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Action Songs for Kids: Dance and Movement Songs for Toddlers and Preschoolers

By David Choi · Updated September 29, 2026

Action songs tell children exactly how to move: wave your hand, touch your toes, stomp your feet, freeze! They turn restless energy into a game, and while children copy the moves they also learn words like left and right, up and down, fast and slow.

Here are our best action songs for kids, from easy movement songs for toddlers to dance songs for a party, plus a freeze dance game you can play with any of them.

Why kids need action songs

Young children need a lot of movement. The World Health Organization recommends that children aged 1 to 4 spend at least 180 minutes a day being physically active, and that they are not kept sitting for long stretches. A two-minute action song between quieter activities is one of the easiest ways to get them moving, indoors, in any weather.

Action songs for toddlers

The best action songs for toddlers name each move as it happens, so children can copy you without learning any steps first.

Move it Like This

“Put your left hand in the air, and move it like this!” Then the right hand, both hands up to the sky, clapping, spinning and marching in place. It ends with “Oh, I am getting dizzy!”

Shoes Shoes Shoes by Good Kids Company

Shoes Shoes Shoes

“These shoes were made for walking.” And hopping, stomping, stepping, running and dancing. Each verse is a new way to move, and the song ends with “Now freeze in 3, 2, 1!”

Action songs with hand and body moves

Not every action song needs space to run around. These ones work sitting down, at circle time or on a parent’s lap.

Face Song by Good Kids Company

Face Song

Point to your eyes, ears, nose, mouth, teeth, chin and cheeks. The second half asks “Where is your nose?” so children point on their own.

The Itsy Bitsy Spider by Good Kids Company

The Itsy Bitsy Spider

The classic finger play song. Walk your fingers up the water spout, wiggle them down like rain, then make a big sun over your head.

Good Morning Song by Good Kids Company

Good Morning Song

A good morning song with a big finish: “Put your hands up in the sky and shout hooray!” Great for waking up a sleepy group.

Dance songs for kids

For a dance party, a birthday or a rainy afternoon, pick upbeat songs with no instructions at all and let children make up their own moves.

Banana Jump by Good Kids Company

Banana Jump

A short, bouncy dance song, under a minute long. Perfect to play two or three times in a row at a kids’ party.

Sing, Dance, and Learn by Good Kids Company

Sing, Dance, and Learn

A 20-minute mix of our songs for a longer dance session, including Move It Like This, the Good Morning Song, the ABC Song, the Hello Song and the 1-10 Song.

How to play freeze dance

Freeze dance is the classic movement game for kids, and it needs nothing but music.

  1. Play any upbeat song and let everyone dance.
  2. Pause the music. Everyone freezes like a statue.
  3. Look for wobblers. Anyone who moves does a silly action, like five jumps, then joins back in.
  4. Start the music again, and repeat.
  5. End on Shoes Shoes Shoes, which has its own freeze at the end: “Now freeze in 3, 2, 1!”

Freeze dance teaches self-control. Stopping on a signal is hard for young children, and practicing it in a game makes it easier in real life.

Movement songs for preschool and the classroom

  • Use one between quiet activities. A two-minute movement song after circle time or before a story helps children sit and listen afterwards.
  • Make the moves big. Children copy the adult, so exaggerate every clap and stomp.
  • Check the space first. Arms out and turn around once: if you do not touch anyone, you have room.
  • Finish with something calm, like a slow stretch or a quiet song, before asking children to sit down again.

Action songs for babies

Babies love action songs too. Bounce them gently on your knee to the beat, clap their hands together softly, or play peekaboo along with a song. The movement, your face and your voice are what they enjoy.

Peekaboo Song by Good Kids Company

Peekaboo Song

Hide your face and wait for “There you are! I found you!” The easiest action song for babies.

Looking for more songs for the classroom? See our circle time songs and our learning songs for toddlers.

Frequently asked questions

What are action songs?

Action songs are songs where the words tell you how to move, such as waving, clapping, stomping or pointing to parts of your body. Children copy the actions as they sing, which makes them easy to join in the first time.

What are good movement songs for preschool?

Good movement songs for preschool name each action clearly, change moves often and last two to three minutes. “Move It Like This” (left hand, right hand, clap, spin, march) and “Shoes Shoes Shoes” (walk, hop, stomp, run, dance, freeze) are two of our favorites.

What is a brain break song?

A brain break song is a short movement song used between lessons or activities to let children move and reset before they need to focus again. Any upbeat action song of two to three minutes works as a brain break.

How much physical activity do toddlers need?

The World Health Organization recommends at least 180 minutes of physical activity a day for children aged 1 to 4, spread through the day, and advises against keeping them sitting for more than an hour at a time.

What songs are good for a kids dance party?

Pick short, upbeat songs with a strong beat, and mix songs with actions to copy with free dance songs. Add a round of freeze dance to keep everyone involved.

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