Top 5 Welcome Songs for the Elementary Classroom (2026 Update!)
- Narwhals & Waterfalls
- May 4
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 18
Imagine your students walking into class on the first day. They are nervous and excited to start the year with YOU as their teacher. If you’re like me, you want the first day to be full of positive experiences and to set a great tone for the rest of the school year. One of the best ways to calm the nerves and establish positive connections is MUSIC! Which is why we have compiled a list of the Top 5 Welcome Songs you can use in your classroom on the very first day of class. You can also use these songs as a part of your routine every morning.
1) Hello, Can You?
We'd love to start the day with you! This is a great movement and dance song to get some energy out while you transition to another section of your lesson. And it's also a great chance for call & respond, especially the Together Version, which features some of our favorite kids ☺️.
2) Good Day Cha Cha
This song is great to use in the morning because you can turn on the Youtube video and dance/sing along with your students! There is also an entire lesson plan AND activities to go along with this song that you can access on our Teachers Pay Teachers store.
3) Hey, Are You Ready?
This song combines jumping, clapping, stomping, and dancing with rhythm-based call & response. It's also a bit of a choose your own adventure. You could easily bring the energy down when it's "time to begin" or ramp it up for an epic dance party!
4) Jump in, Jump out
This is a perfect song for 2nd-5th graders on the first day of school. I find that in order to get all students to be confident in participating, they need a few minutes to think through their responses beforehand. (My name is ____, and I like ______, and I can ______.) Then I have them write their responses down on a sticky note. That way students can refer to the sticky note if they get nervous on their turn.
5) Hickety Pickety Bumblebee
This song works best when played as a circle game. Students will sit in a circle, then roll the ball to one another. When the teacher rolls the ball to a selected student, we’ll all sing “Hickety Pickety Bumblebee, Can you say your name for me?” When the child says their name (for example: Christina), then we’ll all say “Hi Christina!!” Then I lead the group with, “Let’s all clap it: CHRIS-TIN-A, let’s all whisper it: Chris-tin-a, let’s all sing it: Chris-tin-a!!!” Then I have the student roll the ball back to me and I choose another student.
And a few honorable mentions…
We collected these songs and more in our Hello Songs & Name Games Bundle to help you start things off right! It's the perfect time to lay the foundation for a great school year.
Comments