Happy Holidays: Christmas and Holiday Music Therapy and Music Education Ideas
December is probably my favorite time of year for music therapy. It’s often a time of excitement, celebration, and a time to switch up the routine of sessions. Mind you, I recognize not all of my clients want to hear Christmas music, but I’ve found those that do are just as happy as I am to jingle-bell-rock out. Here are some of my favorite music therapy intervention ideas that I come back to every year (and would be great for the music education classroom too!).
Holiday Songwriting
I’ll start with my tried and true music experience - a songwriting template. I made one a couple of years ago to Stevie Wonder’s “What Christmas Means to Me” and adapted it to be able to discuss a variety of holidays. The songwriting explores a variety of themes around the holidays, including: decorations, traditions, music, food, and favorite things. Find a download of it at the button below (and don’t forget to keep reading the blog for more fun ideas!!).
DIY Ornament Shakers
Another music experience I’ve gone back to year after year is DIY Ornament shakers. I get empty, shatter-proof plastic ornaments from a local craft store or Amazon, along with lots of goodies to fill inside. Think - tinsel balls, sequins, and of course jingle bells. My time making these with my clients is a great fine motor, sensory, and regulation experience that can then be used as an instrument in sessions & hung on a tree after the session is over! They always turn out so glittery (insert Kasey Musgraves song here).
Christmas Movies “Singo”
One of my former classmates dubbed this a “singo” when I shared my idea of matching song lyrics to movie titles. I’ve a couple different versions of this over the years, but it’s been the perfect music experience for one of my clients who loves movies & has a reading goal! I made a board with song lyrics divided up in a grid & attached velcro to each box. Each movie’s movie poster also got printed & laminated with a velcro on the back to attach to the board. The client can then match song lyrics to movie posters, attaching them to the board as they go! Whenever I make this, I do two versions front and back, mixing up the grid so my client can’t necessarily memorize where the posters go.
Some Movie & Song Suggestions:
How the Grinch Stole Christmas - “You’re a Mean One, Mr Grinch” or “Where Are You Christmas”
Polar Express - “Hot Chocolate” and “The Polar Express”
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Title Song
Frosty the Snowman - Title Song
Santa Claus is Coming to Town - Title Song
Christmas With the Chipmunks - “Christmas Time is Near”
White Christmas - Title Song
A Charlie Brown Christmas - “Christmas Time is Here”
Meet Me In St Louis - “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”
Spirited - “That Christmas Morning Feelin”
The Year Without a Santa Claus - “Snow Miser” and “Heat Miser”
Elf - “Baby It’s Cold Outside” or “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”
Guess the Song Titles
I’ve seen many versions of “guess the Christmas song” over the years - some in picture format, some with scrambled letters of the title, some with descriptions of the song. I created my own “Classic Christmas Guess the Song Title” using pictures, but I also made a pop version! This features songs that have been around on the radio for years (see “All I Want for Christmas is You”), as well as newer Christmas songs by our favorite artists (such as “Christmas Tree Farm” by Taylor Swift). You can find a download of the picture sheet and answer key available in our store (or add to cart here!).
Music Themed Books
Since I was turned onto music-inspired books as a new professional, I’ve created quite the collection and the holiday season has its own set of books. Here are some of my favorites & links for where to find them:
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (longer story version)
Frosty the Snowman (longer story version)
Pete the Cat’s 12 Groovy Days of Christmas (adapted version to the tune of 12 Days of Christmas)
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell & There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Spoon (I’ll often sing these books along with a drum)
Santa Songwriting
Last year, my intern & I heard Rosemary Clooney’s song “He’ll be Coming Down the Chimney” while at McAlister’s and knew we had to use it in sessions. When we posted this on social media, the people loved it - so I wanted to have a permanent home for this idea to live on. I love this songwriting because it’s one you can do on the fly - no pencil or paper or chords needed. It’s familiar enough that the chords can be easily remembered and clients will catch on quick! Here’s a visual of how to facilitate, as well as some ideas to fill in the blanks.
Pop Song Recommendations
Lastly, I love giving some recommendations that can be used with teens! As I’m sure we all could name off lots of classic Christmas and holiday songs, here are some newer songs that your teens might recognize and learn to love:
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