The Best Preschool Transition Songs

Music has a way of making everything more fun. Transition time in your preschool can be a challenging time, so what are the best preschool transition songs to use, and why should you use them?

The Trickiest Part Of The Preschool Day…

During your preschool classes you will need to transition from Table Time to Circle Time to Center Time to… You get the idea. Lots of transitions! And a lot of opportunities for unhappy children. Children can become very engrossed in their activities. They must complete the entire puzzle! Their picture isn’t quite finished! They have only been able to go down the slide 12 times during this recess! They do not want to switch to a new activity.

But part of attending preschool is to become prepared for kindergarten and kindergarten will require them to listen to their teacher and to follow directions. Preschool transition times are a good time to begin mastering those skills.

How Songs Can Help The Process

Songs serve as a signal that it is time to change. They are the cue to do something different. Much like Pavlov’s dogs learned to ring the bell to get the treat and then started salivating each time they heard the bell, even if they didn’t get a treat, transition songs act as the bell that conditions your preschoolers to move to the next task.

When it is time to transition, give the children a warning: “In five minutes we are going to move to Circle Time.” They won’t understand what five minutes is, but they will know to start listening for the cue to change.

When To Use Songs In Your Preschool Classroom

In addition to transition time, songs are excellent to use all throughout the day. Remember, it is just you and the children so if you don’t have a Grammy winning voice it’s okay. Children will still enjoy hearing you sing, and will listen more carefully when they hear songs. In these situations, start to sing:

• When the class gets unruly
• When it is time to clean up
• When giving instructions
• When praising a child’s work (Bonus Tip: Children love to hear their own name in a song!)

Some Great Sources For The Best Preschool Transition Songs

• Change the words of familiar songs to fit your situation 
• Make up your own tunes, especially if you can incorporate the names of your students into them
• The Ooey Gooey Lady
• Dr. Jean Feldman
• The Handwriting Without Tears Curriculum
• Do a Google search for “preschool songs”

Find some awesome preschool transition songs to incorporate into your preschool and watch as your children easily learn your routine.