I love kindergartners. Everything is new and exciting for them. I use the format of John Feiereabend's First Steps in Music for my lessons with kinders. I like the fast pace of the "musical workout" and I like ensuring that my students are experiencing music in all sorts of ways: through movement, vocal exploration, singing, improvising, and beat keeping. As a Kodaly trained teacher, I was taught to make play a main part of making music with my students, so we play a lot of music games. These are some of my favorites.
1. Doggie, Doggie, Where's Your Bone?
Game: One student stands with their back facing the class. The rest of the students sit in a circle and pass a toy bone around (you can purchase one at a pet store) while singing the song. The student who has it on the word "home" keeps it. The "doggie" sings "who has my bone" and is answered by the student with the bone, "I have your bone." The doggie then gets three guesses to figure out who has the bone.
My students LOVE this game, and it's a great way to assess solo singing.
2. Bluebird
Game: Students hold hands in a circle with arms raised. One student is chosen to be the bluebird and they fly in and out of the circle while everyone sings the song. On the first "Oh Johnny are you tired," students drop their arms. If the bluebird is in the center of the circle, they're "trapped." During the second half of the song, the bluebird walks around the outside of the circle and on the second "Oh..." they tap the person they're closest to on the shoulder. That person becomes the next bluebird. The game repeats.
3. Charlie Over the Ocean
Game: Students sit in a circle. Once student is "Charlie" and they carry a scarf (or other object) and walk around the outside while everyone sings (I typically sing the call and have students do the response--I also take suggestions of what Charlie caught). On the first "you can't catch ME," the student walking drops the scarf beside the person they're closest to. That student picks the scarf up and races "Charlie" around the circle to get back to their spot before "Charlie" sits in it (à la Duck Duck Goose). The person left standing is the new Charlie. The game repeats.
Some advice: keep things interesting. Don't worry about making sure everyone gets a turn. You want your students to finish music wanting more.
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