**Note: This page is for educational inspiration and is not officially affiliated with World Singing Day. World Singing Day is a global, non-political, non-religious, non-commercial, annual sing-along, created by Scott Johnson. It aims to unite people through the power of song. For official information and to learn more, please visit their website (www.worldsingingday.org).
Understanding World Singing Day in EYFS & KS1
Let's sing together! 🎤 World Singing Day is a global, non-political, non-religious, non-commercial, annual sing-along that takes place on the third Saturday in October (which in 2025 falls on October 18th). Created by Scott Johnson, its simple yet powerful mission is to unite people worldwide through the power of song. It's about bringing communities together, celebrating the joy of music, and fostering a sense of connection through shared vocal expression.
For early years settings, nurseries, preschools, childminders, and Year 1 and Year 2 classrooms, this day provides a wonderfully joyful and expressive theme for exploring music, sound, language, emotions, and community. It's about encouraging children to use their voices, develop an appreciation for melody and rhythm, and understand how singing can make them feel good and connect with others. This day offers fantastic planning ideas and inspiration for engaging activities that truly resonate with young minds, making learning about creative expression and social connection both harmonious and fun.
Why Is Teaching About Singing & Music Important for Young Children?
Integrating lessons about singing and music into your practice with young children (aged 0-7) helps develop their language development, cognitive skills, emotional expression, and social bonds. Music is a universal language that deeply impacts early childhood development.
Language Development: Singing helps children develop vocabulary, pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation, crucial for speech and literacy. Our Nursery Rhymes resources are excellent for this.
Emotional Expression: Singing provides an outlet for children to express and understand emotions, linking to our Emotions and Feelings and Mental Health pages.
Cognitive Skills: Learning songs improves memory, sequencing, and pattern recognition.
Social Connection: Singing together fosters a sense of community, cooperation, and shared experience.
Fine & Gross Motor Skills: Actions and movements that accompany songs develop coordination and Expressive movement.
Auditory Discrimination: Listening to different sounds and pitches refines a child's ability to distinguish between sounds, important for phonics. Our My Favourite sound sheets - phase 1 phonics & listening skills are useful.
Well-being: Singing is a natural mood booster and can contribute to overall mental well-being. Our Mental health - mood booster activity cards are relevant.
Engaging Singing & Music Activities for World Singing Day (0-7 Year Olds)
Make World Singing Day a truly melodious and joyful experience with these planning ideas and activities perfect for EYFS and KS1 children. The focus is on finding your voice, listening to sounds, and celebrating the power of song! Many of these early years and year 1 activities can be supported by the extensive range of printable resources we have available on our dedicated music and sound page.
Here's some inspiration for making music in your setting: (Please use your own discretion and knowledge of your children to ensure appropriateness of each activity and safety concerning any materials given and activity undertaken.)
Sing Your Favourite Songs: Start the day with a sing-along of familiar nursery rhymes and children's songs. Use our 'Songs I love to sing' booklet. You can also use our specific song sheets for popular tunes like Bingo, Five little speckled frogs and The wheels on the bus.
Introduce New Songs: Learn a new, simple song related to a current topic or just for fun. You could even teach a simple song in another language.
Singing Contest Role-Play: Set up a "Singing Contest" or "Talent Show" role-play area using our Singing contest role play pack. Children can take turns being performers, judges, or audience members.
Explore Sounds: Use Making sounds game and Onomatopoeic sound cards to explore different sounds that can be made with voices, bodies, and instruments.
Clapping & Rhythm: Use Clapping cards to introduce simple rhythms and encourage children to clap along to songs.
"Sound Walk" / Listening Game: Go on a "sound walk" and use Listening 'sound walk' sheets - check list or tally to record what they hear. Play 'What made the sound?' listening game to identify various sounds.
Music and Emotions: Discuss how music makes us feel. Use 'This music makes me feel...' emoji cards activity, playdough mat, banner and colouring activity.
Body Percussion: Encourage children to make music using their bodies – clapping, stomping, snapping fingers, patting knees.
Improvised Songs: Give children a theme (e.g., "Our favourite animals," "What we did today") and encourage them to make up their own simple songs or chants.
Guitar Parts Exploration: If you have a toy or real guitar, introduce its parts using Guitar parts poster and activity sheets.
Link to Well-being: Reinforce that singing is a fun way to boost mood and contribute to healthy minds, connecting to our Mental health - mood booster activity cards and general Mental Health page.
Explore Related Pages: For more comprehensive support, visit our dedicated pages:
These activities offer great inspiration for making World Singing Day a memorable and impactful experience in your early years and Key Stage One setting, fostering musicality, language development, emotional expression, and social connection through the universal joy of song.
To explore ideas surrounding additional early years events, please visit our 'Special Dates Calendar' page.
Printable resources to support teaching & learning surrounding: ‘World Singing Day’
Please visit our ‘Music and Sound’ page for additional resources.
Please visit our ‘Music & Sound’ page for additional resources.
Additional Pages you may like to explore which cover relevant &/or Connected themes
More Early Years Event Pages for October
Explore special dates (including awareness dates, festivals, celebrations & events) relevant to your EYFS & KS1 children
Browse our ‘Special Dates Calendar’ page using the link below. You’ll find calendars for every month of the year to aid your planning!
SEARCH ‘LITTLE OWLS Resources’ USING THE FOLLOWING MENU BUTTONS…
Disclaimer:
This page is for educational purposes only and is intended to support early years and primary practitioners with ideas and resources related to 'World Singing Day'. We are not officially affiliated with or endorsed by Scott Johnson or the World Singing Day initiative. We do not claim any rights to specific trademarks or official materials associated with this event. For official information and to learn more about this global sing-along, please visit their website at www.worldsingingday.org.
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