Musically Minded Blog

5 Benefits of Circle Time

October 15, 2020
preschool circle time

There are many unique learning benefits to having children learn together in a group setting. It may seem like a simple daily ritual within the classroom, but when you look closer, there is so much learning happening just beneath the surface. No matter what you call it (circle time, morning meeting, ect.) this gathering is…

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Transition Songs for Preschool

October 5, 2020
transition songs for preschool

Transition songs are songs that can be used to help your students move from one activity into the next. They send the directions of what you are asking the students to do, but by using music rather than your speaking voice, the children are more likely to pay attention. Why Does Music Work So Well…

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How to play digital tracks on your phone or Ipad with video tutorial

September 25, 2020
how to play songs on your phone at circle time

Let’s be honest. You have no time to waste finding that CD with that one song on it that would fit perfectly at circle time. Why? Because that’s a recipe for “adios teacher, I’m off to play with the blocks!” A few months ago I shared 3 Reasons Why Preschool Teachers Shouldn’t Use CDs. But…

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3 fall activities to (pumpkin) spice up your circle time.

September 19, 2020
fall songs for circle time

Hunting for fall circle time songs? You are in the right place! Because children will be seeing lots of fall colors and decor the next few months, they’ll be especially interested in finding out how you just might be using that pumpkin at circle time.  While this might be interesting enough to get them to…

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5 Music Lessons for Preschool

September 17, 2020
music for preschool

Music is a vital part of the human experience. When we teach music skills in our classroom, we are also building community, teaching social skills, and encouraging creativity. Music is everywhere in our environment, and music making is a behavior that is present in all cultures. So teaching your children music skills will in turn…

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5 Songs for Infants

September 16, 2020
songs for infants

These 5 song for infants are a great place to start if you are looking for ways to involve your very young children in circle time. Infants may not participate the same way as older students in music activities, but they still benefit from being exposed to music. Music offers a great vehicle for practicing…

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10 Animal Songs for Preschool

September 10, 2020
animal songs or preschool

Kids love animals! So why not add animals to your music activities? These animal songs for toddlers will add some fun and imagination to your circle time. Your toddlers will love playing along with the silly characters in these animal songs so much. While they sing and play, they won’t even realize they’re learning valuable…

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5 Easy Circle Time Songs

September 9, 2020
easy circle time songs

Do you feel out of your depth when it comes to music and song learning? Start with these easy circle time songs! They are all set to easy to learn melodies and are can be sung without the recording. Because of this, you will have no trouble at all learning them for your class. Simple…

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5 Listening Activities for Circle Time

September 7, 2020
listening activities for circle time

Circle time is a great opportunity to try some listening activities with your little ones. These listening activities written and recorded by Musically Minded offer a wide variety of learning opportunities for your little ones. Listening activities are a great way to build skills like following directions, auditory discrimination, and focused attention. These skills will…

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10 Movement Songs for Preschool

September 2, 2020
10 movement songs for preschool

Movement is so important for toddlers as they learn about their bodies. Music is a great motivator for children, and what better way to get some movement into their day than through dance! Music is such a valuable tool in the classroom because it can help young children coordinate their movements. This has something to…

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When Ducks Get Up in the Morning

August 24, 2020
farm songs for preschool

Finding farm songs to sing at circle time especially during your farm theme is probably fairly simple for most preschool teachers. But finding farm songs that engage and teach is a little bit more difficult! That’s why I love “When Ducks Get Up in the Morning”. Its repetitive verses with just enough variation keep kids…

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Name Games for Preschool

July 22, 2020
name games for circle time

“Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” -Dale Carnegie Learning the names of your kids right away is a must! It instantly connects you with them and they move from being anonymous to, “oh man, she knows my name!”. My mom was a substitute…

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7 secrets for Circle Time Success

Tips and Tricks to turn CHAOS to CALM