The holiday season is the best time to sprinkle in some extra fun in music class, and The 12 Days of Christmas is the perfect song for it! It’s silly, catchy, and plus, its repetitive style means there are so many ways to use it for interactive, hands-on learning! Whether it’s counting, singing, or getting students up and moving, this classic carol has all you need to create a lesson packed with musical skills and festive cheer. Here are 12 different playful and engaging ways to explore The 12 Days of Christmas song with your students. They’ll have so much fun, they’ll ask for it all December!
1. Sing the Song and Practice Counting
First, you can start by singing through The 12 Days of Christmas together as a class. Encourage the entire class to join in with you, and help them learn the lyrics for each new verse.
Most likely, your students have heard of this song, but may not know all of the correct lyrics. One year, I had to convince a kindergartener that there were no verses that talked about hair – “braids-a-braiding.” Here’s a simple video by The Learning Station to use for accompaniment and to show visuals for each verse.
2. Add Movements and Actions
Next, adding movements is a great way to bring each verse to life! Kids love getting up and acting out the song, and these actions also help with memory and coordination. You could decide motions ahead of time or ask your students for their thoughts. They’ll love it! Here’s what I like to do:
Twelve drummers drumming – pretend you are playing the drum
Eleven pipers piping – pretend you are playing a flute
Ten lords a-leaping – jump in the air
Nine ladies dancing – dance around
Eight maids a-milking – pretend you are milking a cow
Seven swans a-swimming – swimming arm motions
Six geese a-laying – pretend to sit down (like on a nest)
Five golden rings – hold up hands, showing rings on fingers
Four calling birds – calling hands by mouth
Three French hens – hands under armpits, like chicken wings
Two turtle doves – thumbs together, flapping like birds
Partridge in a pear tree – arms up above head in a circle like a tree
3. The Song’s History
It’s great for children to learn the history behind such a well-known song. Share the origins of The 12 Days of Christmas with students. For example, did you know that the song actually referred to the 12 days after Christmas? It does – it signifies the time from December 25 to January 5. This is a great way to turn the song into a storytelling moment, helping students connect with the tradition of the song.
4. Playing Instruments
Bring in some instrument fun by assigning different classroom percussion instruments to each verse! For example, jingle bells play every time they hear “a partridge in a pear tree,” and drums join in for “twelve drummers drumming.” Students can play along with their assigned gift each time it comes up, creating a group performance that’s great fun for a mini performance, concert, or just Christmas music activity. Bring it to your classroom here!
5. Various Versions of the Song
Have students listen to and compare several different versions of The 12 Days of Christmas – like those by Pentatonix or Straight No Chaser. Kids can discover what’s the same and different in each version – instruments, tempo, voices, etc. It’s a great way to expand their musical ears while having fun with the song.
6. Song Order
Pass out a set of flashcards for each of The 12 Days of Christmas, and challenge them to put them in order. Play the song as they match each gift to the lyrics and number. This activity helps kids with memory and sequencing.
7. Write the Room Activity
Turn the song into a mini scavenger hunt! My students love this write-the-room activity, and it’s a great way for them to practice writing rhythms. They walk around, looking for each rhythm gift scattered around the room. Then they read and copy down the matching rhythm for each verse of the song. It’s an active way to reinforce the lyrics, order, all while reviewing rhythms. Here’s the set that I use with my K-4th graders – snag it here!
8. Small Group Singing
For some variety, divide the class into small groups and assign each group a specific number from the song. Each group sings their assigned part each time it comes up in the song. It’s fun for kids to feel “in charge” of their verse, and it helps them practice singing and teamwork.
9. Boomwhackers
Your students will love you for adding Boomwhackers to this Christmas lesson! Assign a Boomwhacker for each of the notes in The 12 Days of Christmas. To make it a bit simpler, you could choose to only have students play at the beginning and use rhythmic instruments to represent each gift (using activity #4 – see above). It’s a colorful, hands-on way to teach pitch and rhythm, and students love the fun sounds they can make together. Click here for a great YouTube video you can use if you’d like to try out boomwhackers with your students.
10. Parody Writing
Encourage kids’ creativity with a fun writing activity. Have them come up with their own “12 Days” gifts to create a parody version of the song. This gets students working with rhyme, rhythm, and their imaginations, plus the results are always hilarious!
Here’s a few example parodies for The 12 Days of Christmas to help you get inspired:
11. Folk Dancing
For a big group activity, teach a simple folk dance that matches the song’s cumulative style. Try a circle dance where students add a specific dance move for each verse. It’s perfect for building coordination, rhythm, and just having fun together as a class.
12. Charades + Other Games
Finally, the 12th ways to use The 12 Days of Christmas in your classroom is to play games – charades, MadLib, headbands, word scrambler, bingo, and more! There’s so many different ways to have fun with this exciting song. Ask your students too – they may have some great ideas!
These activities make The 12 Days of Christmas come alive, turning it from a holiday tune into a full, engaging lesson. From singing, adding instruments, and dancing, this classic carol will keep students active, entertained, and learning in fun, memorable ways. Try out some of these activities to add some excitement to your music class this season! Let me know which ones were your favorites! Leave a comment below or send me an email at beth@bethsmusicclassroom.com.
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