World Music Day Activities for Elementary Schools & Kids

Whoever said that music is a universal language got it so right! Few things bind people together from all over the world as well as music does. You do not need to know the language of a song to feel it. Even to understand it. Because music above all else is an emotion. The kind that transports you, makes you feel heard and heals you when you need it the most.

It is no surprise then that we celebrate World Music Day every year! Music truly deserves all the recognition, love and admiration it can get. And naturally, it deserves to be celebrated. Not just on an individual level but in schools too. And we have got the perfect activities lined up here which you can easily use to celebrate World Music Day in your elementary.

However, let us get to the basics first!

When is World Music Day?

World Music Day falls on June 21st every year. In fact, remembering when World Music Day is is actually pretty easy! It coincides with the summer solstice. So every time you think of the longest day of the year, you will invariably end up remembering World Music Day.

Why do we celebrate World Music Day?

That is a very interesting question. Why we celebrate World Music Day boils down to one thing: the universal love for music. The aim of this event is to wave the flag of peace and global brotherhood, thereby emphasising the binding power of music, which can bring different cultures and countries together through this common love.

The history of World Music Day dates back to France in the early 1980s. Back in 1980, Jack Lang, the Minister of Culture for the country, initiated the concept of a worldwide day in honour of the power of music, an idea that was first floated by Maurice Fleret, a famous French musician.

France declared June 21st as World Music Day, and the response was overwhelming, both from participating musicians and the public.

Read More – Why Music is Beneficial for Child Development?

Importance of Music for Children

Improving listening and concentration skills
Encouraging creativity and imagination
Boosting confidence and self-expression
Supporting emotional development
Enhancing memory and language learning

Preschool activities to celebrate World Music Day

Planning to celebrate World Music Day in your elementary school? Try any one of the fun activities given below to get your whole school in the spirit of this awesome day!

Make kids dress up like their favourite artist

Take a break from the school uniform and get the kids to dress up as their favourite music star instead! Rock and pop stars are known for their distinct look, so it will be quite a bit of fun for kids to get the chance to look like their favourite for a day. You can even host a competition where the best-dressed kid could win a special musical prize!

Make them bring their favourite CD to work

You could host it like a show-and-tell. Keep a music player in front of the class, next to the teacher’s desk. Get each kid to come up with a CD of the music they love. Put the CD in the player and let them play their favourite song from the album. Do this till every kid in the class has shared the songs they love.
This simple activity is a great way to herald in World Music Day celebrations. It also gives each child a platform to share the music they love, while exposing the rest of the class to new kinds of music they can develop an appreciation for. It’s a win-win!

Kickstart the day with relaxing tunes

Here is another interesting bit of trivia: 21st June is also the International Day of Yoga everywhere. So if you want to celebrate both, what better way to start the day than with a calming, yogic yet musical note? Have your students participate in simple yoga exercises set to relaxing music. Not only is it a great way to start any day, but it’s also an opportunity to teach kids about the healing effects of yoga and music!

Host a rock band contest

Or a pop band contest. The choice is yours. The point is to give kids the platform to exercise their creativity and flaunt their musical talents in a healthy spirit of competition. The only thing you need to keep in mind is to give students about a month’s notice in advance that you will be hosting an elementary school music band contest. This will give kids (and their parents) enough time to prepare and form a band in case there are none to begin with.

Make them review a new song

This could be a nice and simple class activity! Especially if you want to encourage children to write new forms of music. Give each child in your class a new song from a new genre they have not heard and ask them to listen to it as homework. Once they listen to it, ask them to review the song, describing whether they liked it, what they liked about it, and how they felt while listening.

Celebrate rhythm & blues with an all-blue dress code

If you have decided on a theme, like the blues, for these World Music Day celebrations, reinforce it by having all the kids show up dressed in blue. Play some famous blues songs throughout the day, imparting interesting facts concerning the artist, the song or the genre itself. You could even have the teachers wear blue to get the whole school to participate!

Celebrate different musical eras

For this activity, each section of a class could be assigned different musical eras, for example, jazz from the 50s, rock from the 80s, pop from the 90s, etc. Each class can then prepare a presentation and a song from that era and present it during assembly to the whole school. This could be a really fun and engaging activity for all.

Make musical posters

Finally, you could honour World Music Day by having kids create interesting posters of bands, artists, eras, or genres and put them up in your classroom. You, of course, have the option to turn this into a competition as well, wherein the best handmade poster could win a special prize.
Read More – Best Activities to Enhance Listening Skills in Children

How EuroKids Encourages Learning Through Music

At EuroKids, music is an important part of early childhood learning. Musical activities, songs, rhythm exercises, and dance sessions help children develop confidence, creativity, listening skills, and emotional expression. Through interactive and engaging experiences, EuroKids ensures children enjoy learning while building important developmental skills.

Conclusion

Music has the incredible ability to connect hearts, inspire creativity, and spread happiness across cultures and generations. World Music Day is a wonderful opportunity to introduce children to the joy and power of music. Whether children sing, dance, create posters, play instruments, or simply listen to different musical styles, these experiences help nurture confidence, imagination, and emotional expression. Celebrating music in schools and at home also creates beautiful memories that children cherish for years. By encouraging children to explore music early in life, we help them develop a lifelong appreciation for creativity, rhythm, and self-expression.

As noted above, these are just a few ways you can help preschoolers celebrate and appreciate the power of music. At EuroKids, we incorporate music into our lessons to provide kids with a well-rounded education.

Parents looking to give their child a strong foundation in early learning can explore EuroKids Preschool Admission to begin this enriching journey.

For more insightful articles that support early learning, awareness, and child development, parents and educators can explore the wide range of resources available on EuroKids Blogs.