10 Animal Songs for Preschool

Kids love animals!

So why not add animals to your music activities?

These animal songs for toddlers will add some fun and imagination to your circle time. Your toddlers will love playing along with the silly characters in these animal songs so much.

While they sing and play, they won’t even realize they’re learning valuable skills like active listening, rhythm matching, and gross motor movement.

Additionally, they will be learning music skills that will last them a lifetime.

Try out any of these animal songs for toddlers written and recorded by Musically Minded!

#1 Spotted Owl

Spotted Owl is an imaginative action song where your students will follow along with the owl. While your toddlers dance and fly with the owl, they will learn music vocabulary like staccato and legato. By hearing these words in a context they can relate to, like tip toeing and flying smoothly in the sky, they can begin to understand how these words apply to music.

How to teach Spotted Owl:

1. Begin by asking your students how an own would move. Demonstrate how to tiptoe and soar in the sky like an owl.
2. Next, turn on the song and help your students listen for cues to move along with the owl.

#2 Rockin’ at the Pond

Check out this silly rhythm activity! Help your toddlers learn to identify and mimic these rhythms as they play along with a variety of animals. They will use their imagination to hop and swim along with these characters, all while learning valuable listening skills. Add some rhythm instruments to offer a new way to engage with this animal song.

How to teach Rockin’ at the Pond

1. Demonstrate a few different ways to pat and tap for your students. If you have them, offer some small rhythm instruments for them to try.
2. Begin the song and demonstrate how to play along to the rhythms of each animal.

#3 Ladybug Jamboree

Let’s all have a blast dancing along with a little ladybug. Use this song with your ladybug finger puppets to add a sensory element to this activity. Try Ladybug Jamboree with your infants and move the ladybugs over their body. They will react to the tactile stimulation of the finger puppet, and you may notice them tracking the ladybug with their eyes.

How to teach Ladybug Jamboree

1. Pass out ladybug finger puppets and show your students how to be kind to their ladybugs. Our ladybugs like to stay on our finger. That’s how we can help them fly and dance!
2. Next, begin the song and show you students how to make their ladybugs dance. Move the ladybugs along with the song and listen for cues to move the ladybugs to different body parts.

#4 Animal Rhythms

Animal Rhythms is an action song that cues your toddlers to move like different animals. They will sway with elephants and gallop with horses, all while practicing gross motor movements and listening skills. Use your imagination to move and grove to this animal song for toddlers.

How to teach Animal Rhythms

1. Ask your class to demonstrate ways animals move (crawling, galloping, flying, ect.)
2. Begin the song and encourage your students to follow the cues to move along with each animal.

#5 La Cucaracha

Bring out those claves and rhythm sticks for with this rhythmic animal song. Listen for cues in La Cucaracha to play your stick in new and creative ways. While playing along with La Cucaracha, your students will learn some Spanish vocabulary! Try adding this song to your unit about world language!

How to teach La Cucaracha:

1. Pass out rhythm sticks or claves to your class. Demonstrate how to hold the instruments in each hand and play them safely. Hold on tight, because we don’t want any flying sticks!
2. Next, demonstrate a few different rhythms to play on the instruments. Let your students explore and experiment with their own rhythms.
3. When everyone is ready, begin the song and follow along with the cues to play our instruments in different ways.

#6 Pop Goes the Weasel

Peekaboo songs are so much fun for students of all ages. Your older students will be able to practice the fine motor skills it takes to scrunch up a scarf and hide it in their hands. At the same time, younger students can practice visual tracking and listening skills. Try this animal song with any class and watch them light up as the scarf pops out just like the weasel!

How to teach Pop Goes the Weasel:

1. Pass out scarves to your students and show them how to scrunch it up and hide it in their hands. Then, practice making the scarf pop out and fly into the air.
2. When your students have mastered this, begin the song and help them listen for the word “pop” so they know when it is time to throw their scarves.

#7 Kitty Freeze Game

Try out this silly freeze game with your class! Help them listen for the music to stop so they know when it is time to freeze. This will help them practice listening skills and following directions. Show off your dance moves as we dance along with these kitties!

How to teach Kitty Freeze Game:

1. Explain to your students how freeze games work, demonstrating how they will dance when they hear music and freeze when it stops. Let them practice this by cueing them to dance and freeze.
2. Once they understand how to participate in the game, begin the song and remind them as needed to dance or freeze when they hear the cues in the song.

#8 Ladybug Move

Here’s another dance songs about ladybugs, however, this one teaches a variety of gross motor movements. Get everyone on their feet to dance along with this ladybug.

How to teach Ladybug Move:

1. Demonstrate some of the movements your students will need to know for this song, including tiptoeing, jumping, flying, and balancing on one foot.
2. When your students understand how to do each action, begin the song and dance along with your little ladybugs.

#9 The Bullfrog

This bullfrog loves to move and song! Help your toddlers follow along with this action song as they practice gross motor movements, vocal exploration, and following directions. Let’s listen for ways to play with the bullfrog!

How to teach The Bullfrog:

1. Ask your students to brainstorm actions a bullfrog might do and practice moving and hopping like a bullfrog.
2. Begin the songs and demonstrate how to follow the cues to dance and sing with the bullfrog.

#10 Walk in the Park

What kind of animals do you see at your local park? Do you hear them singing in the trees and croaking in the pond? Follow along with this action song to sing with the animals we find at the park. Use the visuals included in the activity guide when you download this song to represent each animal we find at the park!

How to teach Walk in the Park:

1. Print and cut out visuals for each animal and lay them out for your class to see. Ask them to identify each animal.
2. Once everyone knows what each animal is, begin the song and encourage your class to pat along to the beat.
3. When you encounter a new animal, ask your students to point out the animal, then copy the way than animal sings.