Say Goodbye to the Sunday Scaries! 10 Elementary Activities You Can Do the 1st Day Back
From December 23-January 1, I counted down to the new year with 10 blog posts titled, “10 short activities that you can use immediately.” Here is a recap to all ten. I hope that at least one of these will ward off any “Sunday Scaries” you might be feeling today!
#10 Choice Board
December 23, 2025 / Amy M. Burns
In the States, many of us return around 7-10 days before the federal holiday that honors the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. There are numerous songs and activities that can be utilized in the elementary classroom on the first day we return. These are wonderful ways to create cross-curricular connections with what the students are learning in their classrooms, as well as honoring Dr. King’s life and work. This post includes how a music curriculum like MusicFirst Elementary (MFE) can assist with this and how to add additional resources and activities to the lessons.
#9 Rhythm Games
December 24, 2025 / Amy M. Burns
#9 Rhythm Games
Let's begin the new year with a review of identifying and reading rhythm patterns. By using movement games and free websites such as Rhythm Randomizer (https://www.rhythmrandomizer.com/) and Rhythm Dice (https://4four.io/rhythm/dice), you can review rhythm patterns in a fun way.
#8 Coding Your Own Game
December 25, 2025 / Amy M. Burns
#8 Coding Your Own Game (Yes—You Can Do This!)
I know what you’re thinking: Coding a game? In elementary music?!
Stay with me—because if you have the free educator version of Canva (https://www.canva.com/education/), this is far more doable than it sounds.
In fact, the four games shared earlier in this series were all created inside Canva. They work beautifully as station activities, early finisher tasks, or quick retrieval practice—and once you see how this works, you may want to try building one yourself.
#7 Color by note
December 26, 2025 / Amy M. Burns
Coming back from a break can feel like a reset for both students and teachers. I love having a few low-prep, high-impact activities ready to go—especially ones that reinforce musical concepts while giving students a calm, focused way to ease back into learning. That’s where today’s Countdown to 2026 activity comes in: Color by Note – Classroom Instruments Edition.
This Color by Note activity is a student favorite because it feels like art time, but it’s quietly doing important musical work. Students color pictures of familiar classroom instruments—like xylophones, drums, egg shakers, cymbals, and wood blocks—by matching each color to a specific rhythm value. Quarter notes, eighth notes, half notes, whole notes, and their corresponding rests are all included, making this a great review or reinforcement tool for early rhythmic literacy.
#6 Word Search
December 27, 2025 / Amy M. Burns
✏️Want to ease back into teaching and also want the students to be engaged? 🖨️ Try Word Search Labs!
Word searches are a great activity to ease everyone back into the music classroom setting. It can also work well for when you want to work with a group of students, but you want to make that the other group of students are engaging in musical work but will not need much of your assistance. Let’s look at Word Search Labs!
#5 Ukulele Resources
December 28, 2025 / Amy M. Burns
Ukuleles can be a favorite musical activity for elementary musicians. It can make some musicians feel successful because they can strum a chord and sing simultaneously. It can make other elementary musicians feel happy because when you strum on the open strings, the chord of C Major with an added 6th is a very pleasant sound. Plus, the ukulele does not play loudly or "pop" high notes, so those with sensitive ears usually like the sound of the ukulele.
#4 Auld Lang Syne Steady Beat Play-Along
December 29, 2025 / Amy M. Burns
#4 Auld Lang Syne Steady Beat Play-Along
As we continue the Countdown to 2026, we’re officially in the stretch where quick, engaging wins matter most. Activities #4, #3, and #2 all feature Auld Lang Syne play-along videos—perfect for easing students back into music class after a holiday or seasonal break while still keeping learning purposeful and joyful.
Today’s spotlight is #4: Auld Lang Syne Steady Beat Play-Along, an easy-to-implement activity that gets your young students moving, listening, and feeling successful from the very first minutes of class.
#3 Auld Lang Syne Rhythm Play-Along
December 30, 2025 / Amy M. Burns
#3 Auld Lang Syne Rhythm Play-Along
If you’re heading back into the music room after a long break, you know the feeling: students are happy to be back together, routines are a little fuzzy, and everyone needs a gentle on-ramp back into music-making. That’s where #3 in the Countdown to 2026 comes in—an Auld Lang Syne Rhythm Play-Along that’s low-stress, high-engagement, and easy to drop into your very first lesson back.
This activity is designed to help students reconnect with listening, steady rhythm, and ensemble skills right away—without needing a long explanation or extensive setup. I often start class by reviewing the free downloadable rhythm manipulatives before pressing play. It’s a quick retrieval-practice moment that gets students thinking musically again and sets a calm, focused tone for the rest of the lesson.
#2 Auld Lang Syne Boomwhacker Play-Along
December 31, 2025 / Amy M. Burns
🎶 #2: Auld Lang Syne Boomwhacker Play-Along
This Boomwhacker play-along is a high-energy way to welcome students back into active music-making. With clear visuals, color-coded cues, and a familiar melody, students can jump right in and feel successful within the first few minutes of class.
Boomwhackers naturally bring excitement into the room, and this activity channels that energy into purposeful learning. Students practice melodic patterns and rhythmic skills—including dotted quarter note rhythms—while staying engaged and focused.
#1 Pete the Cat Ukulele Play-Along (Copy)
January 01, 2026 / Amy M. Burns
Since December 23, I’ve been sharing short, low-prep activities designed to help elementary general music teachers ease students back into music class after break. For the final activity in the Countdown to 2026, I wanted to end with something flexible, musical, and fun—an activity that truly works across multiple grade levels.
#1 Pete the Cat Ukulele Play-Along
This ukulele play-along is one of those rare activities that adapts beautifully to a wide range of learners. Younger elementary students will enjoy listening to the story and singing along, while older elementary students can take on the added challenge of performing A Major and E minor chords on the ukulele.
The play-along is based on Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons, using the read-aloud video from Buttercup Storytime: