Sing along (with lyrics)
Top 16 classroom and transition songs
Teachers use short songs to move children from one thing to another: lining up, cleaning up, gathering on the carpet, saying goodbye. These are the best-known, with notes on which words are free to print.
Chosen from preschool and kindergarten circle-time lists and checked on Wikipedia, Oct 2026. Checked 2026-10-25. Nobody paid to be here. The buy links are plain search links, not affiliate links, so Peabody earns nothing from them.
If You're Happy and You Know It
Traditional · 1957 · Ages 2-7
A call-and-action song: clap, stomp, shout. New verses are easy to add.
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Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
Traditional · 1912 · Ages 2-7
Points to body parts and can get faster each time through.
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The Hokey Pokey
Disputed · Ages 2-9
A movement song for full-body wiggles; origins are disputed, so words are linked.
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Frère Jacques
Traditional French · Ages 3-9
A round in canon that works in two or three groups.
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Words
Are you sleeping, are you sleeping, Brother John, brother John? Morning bells are ringing, Morning bells are ringing, Ding, dang, dong, Ding, dang, dong.
Where Is Thumbkin?
Traditional · Ages 1-5
A finger-play to the tune of Frère Jacques; each finger takes its turn.
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Words
Where is Thumbkin? Where is Thumbkin? Here I am! Here I am! How are you today, sir? Very well, I thank you. Run away. Run away.
The Alphabet Song
Louis Le Maire (tune); Charles Bradlee, 1835 · Ages 2-6
Sung to the Twinkle tune; the 'LMNOP' blur is a known snag.
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Words
A-B-C-D-E-F-G, H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P, Q-R-S, T-U-V, W, X, Y and Z. Now I know my ABCs, Next time won't you sing with me?
Happy Birthday to You
Mildred and Patty Hill, 1893 (ruled public domain in 2016) · Ages 2-12
The most sung song in English; a court ruled in 2015 that the lyrics were not under copyright, and a 2016 settlement put the song in the public domain.
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Words
Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday, dear [name], Happy birthday to you.
Five Little Ducks
Traditional · Ages 1-6
Counting down from five with a mother duck who calls them home.
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The Wheels on the Bus
Verna Hills, 1939 · Ages 1-6
Action verses with a sit-down finish; used for waiting on the carpet or in a line.
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Rubber Duckie
Jeff Moss, 1970 · Ages 1-6
The Sesame Street bath-time song. Words are copyrighted, so not printed.
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Sing
Joe Raposo, 1971 · Ages 2-8
The Sesame Street song that tells children to 'sing a song'. Words are copyrighted, so not printed.
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Won't You Be My Neighbor?
Fred Rogers, 1967 · Ages 2-8
A greeting song used to settle children at the start of the day. Words are copyrighted, so not printed.
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Do-Re-Mi
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, 1959 · Ages 4-12
Teaches the musical scale through a song. Words are copyrighted, so not printed.
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Baby Shark
Pinkfong, 2015 · Ages 1-6
The viral hand-motion song; children do the 'doo doo' dance. Words are copyrighted, so not printed.
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Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Jane Taylor · Ages 1-6
A short, familiar tune teachers use for calm-down time.
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Words
Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are! Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky. Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are!
Itsy Bitsy Spider
Traditional · Ages 1-5
The first finger-play most children learn.
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Words
The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the waterspout. Down came the rain and washed the spider out. Out came the sun and dried up all the rain, And the itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again.
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