The best playlists for the classroom

Call us biased, but here at Pevan & Sarah we are big fans of music. Are you surprised? 😉 But it’s not just that we love getting to write educational bangers for kids - music has real impacts on the brain that have incredible flow-on effects for learning, memory and mood.

That’s why we’re sharing with you our favourite playlists for the classroom. We’ve got everything from dance party jams and holiday-themed tunes to sounds that will inspire calm and focus in your classroom, plus some educational singalongs thrown in for good measure. And the best part is, they've been vetted for school-appropriateness, so there'll be no fear of having to launch yourself towards the pause button in the case of an accidental 'naughty' word.

So if you’ve been wondering what the best music to play in your classroom is, you’re in the right place - we’ve done all of the work for you! Let’s get grooving!

Get Active!

Noticing some sleepy faces on a hot afternoon? Or maybe there’s too much energy in the room that a quiet writing lesson just isn’t going to tame. A movement break is exactly what you need to recalibrate your classroom, and research suggests that the exercise benefits cognition, attention and even academic ability - so you really owe it to yourself and your students to have a little boogie before or during a lesson! Here are some great playlists to dance to with the knowledge that the songs are 100% kid-friendly - and fun!

Dance Party for Kids - playlist by Pevan & Sarah

A playlist that will have adults and children alike grooving away with a mix of current pop bops, funky kids music and golden oldies. No matter what you're into, you'll find an excuse to have a boogie with this completely kid-friendly dance party playlist! Perfect for getting in the mood on a Monday morning or for a Fun Friday celebration.

Get Active! Kids Workout Mix - playlist by Bounce Patrol

Exercise should be fun, and with this playlist of upbeat workout tunes it certainly will be in your classroom! Featuring clean pop music and follow-along action songs, this compilation would work really well for a no-prep PE lesson warm up, an energising brain break or an indoor recess.

FREEZE Game Songs - playlist by The Mik Maks

Who loves Musical Statues? This playlist would go down just as well at a children's birthday party as they would during a wet day timetable at school. This is a compilation of songs specifically written for playing 'Freeze' - with built-in breaks in the music so you don't need to hit pause every few minutes - as well as kid-friendly pop tunes great for dancing to.

The Wiggles Sound System: Rave of Innocence - album by The Wiggles & Lenny Pearce

UM, HOLD THE PHONE. Did you know that the Wiggles has a whole album of techno remixes of some of their most popular songs?? NEITHER DID WE. Millennial and Gen Z teachers rejoice - this is an album which will have you rocking out in the classroom alongside your students to bangers like 'Rock-a-Bye Your Bear', 'Toot Toot Chugga Chugga' and 'Fruit Salad'. You're welcome.

Focus & Productivity

Okay, you’ve had your dance around the classroom and now you’re ready to learn. If you need to bring a zen-like calm into your classroom, playing some quiet instrumental music in the background can bring down the noise level and help students focus on the task at hand. Here’s some playlists featuring soothing acoustic melodies, gentle piano pieces and even some nature sounds to help you create a peaceful, productive atmosphere in your classroom. And bonus - no lyrics to worry about here.

Calm Background Instrumentals - playlist by Adrian

This might be the most soothing compilation of piano and acoustic guitar tunes you've ever heard. Suitable for anything from a calm morning playlist as your students walk in the door to an afternoon meditation or a no-talking-allowed assessment task. Take a big breath in and out and enjoy a moment for mindfulness.

Lofi Fruits Music - playlist by Fruits Music

There's something about lo-fi music that immediately creates a focussed and productive environment perfect for Getting. Stuff. Done. This playlist features lo-fi, no-lyrics covers of well-known songs as well as some originals, with a steady but relaxed background beat. Use this compilation as a background to your next Writing lesson or independent Maths task and watch your students' hit new levels of productivity.

Calming Music + Nature Sounds - playlist by Signal Alchemy

What's better than relaxing ambient music? Relaxing ambient music with crackling fire, babbling brooks, lapping waves and warbling birds, obviously. This is the playlist you need to have playing when your students come barrelling inside from their afternoon break feeling hot, tired and cranky. Your classroom will be a place of paradise in an instant. Water warning: If the sound of trickling streams is an immediate trigger for a bathroom break for you or your students, you may want to skip this one or handpick some of your water-free faves 😉

Australian Nature Sounds - playlist by Julie Sharp

Transport yourself to a rainforest, beach or desert with this surprisingly soothing playlist of nature sounds recorded from locations all over Australia. You'll find native bird songs, chirping crickets, tropical thunderstorms and ocean sounds on this list, with no additional background music - great for kids who experience sensory overload with traditional instrumentals. With sounds from the Daintree Rainforest, Douglas Hotsprings, Kakadu National Park and the Tasmanian Wilderness, who needs to book a holiday to feel relaxed?

Songs for Learning

If you’re a Cub Club subscriber, chances are you already know how beneficial it can be for our students’ learning to put educational content to a groovy beat (excuse us while we play our Months of the Year song on repeat!!), but research backs up the effects of music on memory - this is why we still remember the lyrics to songs from our childhood even if we can’t remember what we had for breakfast! Here’s some playlists to help teach a range of concepts, from Literacy, Maths and Science to Social & Emotional Learning.

Back to School Learning | ABC Kids Music - playlist by ABC Kids

Oh, we love Don Spencer 💜 This playlist features some classic tunes to help teach a range of early childhood and primary curriculum areas, such as counting, alphabet and even times tables! Simple, sweet and educational - a perfect warm up to a Maths or Literacy lesson. But just a little note of caution: these songs are from the 80s and 90s, so make sure you have a listen before playing them for your students to double check they're in line with the way your school teaches concepts such as phonics.

Educational Songs for Kids - Maths, Science & More - playlist by Itty Bitty Beats

This comprehensive learning playlist features everything from clever ditties to help you remember the colours of the rainbow and the first 100 digits of Pi (yes, really) to songs that teach you how the planets are made and the difference between synonyms and antonyms. It can be hard to find educational compilations for kids aged over 5, but this one will even have the upper primary kids bopping away - and learning at the same time.

Australian Animal Songs - playlist by David Thurlow

Are your students obsessed with animals? This playlist features the best songs about Australian Animals - and not just kangaroos and koalas, but some of the cool and quirky ones too, like cassowaries and quokkas. Spice up your Living Things Inquiry unit with this catchy list of tunes.

Social & Emotional Learning Songs - playlist by Pevan & Sarah

Do you need a song to teach your students how to be a good friend? How about to identify and navigate the tricky emotions we experience every day? Or maybe just a song to inspire confidence and empowerment? Mental health and wellbeing education is covered in this inclusive playlist for Social & Emotional Learning (SEL) in your classroom.

Holiday & Themed Music

Book Week coming up? Embracing the spooky season? No matter the occasion, there’s a playlist to help you celebrate. These are great to have playing in the morning before class kicks off, during an indoor recess, or for a Fun Friday activity.

Halloween Songs for Kids - playlist by The New Fangles

Songs about witches, ghosts and skeletons are a-plenty in this spooky set. But never fear - they're still kid-friendly and will have your students screaming with delight rather than terror throughout the month of October.

Kids Book Week Songs - playlist by Lah Lahs Big Live Band

Celebrate Book Week by listening to this playlist of songs about books, reading, dressing up and using your imagination! These tracks will help to inspire a love of stories, spark creativity, and bring the magic of books to life through music. So whether you're curling up with a good book or getting ready to dress up as your favourite character for a Book Week parade, these songs will set the perfect mood for every book lover.

Easter Bunny Kids Tunes - playlist by The Mik Maks

Does your school host the time-honoured tradition of the Easter Hat Parade? Or maybe you're a teacher that loves delighting your students with a chocolate egg hunt or bunny footprints in flour. No matter how you acknowledge Easter in your classroom, this playlist is the perfect accompaniment. With songs guaranteed to get your kids hopping to the beat while they immerse themselves in the magical world of the Easter Bunny, you'll love listening to this sweet compilation this Easter.

Best Kids Christmas Songs - playlist by ABC Kids

For us southern-hemisphere teachers, Christmas time coincides nicely with the end of our school year. So what better time to pop on some uplifting Christmas classics and adorable originals than when reports are done and you're wrapping up the year with fun activities and Christmas concerts? Featuring all your faves, like the Wiggles, Don Spencer, Teeny Tiny Stevies, the Beanies and more, this is a fantastic playlist to help get you and your class in the Christmas spirit and spread some holiday cheer.

Bonus: Playlists now in Cub Club!

We couldn’t possibly write a blog post about the benefits of music in the classroom and the incredible playlists you can use to reap these benefits without mentioning that playlists are now available in Cub Club! With our new autoplay feature, curated compilations of our best hits and a revamped Favourites tab that allows you to rearrange videos in your own customised playlist, we think you’ll love this update to our website! Here’s a quick run down of the playlists that are available to Cub Club subscribers now.

Get The Giggles - a curation of our funniest videos! If you need an energy boost or just a good laugh, these are guaranteed to give you the giggles. Fine Motor Friday - all of our fine motor videos in one easy-to-find location. Whether you're after a refresh on your Scissor Grip or you're ready to squish your play-doh along with Squishy Stuff, these videos are perfect for developing those fine motor skills. Dance Party - some of our catchiest tunes with rockin' dance moves to go with them! Great for a brain break or a Fun Friday boogie. Mindful Moments - we've had requests for extended versions of our Relaxation Music Only tracks, so we popped all nine of them into this playlist to give you calm, cosy background music that will last your entire teaching session. Pevan's Picks - here's a mix of some of Pevan's favourite videos. He's all about interactive learning and funky dance beats, so expect to find some educational bangers in this playlist Sarah's Songs - Sarah loves to sing, but she loves it even more when she's learning at the same time! Put this playlist on to have a singalong at any time of the day. Indoor Recess - Active - it's five minutes before recess and it's just started pouring with rain. How on earth are you going to keep 25 wriggly 5-year-olds occupied for half an hour? This indoor recess playlist is the answer. Get active and sneak a bit of learning in while you're at it - don't forget to hit autoplay! Indoor Recess - Sitting - maybe, though, you're sharing the space with other classes and you need to bring the energy levels down a bit. These videos will keep kids engaged without needing to get up out of their seats, and give you a few moments to have a sip of your cuppa, too!

If you're a current Cub Club subscriber, we'd love to hear what you think of these playlists and if you have any ideas for future compilations we could make! But if you're not part of the club yet, you can give it a go with our 7 day free trial.

What are your favourite playlists to use in the classroom? Did we miss any in this blog post? Let us know by sending us a message on our Contact page! We love hearing from you 💜

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