
- Have Fun Teaching
- Mooseclumps
