Today I’m sharing some photos of my Music Center. Someone recently asked me about my Music Center and I realized I have all the other centers on the site, but have not yet posted the music center.
This photo shows the whole Music Center. Since I didn’t have enough room on the shelf, I added the Sterlite plastic drawers beside it for more musical instruments. The Sterlite drawers contain triangles, handbells, and jingle bells. The turquoise box on the top just holds our class box of tissues.
On the wood shelf, I have a white basket on the very top that contains a CD player and a wireless iPad/iPhone player. The top shelf has scarves and rhythm sticks in the white baskets. The second shelf has castanets and bean bags in bushel baskets. The bottom shelf has tambourines and tick tock blocks in bushel baskets.
These are our scarves for music and movement activities. The polka label is from my free set of labels on Teachers Pay Teachers. I search for musical instrument pictures on school supply websites or Google images. (Unfortunately, I can’t share my music labels due to photo copyright. I wish I could!)
I used white baskets for the scarves and rhythm sticks because they don’t fit in the bushel baskets. I also think a wine bottle bag would work well to hold rhythm sticks if you have a place to hang the bag. Read more about my music props here.
I like to put most of my musical instruments in these bushel baskets because they have a handle on them. When I pass out the instruments, or when my leader is collecting them at the end of the song, the handle makes it easier to carry the basket around the group. These wooden castanets were bought in Target’s Dollar Spot. They sell them there every year (I think in the Fall, maybe).
These are our letter bean bags. We use them for some alphabet activities, but also just for any kind of bean bag song.
Our tambourines — these came from Lakeshore.
Tick tock blocks
These triangles either came from Target’s Dollar Spot or the Dollar Tree (I’ve seen them in both places.) Sometimes it’s not easy to catch the dollar musical instruments at Target and Dollar Tree. I missed the triangles for two years.
Set of handbells
I got lucky and found these jingle bell bands on clearance at Michaels and bought several. I’ve also seen them in educational supply catalogs.
Just in case anyone wants a peek… this is my CD player and wireless iPad player. This is not an expensive iPad player, but it works great. I found it on sale at Staples for $25. I play music from my iPad all the time, but I have the CD player there in case I have a substitute teacher. I also have one special CD for the sub with the class’s favorite songs and a clean up song CD. The rest of my music is on the iPad. You can read more about how I use the iPad as a music player and how I organize music with iTunes.
Find more ideas on teaching music in Pre-K and Preschool!
Also, be sure to check out my friend, Bren’s Music Center here.
Don't worry - we never sell or share email addresses!
I would love to take a field trip to visit your classroom for the day.
Thank you for sharing!!
THANKS SO MUCH, Karen! You are so very kind to share your wonderful ideas with us! I am a former Kindergarten teacher who switched to Pre-K a year ago. I feel incredibly fortunate to have found you and your beautiful site! You’ve truly made my life so much simpler.
What was the brand of the IPad that you got for $25 at Staples?
Hi Rebecca, Its a Memorex Universal Wireless Speaker. I’ll give you a direct link. The site says it is $50, but I found it on sale when I bought it. http://www.staples.com/Memorex-Universal-Wireless-Speaker/product_958286
Thank you so much for your wonderful ideas. These tips for my music center will surely help those little ones who aren’t much into singing but, do enjoy tapping and playing an instrument.
How large is your classroom? I am envious of all your centers…How many children in your class?
Hi Bonnie! I have 22 children in my class. I’m not sure of the size of the room, but its what I would call a medium sized classroom. It’s not a large room. The camera might make it appear larger than it really is.
hi
thanks for your useful post with nice picture
i am from Iran
and used them
sometimes when i cant understand the meaning of a word your picture help me!
thanks a lot
IT IS INNOVATIVE
Dear karen, thank you for sharing your wonderful ideas.
This looks wonderful Karen! Love the labels, and so many great choices for the children! Also, it was very easy to navigate here from the email. I like that you could just click the photo and zoom on over! Nice job!
I bet your classroom is filled with happy sounds, and very happy children!
~Melissa
Its great….i love when things are in order…and simplicity
Thank You for sharing. Getting great ideas for the new school year!
I took your idea how to fix my music center I didn’t have it because my classroom is very small
thanks
Thanks for sharing your personal ideas. You are a great educator
It is so exciting to receive your ideas. I am recently retired, but teach ages 3-6 “musical theatre”, music and movement, and other such classes. I use many of your ideas with these children, and really like the way you’ve set up the music area. Continue to keep the “idea juices” flowing, and thank you for sharing with us!
Thanks so much for sharing. I just started a preschool daycare program. Your site has been sooooo very helpful!
hi Karen i love your classroom. I wish all our classrooms for kindergarten schools in Jamaica were like this. I do use your ideas in my classroom. Thank you
Thank you very much Karen I am one of the teachers that enrolled for pre-kindergarden teaching
and i found all your emails to me very interesting i will surely use all in my course and i know it will be a success.
Thank you so much for sharing. Your sight is the ONLY
one I need. Just when I thought I was ready to retire,
I feel renewed when I see your posts.
You are an awesome teacher and an awesome person for sharing!
Thank you so much,You are a great ideas
Dear Karen, thank you soooo much for sharing your classroom with all of us, It’s very helpful and give us new strategies and organization ideas. I will love to visit you, where are you?
Regards
Leonor Conant,
Thanks! I’m in Georgia.
Thank you so much for sharing your great ideas with us. I have really learnt a lot from you, I love the organisation and the creativity in your setting. I will like to pay a visit any time am in Georgia.
I recently got placed in a government school and I’m in an infant class so I’ll be here a lot. You have awesome stuff and ideas:)