10 Movement Songs for Preschoolers with Actions

Need some fun movement songs for young kids? 

Movement songs are a wonderful way to get kids moving and “reboot” after they’ve been concentrating for a while.

Whether you use them as a brain break or as part of a music and movement activity, these songs for toddlers and preschoolers are easy to join in with.

Most are popular songs by The Wiggles or Super Simple Songs, with a few old classics such as The Hokey Pokey.

1. Shake Your Sillies Out

By The Learning Station. 

This lively action song is perfect for getting children moving, shaking and using up some energy.

Follow along with the movements in the video and encourage children to copy the actions as they sing.

Lyrics:

We’re gonna shake, shake, shake our sillies out,
And wiggle our waggles away.

Repeat with:

• clap, clap, clap our crazies out
• jump, jump, jump our jiggles out
• jog, jog, jog our jitters out
• stretch, stretch, stretch our stretchies out
• yawn, yawn, yawn our yawnies out

Follow along with the rest of the lyrics in the video above.

2. The Hokey Pokey

By The Wiggles. 

Try this version of the popular action song Hokey Pokey.

Lyrics:

You put one hand in, you put one hand out
You put one hand in and you shake it all about
You do the hokey pokey and you turn around
That's what it's all about.

Whoa, the hokey pokey
Hokey pokey
Whoa, the hokey pokey
Hokey pokey
Whoa, the hokey pokey
The hokey pokey
That's what it's all about.

In the following verses, add:

• two hands in
• one foot in
• two feet in
• one elbow in
• your head in
• and finally, your whole body in.

Here are more action songs for kids.

3. Joannie Works With One Hammer

By The Wiggles. 

This is a fun movement song that also builds bilateral coordination:

Lyrics:

Joannie works with one hammer
one hammer, one hammer
Joannie works with one hammer
then she works with two.
(Make hammering motion with one fist)

Joannie works with two hammers
two hammers, two hammers
Joannie works with two hammers
then she works with three.
(Make hammering motion with both fists)

Repeat with:

Joannie works with three hammers
(Make hammering motion with both fists and one leg)

Joannie works with four hammers
(Make hammering motion with both fists and both legs)

Joannie works with five hammers
(Make hammering motion with both fists and both legs, while nodding head)

4. Walking Walking

By Super Simple Songs. 

The kids will enjoy following the instructions to walk, run, stop, tiptoe, jump, swim, sleep and hop, especially when they have to speed up the pace at the end.

Lyrics:

Walking walking. Walking walking.
Hop hop hop. Hop hop hop.
Running running running. Running running running.
Now let’s stop. Now let’s stop.

Tiptoe tiptoe. Tiptoe tiptoe.
Jump jump jump. Jump jump jump.
Swimming swimming swimming.
Swimming swimming swimming.
Now let’s sleep. Now let’s sleep.

Wake up!
It’s time to go!
Are you ready to go fast?
Okay!

5. Rock-A-Bye Your Bear

By The Wiggles.

This is just a cute song that young kids love - and it has lots of actions to get them moving too:

Lyrics:

Everybody clap
Everybody sing (la la la la la)
Bow to your partner
Then you turn around (Yippee!)
Hands in the air, rock-a-bye your bear
Bears now asleep
Shh shh shh
Bears now asleep
Shh, shh, shh

Repeat verse.

6. We All Fall Down

By Super Simple Songs. 

This is a fun circle time movement song. Get kids to make a circle or move around the room, following the actions:

Lyrics:

Walk around the circle.
Walk around the circle.
Walking, walking.
We all fall down.

Gallop!
Gallop around the circle.
Gallop around the circle.
Galloping, galloping.
We all fall down.

Shhh! Let’s tiptoe!
Tiptoe around the circle.
Tiptoe around the circle.
Tiptoe, tiptoe.
We all fall down.

I’m so sleepy!
Sleepy, sleepy, sleepy.
I’m so sleepy.

Wake up, everybody!
Come on, we’re going to hop!
Hop around the circle.
Hop around the circle.
Hopping, hopping.
We all fall down.

Repeat the verse with:

• Twirl around the circle
• Hop and twirl around the circle

7. Hot Potato

By The Wiggles. 

The song has some fun all-body movements for acting out hot potato, cold spaghetti and mashed banana:

Lyrics:

Hot potato, hot potato (hot potato, hot potato)
Hot potato, hot potato (hot potato, hot potato)
Hot potato, hot potato (potato), potato (potato)
Potato, potato, potato

Whooo, wiggy wiggy wiggy
Whooo, wiggy wiggy wiggy
Gimme that, gimme that, gimme that, hoo

Repeat the verse with:

• Cold spaghetti, cold spaghetti
• Mashed banana, mashed banana

8. Move!

By Super Simple Songs. 

This song will get kids moving and listening at the same time. Play it and let children move to the instructions:

Lyrics:

Move, move, move, move.
Move, move, move, move.
Move, move, move, move.
Move to the left.

Move, move, move, move.
Move, move, move, move.
Move, move, move, move.
Move to the right.
Stop!

Raise your arms.
Turn around.
Wiggle your fingers.
Now touch your… head!

Repeat all three verses, each time giving a different instruction.

9. Hello Hello! 

By Super Simple Songs.

This is a great song to stretch out to and reset the body.

Lyrics:

Hello, hello.
Can you clap your hands?
Hello, hello.
Can you clap your hands?

Can you stretch up high?
Can you touch your toes?
Can you turn around?
Can you say “Hello?”

Hello, hello.
Can you stamp your feet?
Hello, hello.
Can you stamp your feet?

Can you stretch up high?
Can you touch your toes?
Can you turn around?
Can you say “Hello?”

Hello, hello.
Can you clap your hands?
Hello, hello.
Can you stamp your feet?

10. Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

By The Wiggles. 

For this classic preschool song, replace one body-part word with a clap in each new verse.

Lyrics:

Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
knees and toes
Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
knees and toes
And eyes and ears and mouth and nose
Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
knees and toes.

Then repeat the song, replacing one body-part word with a clap in each new verse:

(Clap), shoulders, knees and toes…

Follow along with the rest of the song and actions in the video above.

I hope you enjoy trying these movement songs with your children. For more ideas, try these circle time songs or fingerplays for preschoolers.