Music and Dance Day ideas for OSHC
42 DIY activities for a music and dance day at before and after school care or vacation care, usually run around December or 22 April. Pick and mix, or build a balanced day in one click.
A Carol a Day
Each day focuses on a different carol, paired with a matching craft such as a clay angel or recycled drum.
Rock Band Day · Talent Show Day · Music Festival Day +2Air Guitar Contest
Children make cardboard guitars, then show off their best rock star moves in a fun air guitar performance contest.
Earth Day · Recycle Day · Music Festival Day +2Balloon Bongo Drums
Children turn recycled tins into drums by stretching balloon skins over the top, then play rhythms together.
Rock Band Day · Music Festival Day · Music and Dance Day +2Band Jam Session
Children form small bands using percussion and simple instruments, practise together and perform a short piece for the group.
World Bee Day · Bug Day · Science Week +1Bee Waggle Dance Game
Children act as bees and communicate the location of hidden 'flowers' to their hive using only a waggle dance.
Bird Watching Day · Nature Play Day · Music and Dance Day +2Bird Call Matching Game
Children listen to recordings of local bird calls and match each one to a picture, tuning their ears to birds in their area.
Taco Fiesta Day · Music and Dance Day · Music Festival Day +2Bottle Maraca Making
Children fill small bottles with rice or beans, decorate them and use them to shake along to music.
Christmas · Music and Dance Day · Christmas in July +1Carol Sing-Along
Children learn and sing carols together, adding actions and simple percussion.
Talent Show Day · Music and Dance Day · Dramatic Play Day +1Centre Talent Show
Children sign up to sing, dance, tell a joke, show a trick, read a story or share news during afternoon group time, building confidence in front of a friendly audience.
Music and Dance Day · Rock Band Day · Before School Calm Start +1Clapping Rhythm Circle
Children sit in a circle and pass clapping rhythms around, copying each pattern and adding new ones.
NAIDOC Week · Reconciliation Week · Music and Dance Day +1Clapstick Rhythm Patterns
Children create and copy rhythm patterns with clapsticks or dowels, learning about their use with guidance from local First Nations resources.
Harmony Day · Culture Celebration Day · Around the World Day +3Cultural Music and Dance
Children learn a simple dance from another culture, ideally guided by a family or community member who shares that tradition.
Dance-Off Day · Healthy Heart Day · Disco Day +2Dance Aerobics
Children follow an upbeat dance aerobics class, moving to music and getting their hearts pumping.
Dance-Off Day · Disco Day · Time Travellers Day +2Dance Through the Decades
Children learn simple dance moves from different decades, discovering how music and dance have changed over time.
Around the World Day · Music and Dance Day · K-Pop Dance Party +3Dances From Around the World
Children try short dance and drumming styles from different parts of the world, comparing rhythms and moves and finding their favourites.
Disco Day · Game Show Day · Music and Dance DayDisco and Team Trivia
A dance party followed by team trivia, mixing high-energy movement with a calmer quiz to finish.
Lunar New Year · Culture Celebration Day · Harmony Day +2Dragon Dance Parade
Groups move under a fabric dragon to drum beats, learning about a Lunar New Year tradition.
Fairy Tale Day · Movie Day · Music and Dance Day +1Film Songs Freeze Dance
Children dance to well-known children's film songs and freeze in a character pose whenever the music stops.
Glow Party · Disco Day · Neon Day +3Glow Stick Dance
Children dance in a darkened room with glow sticks, making light trails and copying moves.
Music and Dance Day · Dance-Off Day · Disco Day +3Group Dance Routine Creation
Small groups choreograph their own dance routine to a chosen song, then perform it for the rest of the service.
Music and Dance Day · Rock Band Day · Recycle Day +3Homemade Instrument Band
Children make box guitars, shakers and drums from recycled materials, then play them together as a band.
Winter Wonderland · Disco Day · Music and Dance Day +1Ice Statue Freeze Dance
Children dance to music and freeze like ice statues when it stops; anyone who wobbles melts and joins the judges.
Around the World Day · Diwali · Music and Dance Day +3Indian Film-Style Dance Routine
Children learn a simple high-energy Indian film-style dance routine with bright scarves, building rhythm, coordination and confidence.
Jungle Mission · Rainforest Day · Music and Dance Day +2Jungle Sounds Orchestra
Children recreate rainforest sounds using body percussion and homemade rain sticks.
Music and Dance Day · Talent Show Day · Disco Day +2Karaoke Sing-Along
Children take turns singing their favourite songs into a microphone, solo or with friends, while the audience cheers them on.
Disco Day · Glow Party · PJ Disco +2Kids' Disco
Dim the lights, add coloured lighting and a playlist, and let children take turns running the dance floor with freeze-dance breaks.
Music Festival Day · Talent Show Day · Rock Band Day +1Live Performance Stage
Children perform songs, dances, jokes or acts on a festival-style stage for their peers.
Taco Fiesta Day · Music and Dance Day · Around the World Day +2Mexican Music and Dance
Children listen and dance to traditional Mexican music, learning a few simple steps and clapping rhythms.
Music Festival Day · Talent Show Day · Rock Band Day +2Mini Music Festival
Children perform songs and dances on a pretend festival stage for an audience of peers.
PJ Disco · Dance-Off Day · Disco Day +2PJ Dance-off
Groups create short dance routines and perform them in a friendly dance battle. Great for a pyjama disco night.
K-Pop Dance Party · Dance-Off Day · Music and Dance Day +3Pop Dance Routine
Children learn a simple dance routine to an upbeat pop song, inspired by Korean pop group choreography.
Camp Out Day · Music and Dance Day · Wilderness Adventure +1Pretend Campfire Sing-Along
Children gather around a pretend campfire made from cellophane and sticks to sing call-and-response songs together.
Rainforest Day · Music and Dance Day · Weather Watchers +2Rain Stick Making
Children fill cardboard tubes with rice and a coil of foil to make rain sticks that sound like falling rain. A musical craft.
Robot Day · Disco Day · Music and Dance Day +2Robot Dance Moves
Children invent stiff, jerky robot moves and perform them to electronic music, then combine them into a group robot routine.
Musical Theatre Day · Music and Dance Day · Talent Show Day +1Show Tune Song and Dance
Children learn a cheerful show tune with simple actions and perform it as a group number.
Disco Day · Music and Dance Day · Space DiscoSilent Disco
Children dance with headphones on, each choosing their own music channel, then compare moves when the music comes off.
Wild West Day · Country Day · Music and Dance Day +2Simple Line Dance
Children learn a simple line dance to country-style music, stepping, clapping and turning together in rows.
Space Explorers · Space Disco · Glow Party +2Space Disco Party
Children dance under glow lights to space-themed music, with games like freeze dance and astronaut moves.
Talent Show Day · Musical Theatre Day · Music and Dance Day +1Talent Showcase Finale
Children present their rehearsed acts in a final showcase with a stage, lights and an audience, celebrating the effort they put into practising.
Recycle Day · Sustainable Superstars · Music and Dance Day +1Tin Can Wind Chimes
Older children paint clean tin cans and thread them with beads to make wind chimes that jingle in the breeze.
Gaming Day · Music and Dance Day · Disco Day +2Video Dance-Along
Children follow on-screen dance routines together, copying moves and competing for the best effort.
Backyard Play Day · Music and Dance Day · Magic Day +2Xylophone Freeze Game
Children dance and move until they hear the xylophone, then freeze like statues, building listening skills and self-control.