December always feels like its own little season in the music room, especially when your room is freezing and you have to bring in a space heater to make teaching tolerable (oh the memories). This month’s roundup gathers some of my favorite winter-friendly ideas from my blog. Whether you need a quick listening activity, an easy folk dance, or something creative to fill those shorter class periods, I hope these posts make your December teaching feel a little lighter and a lot more joyful.
🎄 Nutcracker Music Lessons
The Nutcracker is a December staple, and this post gathers simple, and active ways to explore the ballet with your students. You’ll find movement ideas, listening lessons, form activities, and fun activities that help bring Tchaikovsky’s music to life.
See the Nutcracker Lesson Ideas →
❄️ Frosty Weather
Frosty Weather is a flexible winter folk song that gives students plenty of chances to move, sing, and create. In this post, you’ll find ideas for using paper plate snowflakes in movement activities, explore form through rounds, add simple harmony on Orff instruments, practice steady beat, and even improvise rhythms. It’s an easy way to keep students engaged and active during the coldest months.
Read the Frosty Weather Lesson Ideas →
🎵 Music Freeze Game
The Music Freeze Game is a low-prep favorite, especially during busy seasons, but it can also be a standards-based lesson that will impress your admin. In this post, you’ll find easy ways to highlight elements like tempo, timbre, dynamics, form, mood, and texture using curated listening examples. Each idea includes clear admin-friendly language so you can show exactly what students are learning while they play.
Explore the Music Freeze Game Ideas →
❄️ Snow, Snow, Fly Away
Snow, Snow, Fly Away is a sweet little winter rhyme that works beautifully as a springboard into improvisation. In this post, I share how I use the song to help students explore rhythm in a low-pressure way, with plenty of modeling, instrument play, and an improv circle that gently encourages even the shyest students to jump in.
Read the Rhythmic Improv Lesson →
⛸️ Skating Away
Skating Away is an easy, low-pressure folk dance that gives students a chance to move when winter weather keeps them cooped up. In this post, I walk through simple steps that work for beginners, along with ideas for practicing so–do, note names, and even playing along on instruments.