5 festive Songs for Winter Inclusive for all Elementary Music Classroom on up

Tis the season to be singing festive songs for winter for everyone!

I’m sure you agree. As music educators, it is in our hearts to want to share music. I’ve taught in a variety of school and classroom settings from private, public, and homeschool school enrichment. So I know firsthand how difficult it is to find winter song choices that are inclusive for all. December is perhaps the trickiest month to navigate.

So here you have it I pulled together some classic timeless songs for winter, with music activities to add to your elementary music classroom through middle school too! 

Songs for Winter: Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride”

I have always loved the way Leroy Anderson crafted the sound of the orchestra to create sound effects such as the ticking of a clock, cats’ meow, a classic antique typewriter, and a horse’s whinny makes “Sleigh Ride” a great choice to add to your list of songs for winter. 

A listening map will help students discover the classic A B form used. Add in the introduction and the delightful ending with sound effects for the sleigh bells, horse’s gallop, and the iconic horse’s whinny make this one a hit for sure!

Older students can dive deeper into the composition. There is a wonderful jazzy A-section with a counter melody of a college fight song riff played on the slide trombone. Plus, a small interlude to break up a B section mid-way through. 

While this was written as an instrumental song, lyrics were added later to make this a classic songs for winter favorite sing-along.

Did you know Mozart actually wrote an instrumental piece titled Sleigh Ride in 1755? It would make for a great compare-contrast lesson plan. 

The Song “Winter Wonderland”

Here is another one to include in songs for winter. The song “Winter Wonderland” describes a crisp winter scene complete with a snowman. The poem was first written in 1934 by Richard Smith who was inspired by the beauty of freshly fallen snow. A friend, Felix Bernard, set the poem to music and this classic piece has lived on ever since.

Grab a comfy chair, and bring your students to that cozy reading corner in your room. Thankfully Tim Hopgood created the book “Walking in a Winter Wonderland” with illustrated pages to highlight the lyrics to this song. Making it the perfect way to introduce the song to your younger grades. 

And yes you can find it on Amazon or perhaps check it out at your local library.

Use “Winter Wonderland” to guide your older students into writing a winter poem or song lyrics. First have students brainstorm some ideas on what they enjoy about winter: sledding, hot drinks, family traditions, etc… Then create a fill-in-the-blank template. Use part of the lyrics from “Winter Wonderland” and take some words out to leave room for student ideas. 

Songs for Winter: Baroque Song

Vivaldi Winter Concerto

Why not hop back in time to the Baroque era for songs for winter? Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Winter Concerto is an early example of program music. Each of Vivaldi’s concertos included a poem to go with the music. Winter is in F minor fitting for the text: 

“shivering, frozen mid the frosty snow in biting, stinging winds.” 

Students may find a familiar theme in the concerto as it has been used in commercials, shows, and movies. Voices of Music has an amazing YouTube video played with original instruments. The violin solos will entice your students as Vivaldi’s virtuoso skills can clearly be heard. 

Songs for Winter: Movement to Music

Younger students can explore this piece with scarves swooshing back and forth to match the music. It is fast past so they can get all the wiggles out. I like to lead students in a follow-me movement the first time through to give them ideas. The second time they can take turns leading with a partner or explore their own individual movements. 

Use Vivaldi’s Winter Concert to facilitate an open discussion with old students to hear their impressions of the piece, as a springboard for new vocabulary, and to look deeper into the instruments and concerto form. Listen to all the seasons or assign groups each a different season to present to the class. Find the poem that goes with each season and the outstanding characteristics that Vivaldi used to showcase each concerto. Read other Vivaldi ideas here.

Songs for Winter from Thanksgiving to April?

Over the River and Through the Woods

The 1844 poem by Lydia Maria Child originally had 12 verses and was titled “The New England Boy’s Song About Thanksgiving.” Also, the sleigh was going to grandfather’s house for Thanksgiving Day. Some lyric changes say “Christmas Day”. You could sing “Winter Day” and extend the use of the song.

When the poem was published in 1844 Thanksgiving was celebrated in April. Thanksgiving changed to November in 1863 (read more about this song). The lyric truly is “over the river and through the wood.” I always sing “woods.”

I like to use the first two verses (going to grandmother’s house) and pick out keywords as a cue to play on instruments like a sound effect. “Over the River and through the wood.” River can be played on sand blocks as 8th notes (te-te), and wood played on rhythm sticks using quarter notes (ta). 

Older students get to choose the words, instruments, and rhythm pattern and present their ideas to the class as the song is sung by all. 

Songs for Winter: Tchaikovski’s The Nutcracker

Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” wrote songs for each sweet to represent the country from where the treat is grown making this a multi-culture taste of music. So many wonderful movements to music ideas with paper plates, scarfs, and more are great to represent this music.

My favorite activity is hand drumming with the  Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Students of all ages can play along. I added choreographed movements so students are playing on their neighbor’s drum too. It’s what they want to do when they think you’re not looking, so give opportunities to all have fun. There is something so enjoyable about drumming together in rhythm and movement.

 You might also like to see my ideas for using The Nutcracker here.

Here are the completed music teaching lesson plans to use for winter.