10 Fun & Low-Prep Music Activities for the Last Month of School

classroom ideas classroom management end of year

As the school year winds down, students' energy levels rise, and attention spans shrink. Music teachers often face the challenge of keeping students engaged while wrapping up the year.

The good news? You don't need to stress about planning elaborate lessons—plenty of fun, meaningful, and low-prep activities can keep students learning while embracing the end-of-year excitement.

Here are 10 engaging, low-prep activities for elementary, middle, and high school music classes that will help reinforce concepts, keep students motivated, and make the last weeks of school memorable.

1. Music Memory Lane (All Grades)

What It Is: A reflective activity where students reflect on their musical growth and favorite moments from the year.

Elementary:

Have students draw or write about their favorite song, activity, or concert moment.
Create a class "Music Memory Book" with their reflections.

Middle School:

Students write a letter to their future selves about what they learned in music this year.
Small groups create a "Music Highlights" poster.
Create a class "Music Memory Book" with their reflections, just like in elementary school.

High School:

Have students create a short video or slideshow of their best musical moments.
Students write a letter to their future selves about what they learned in music this year.
Small groups create a "Music Highlights" poster.
Create a class, "Music Memory Book", with their reflections.
Students write a letter to their future selves about what they learned in music this year.
Small groups create a "Music Highlights" poster.

Pro Tip: Display students' reflections around the room as an end-of-year gallery walk!

Helpful Resources:
Music Class Memory Book Guided Reflection and Review

2. Musical Bingo (All Grades)

What It Is: A bingo game using music terms, composers, rhythms, instruments or music genres.

Elementary:

Use a music symbol bingo (treble clef, quarter note, forte, etc.).
Play short clips of songs, and students match the style (jazz, classical, rock, etc.) to their cards.

Middle School:

Use a rhythm bingo, where students clap the rhythm they see on their card.
Play snippets of famous classical works and have students mark the composer's name.

High School:

Try "Name That Tune" Bingo—play different pieces from various genres and have students match them to their bingo cards.
Add a competitive twist by having students recall facts about the song or artist

Pro Tip: Incorporate student-created bingo cards for added engagement!

Helpful Resources:

CIick here to see our entire collection of Music Bingo Games: MTR Music Bingo Games

3. Classroom Karaoke (All Grades)

What It Is: A fun way to get students singing without pressure. Use karaoke tracks from YouTube or a karaoke app.

Elementary:

Let students pick a favorite classroom song and sing it together.
Provide simple props for a "music star" performance, such as sunglasses, feather boas, hats, toy microphones, scarves, or even small stage decorations like a pretend spotlight area.

Middle School:

Organize a mini-group karaoke challenge.
Give awards for "Most Expressive Performance" or "Best Teamwork."

High School:

Incorporate a theme-based karaoke (e.g., Broadway, 80s hits, movie soundtracks).
Allow duets or small group performances for a confidence boost.

Pro Tip: Have a "Sing-Off" competition where students vote on their favorite performances!

4. Rhythm Cup Games (Elementary & Middle School)

What It Is: Students perform rhythmic patterns using plastic cups to create music together.

Elementary:

Start with simple echo rhythms using cups.
Challenge students to follow a pattern with increasing difficulty.

Middle School:

Have students create their own cup rhythm sequences and teach them to the class.
Try a group rhythm challenge where each row of students performs a different pattern.

Pro Tip: Use pop songs to keep students engaged and add variety!

5. Music Trivia Showdown (All Grades)

What It Is: A competitive and engaging trivia game where students answer music-related questions to earn points.

Reviewing all the concepts taught during the academic year is a great activity.

Elementary:

Ask simple questions about instruments, rhythms, and music terms.
Use a multiple-choice format to make it easier for younger students.

Middle School:

Include a mix of music history, notation, and composer trivia.
Incorporate team-based competition for engagement.
Challenge students to draw a scene from a famous piece (e.g., Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" could be a moon and a piano).

High School:

Use advanced music theory, history, and pop culture questions.
Add a speed round where students must answer within a time limit.

For a step-by-step guide on setting up and implementing Music Trivia Showdown, check out the blog post: Music Trivia Showdown: A Fun and Engaging Review Game for Your Music Class

6. Movie Music Day (All Grades)

What It Is: Play clips from famous movie scores and analyze how the music enhances the scene.

Elementary:

Show short clips (Pixar movies work great!) and discuss how the music sets the mood.
Have students draw what they imagine while listening to a movie soundtrack.

Middle School:

Discuss leitmotifs (like "Hedwig's Theme" from Harry Potter).
Have students guess which emotions are being portrayed through the music.

High School:

Analyze famous film composers (John Williams, Hans Zimmer, etc.).
Challenge students to match music to different movie genres.

Helpful Resource:

MTR's Music in Film resource would work well here! Check it out HERE.

7. Musical Escape Room (Elementary, Middle & High School)

What It Is: A puzzle-based challenge where students solve music-related clues to "escape."

Elementary:

Solve simple note-recognition puzzles.
Complete basic music math problems (adding note values).
Identify and match dynamic symbols to their meanings.
Work in teams to follow a sequence of musical clues that lead to a 'hidden' final challenge.

Middle School:

Create simple challenges like decoding rhythms, identifying notes, or solving music word puzzles.

High School:

Use more advanced theory concepts, such as key signatures or interval recognition.
Allow students to work in teams for added excitement.

Pro Tip: Incorporate timed challenges for an extra level of excitement!

8. Instrument Mash-Up (All Grades)

What It Is: A creative activity where students mix different instruments in unexpected ways.

Elementary:

Let students pick random classroom instruments and create their own mini-band.
Encourage them to experiment with familiar tunes using unusual instruments (e.g., playing "Twinkle, Twinkle" on boom whackers or instruments they make.

Middle School:

Assign groups to compose short pieces using only found objects or classroom percussion.
Have small groups create a version of a well-known song using water pitch pipes. Students will enjoy adjusting the pitch themselves, and you can award points for the most in-tune performance.

High School:

Challenge students to create a mash-up of two different musical styles (e.g., classical melody with rock rhythm).

9. "Would You Rather?" Music Edition (All Grades)

What It Is: A fun discussion game where students choose between two music-related options. This game encourages students to think critically about musical preferences, experiences, and skills while engaging in light-hearted debates.

How to Play:

Choose a set of "Would You Rather?" questions related to music.
Read a question aloud to the class.
Students choose their answer and move to one side of the room for option A and the other side for option B.
Each side explains why they made their choice.
Continue with different questions, allowing students to debate and justify their responses.
Optional: Keep score by awarding points for the most creative or well-defended answers.

How to Implement in Your Music Class:

Prepare a list of music-related 'Would You Rather?' questions in advance.
Decide whether to play as a whole-class movement game (where students physically move to show their choice) or as a verbal discussion game (where they answer from their seats).
Use discussion prompts to encourage students to explain their reasoning.
Modify questions to suit the grade level, keeping them fun and engaging.
Consider using a lightning-round format where students must quickly decide without much debate.

10. Music Teacher for a Day (Middle & High School)

What It Is: A fun and empowering activity where students take on the teacher's role by leading a short lesson or activity.

This helps reinforce their musical knowledge while building confidence, leadership, and presentation skills.

Middle School:

Students can teach a rhythm, song, or short lesson on their favorite instrument.
Allow students to lead a warm-up activity for the class.
Encourage them to design a simple music game to help their classmates learn a concept.

High School:

Have students present a music topic of their choice (favorite band, composer, or genre).
Allow students to create a short, interactive lesson with a PowerPoint, live demonstration, or discussion questions.
Encourage them to teach a piece of music to their classmates.
Incorporate peer feedback by having students write reflections or give positive feedback to their classmates' lessons.
Allow students to create a short interactive lesson.

Pro Tip: Have students create a short quiz to test their classmates on what they learned!

Final Thoughts

The last month of school doesn't have to be chaotic! These low-prep, high-engagement activities keep students learning, having fun, and reflecting on their musical growth.

Whether you're reviewing concepts, playing games, or getting creative, these ideas work for all grade levels and class structures.

Which of these activities will you try first? Let us know in the comments!