Day 1 of the 12 Days of Movement
If you’re an elementary music teacher, you already know: December can feel like chaos.
Between concerts, data deadlines, holiday events, and trying to keep students focused when they’re buzzing with seasonal excitement… lesson planning quickly becomes one more stressor.
That’s exactly why I created the 12 Days of Movement—a full set of no-prep, movement-rich lessons designed to make your December feel calmer, easier, and fully planned. Each day includes:
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A complete written lesson plan
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A matching scarf dance
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A coordinating rhythm play-along
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Digital & printable assessments
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Movement woven naturally into every concept
And today, we kick it off with one of my favorites:
Watch a Full Video Walk-Through Here~
Let’s Get Started
Day 1: Mr. Willoughby’s Christmas Tree
This charming book by Robert Barry is at the heart of today’s lesson. Students follow the journey of a very tall Christmas tree that is trimmed, reshaped, and shared all the way down to the tiniest mouse—and through it, they learn an important message about gratitude during the holiday season.
Musically, this lesson introduces and reinforces:
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Ta, titi, and triplet rhythms
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Steady beat vs. rhythm
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Solfege: do, mi, sol, and la
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Smartboard/interactive movement tapping
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Simple composition and partwork
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Performance-based assessment woven into the activities
And the best part?
It’s all completely no prep.
You open the slides and teach. That’s it.
Part 1: Chanting & Rhythm Warm-Up
After reading the opening pages, students jump into the chant:
“Christmas tree, Christmas tree,
Mr. Willoughby’s Christmas tree…”
We begin with a steady beat, then layer in ta, titi, and triplets to turn the chant into a rhythm training activity that spirals throughout the entire lesson. These rhythmic elements match patterns students will hear, perform, and compose later in the book.
Part 2: Interactive Story-Based Rhythm Work
As each character receives their “new” Christmas tree—Miss Adelaide, the gardener, Barnaby Bear—students interact with the story through rhythm:
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Drag-and-drop rhythm icons
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Smartboard tapping
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Call-and-response
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Identifying rhythms with character names
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Adding quarter rests (perfect for short names like Tim!)
Every rhythm is embedded in the story, making literacy feel natural, not abstract.
Three Ways to “Decorate the Christmas Tree”
This lesson gives you three different ways to add movement, reinforce rhythm, and let students take ownership of their learning.
Option 1 — S-F-E Ornament Challenge (Slides)
If students identify a rhythm correctly, they get to add an ornament to the class tree. By the end, you’ve built a fully adorned musical tree together.
Option 2 — Scarf Dance: Decorate the Tree to Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
A beautiful, calm movement break where students use scarves to “decorate” the tree in time with Tchaikovsky’s music.
👉 Watch the Day 1 Scarf Dance Below
Option 3 — Rhythm Play-Along Ornament Builder
Students decorate the tree using ta, titi, and quarter rest patterns as they follow along to a Nutcracker-themed rhythm video.
👉 Watch the Day 1 Rhythm Play-Along Below
Each option builds musical understanding in a fun, festive, and movement-integrated way.
Grab This Lesson- Plus Our Entire Curriculum For 2 Free Months!
Data Collection Without the Stress
December is packed with assessment needs, so I built the assessment into the lesson itself.
You get:
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A digital assessment (interactive, self-paced, student-friendly)
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A printable assessment (perfect for cool-down or small groups)
Students can complete it:
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Throughout the lesson
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At designated checkpoints
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As a quiet wrap-up after the story
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Or as a sub-friendly extension activity
This means you collect the data you need—without ever sacrificing engagement.
Why the 12 Days of Movement Exist
I created this series because so many music teachers told me how overwhelming December feels:
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Concert season
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State and district assessments
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Behavior challenges
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Limited prep time
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Holiday energy everywhere
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Zero bandwidth for lesson planning
The 12 Days of Movement exist to give you:
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Lessons that are actually no prep
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Activities that get students moving in meaningful, purposeful ways
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Materials that gather your data for you
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Videos that pair seamlessly with each lesson plan
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A December you can finally enjoy
And yes—everything for both December AND January is included in your free membership trial.
December Doesn’t Have to Be Chaos
Your lessons are ready.
Your movement is ready.
Your data is ready.
Your December is ready.
I hope you love teaching Mr. Willoughby’s Christmas Tree as much as I do—and I hope it brings you a little extra calm and joy in the busiest time of the year.
Happy playing,
Leanna O’Brien
Founder of The Soaring Scarves Academy
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