World Music Day 2026 takes place on 21 June.

Freeze Dance with a Twist

Play different types of music allowing children to dance freely. When the music stops:

• Freeze like an animal: take turns with your child(ren) to be the caller.
• Freeze in a silly pose: try to keep a straight face!
• Freeze while showing an emotion: encourage the use of the whole body, not just facial expressions. Can you guess each other’s emotions?
• Freeze while balancing: balance on one foot, one hand and one foot, two hands.
• Slow-motion dancing: imagine your feet are stuck in mud - it’s slow, hard work!

Music suggestions

• Henry Mancini - Baby Elephant Walk
• Camille Saint-Saëns - any of the pieces from The Carnival of the Animals.

Follow-up activity

Listen to Ogden Nash’s humorous lyrics alongside The Carnival of the Animals.

Research for older children

Explore the amazing vocal abilities of the lyrebird - and try to mimic the sounds it makes.

Next, listen to the song of the blue whale. Imagine the ocean is its concert hall. What emotions are heard in its song?

If you're looking for something uplifting, listen to gibbons singing together. Known as "nature's opera singers", they sing some of the happiest duets on the planet.

Balloon Keep-Up

Play soft music and challenge children to see how long they can keep a balloon in the air using:

• Elbows only
• Knees only
• Slow-motion movements.

Change the pace of the music and try to time each tap of the balloon to the beat.

Music suggestions

• Benny Hill Theme - for a quick pace
• Chilled Pig - Escape to slow it right down.

Kitchen Band

Items to use:

• Pots and pans as drums
• Containers filled with rice or pasta as shakers
• Wooden spoons as drumsticks
• Glass jars filled with different amounts of water. Get creative by adding food colouring, glitter, or sequins.

Encourage children to take turns:

• Copying rhythms
• Leading the band
• Playing loudly and softly
• Playing quickly and slowly.

March around the house, playing to the beat of your favourite tunes!

Wind Down with Music and Yoga

Play calm instrumental music and try:

• Tree pose
• Cat stretch
• Butterfly pose
• Star pose
• Jungle yoga
• Ocean yoga.

Invite children to create their own poses based on what they see around them or in their imagination. Can they match their breathing to the tempo of the music?

Music suggestions

• Milo Grand - Winds of Serenity
• Yiruma - Kiss the Rain
• Erik Satie - Gymnopédie No. 1.