Preschoolers LOVE music. They enjoy moving, making sounds, and singing! There’s something about music that draws them in and points their attention at whoever is making music.
A few summers ago, I took a class on early childhood transitions with a lot of preschool teachers. The course was designed to help teachers plan out an effective schedule and transitions to help decrease the number of behavior issues that happen throughout the preschool day. After taking the class, I was inspired to write more songs and transitions for preschool teachers and homeschoolers to use.
First of all, what is a transition? A transition is something that helps moves children from one activity to another. An example would be from lesson time to story time or clean up time to snack time. Transitions can be rhythmic chants, songs, or short stories. It is super important to have these transitions as a classroom teacher. Whenever you have dead time, that’s when the behavior problems start happening! (Am I right fellow teachers?!) Something I really love about transitions is that it introduces kids to music, rhythm, and rhyming. You do not need to be a great singer to use these at home! Just try your best and your child will love it! 🙂
Today I’m going to be sharing with you 10 transition songs and chants to help your preschool day run smoothly.
1. Wiggle Your Fingers, Stomp Your Feet!— This chant is great for helping a child get their wiggles out and ready to focus on school!
2. Do You Know What Time it Is?–a great song for practicing time! Maybe if youre transitioning from playtime to school time, then you would sing this song to signal that school is starting.
3. Movement Song –a happy song to sing anytime during the day!
4. Clean Up Songs–Here are 2 songs that are fun to sing when its time to clean up!
5. Color Song— a fun way to practice colors!
6. This is the Way I Move!–a wonderful way to get your child moving and exercising while singing!
7. Finger on Your Lips–a song to use if you want children to be quiet and listen.
8. Little Wiggle–a perfect chant to help get the wiggles out of your little ones!
9. Washing Hands Song–a simple song to sing while washing hands!
10. Criss Cross Applesauce–a chant to help them sit down quietly.
Try them out and see if these transition activities make a difference in your classroom!
To hear the songs and chants, check out my video below!
There’s nothing better than singing to help with transitions. Thank you for all these helpful resources!!
I totally agree!
Did you write the Little Wiggle chant? I put it with some music (“I have a little turtle”) and want to make sure I give credit to you if you wrote it. Thanks!!
Yes I did. Thanks!
Can I listen to the songs in YouTube or sent to my email?
You can find the songs on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5_qCH9z4_g&t=2s
Thank you so much for the transition posters for Pre-K. I can’t wait for my
students to learn them. This is a great help for teachers and greatly appreciated.
I love these transition song and ideas, i definitely use it in my class. Thank you !
Hey Angela, thanks I have just started working in a pre school. Songs like these really help us a lot to run class smoothly. I have pinned several ideas shared by you.
Thanks a lot. I am regular reader of your blog from now. Cheers!
Thank you for the PRINTABLES.
SO cute, and SO fun!!! Thanks for inspiring us and creating joy in the journey!
Totally agree! As a music teacher, I know exactly how well students respond to musical elements as transitions. Thanks for spreading the good word! I tell my younger class teachers this all the time, but they have a hard time buying in. Maybe this will convince them.
I will have to try this with my 3-4 years old at work.. If you can give me hints for circle time I will appreciate it💗
These are great, I think every preschool teacher has times where they ‘lose’ the class for whatever reason, these will be handy!
I already use these is there one I can use to transition from breakfast to line up for outdoor time
Stay tuned! I’m just weeks away from launching my new book with 150 transition songs/rhymes. It includes lots of line up songs and outdoor songs.
Thank you.
I’ve pined several useful ideas for my preschoolers from you 🙂
I really liked the idea. It will help me introducing making transitioning smoother in the classroom to my teachers during training times. Good job!
Thank you so much,l love these songs…..can’t wait to try them tomorrow
I love your songs. I stole some of them & I know it’s a good one if i can remember it!! I’m looking for a show & tell song, any suggestions??
I need help ASAP!
I’m a preschool teacher of young tot’s. They are just turning one to about 14 months and when we transition inside from outside play they come inside hysterical. Some of them walk and some crawl. They have a routine for about a few days then they break it by the way need attention, from going to sleep early, to needing a snack before lunch. One still gets a bottle and the rest freak out… ANY SUGGESTIONS, PLEASE!?!?!?!
I just love them and Iam sure that these all will help me in my school
thanks a lot
Love this
I would like to have thatsend to my email thank you
You just made a homeschooling mom very happy today. Me! Thanks for sharing this.
Sylvia recently posted…Salton YM9 1-Quart Yogurt Maker Review
So happy to hear that, Sylvia! Thank you!!
Lovely! Thank you – these are great and I will certainly be using them loads!
Great ideas!, I only have one year experience working with kids and loving to lean more and more for them.
Thanks so much for these ideas! I am a first year preschool teacher and have been struggling during my transitions. My students will love these and hopefully those transitions will go a little smoother!
Such an awesome resource, Angela! I featured your post and image in my Free Back-to-School Songs and Rhymes for Circle Time post today. 🙂
Deb @ Living Montessori Now recently posted…Free Back-to-School Songs and Rhymes for Circle Time
very nice
I teach a class of 12 PK three yr olds with no helper. Singing combined with movement is something we all love. My favorite one of this post is the one about moods to the tune of If you’re happy ….Thanks for sharing, Cindy
Great ideas here! I love introducing children to new songs especially when I need help getting cleaned up at transition time.
I am student teaching and transitions were giving me trouble, I can’t wait to try these!
Great!! I hope they work well for you!
This is Christina from the Howling Horn. Thanks for the great songs. I used them during my letter “C” week for cleaning songs. I used the washing your hands song and tidy up. They are great way to make cleaning up fun! I talked about them on my blog and shared your page with my followers. http://howlinghorn.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-week-of-letter-c_4.html
I Love It!!!!! Thank You.
Your ideas are wonderful. thanks for sharing them! I am a preschool teacher of 27 years and it is great to find new ideas.
Songs help with so many things. We often sing them on our way to school (a new school) to help keep the crying at bay. Thank you for sharing at Sharing Saturday!
Carrie recently posted…Flamingo Friday–Paper Plate Flamingos
Breaking out into song for ANY age is great and helpful. 🙂 Love this.
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Oh these are awesome!!!! Thank you for posting!
Kali @ For the Love of Spanish recently posted…Bilingual Tot School–24 months
Thank you so much!
Oh my goodness, these are great! I am starting a new job at a preschool and these will be so helpful to transition kids! Love it!
Thank you for sharing at our Pinning for Play link party!
Thank you, they are amazing
These are all amazing!!! I just printed and put my in a binder — thank you 🙂 I’m sharing on my FB page 🙂 Have a beautiful weekend!!
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Brilliant, I will be trying all of these. My kids are adopted and ANY transition, however little is difficult and I am always looking for easy ways of moving along. I can’t wait til my cheeky six year old boy finds his own rhyme for ‘finger on your shoe’. Just a matter of time.
Thanks, Gina! I am so happy to hear this will help you out. 🙂
Thank you so much for these. I love them! Here is another that I hope you will add to the list. http://grandmatimes.com/2017/01/20/just-walking-along-singing-a-song-kids-activity/