What ages does humming work for?

It works well with toddlers and preschoolers. Older kids like it too, especially the silly sliding and the one-at-a-time circle.

What if some kids won't hum?

That's fine. Let them listen or follow along with their hands. Most kids join in once they see their friends doing it.

How long should a humming transition take?

A minute or two is usually enough. Stop while the class is calm and give your next direction in a quiet voice.

Do I need to be a good singer to do this?

No. Humming doesn't need words or a nice voice. Kids care much more that you're doing it with them.

A Humming Trick For Classroom Transitions

You probably know this moment. Centers are wrapping up, two kids are still building, one is spinning by the cubbies, and you need everyone on the rug. If you raise your voice, the kids usually get louder too.

We teach humming at every teacher workshop we run, because it's one of the easiest ways we know to handle that moment. It takes no materials and no prep, and you can try it with your class tomorrow.

Why Humming Helps With Transitions

When you start humming, kids have something to do with their voices that isn't talking. A hum can be very quiet or pretty big, so it works when the class needs to wind down and when they need to shake out some wiggles. And because everyone is making the same sound, the group comes back together without you calling out names.

The folks at PBS KIDS for Parents suggest that short, repeatable songs can help kids remember calming steps like breathing, counting, or slowing down, and that singing before a tough transition can help. A hum is about as short and repeatable as it gets, and there are no words for anyone to learn.

First, Teach Your Class How To Hum

Some kids have never hummed on purpose. Show them. Close your lips, make a sound, and let them feel it buzz. Have them put a finger on their lips or the side of their nose so they can feel it too.

Practice a few times when things are calm, like during circle time. You want humming to be something your class already knows before you need it in the middle of a messy cleanup.

Four Humming Exercises To Try

These go from big and silly to quiet and calm. Start with whichever fits your class that day.

Follow it with your hand. Hum from low to high and back down again. Pinch your fingers together and trace the sound in the air, all the way up over your head and all the way down to the floor. The kids copy your hand while they hum.
Slide with your whole body. Slide your voice up and down, and let your body follow it. Stretch up tall on the high notes and crouch low on the low ones. Be silly about it. Kids will go a lot further if you go first.
Very soft, then very loud. Hum so softly that everyone has to lean in to hear it. Then hum as loud as you can. Go back and forth a few times, and finish on soft.
One at a time in a circle. Sit in a circle and have each child hum on their own while everyone else listens. Some kids will hum a long note, some will do a little tune, and some will just giggle. Let them. Listening to each other is part of the exercise.

Using A Hum To Calm Things Down

When the room gets a little wild, try this instead of announcing a transition. Start humming low and soft, and move your hand slowly so the kids closest to you can see it. They'll usually join in, and then the kids near them will too.

Once most of the class is humming with you, bring it softer and softer until you stop. Then give your next direction in a quiet voice. Kids who are humming aren't talking, so it's easier for them to hear you.

Pick the exercise to match what the class needs. After a long stretch of sitting, the big body slides help kids move before they settle. When they're already wound up, skip the loud parts and go straight to the soft, slow hum. The quiet version can feel almost like meditation for a group of four-year-olds.

Tips For Making It Stick

Use the same hum for the same transition every day, like cleanup to the rug. Kids learn what it means pretty fast.
Keep it short. A minute or two is plenty.
Let a child lead sometimes. Kids who like to be in charge often become your best hummers.
Pair it with movement on wiggly days. Our post on movement enrichment for preschools has more ideas for getting kids moving inside.

If your kids respond well to this, they'll probably love a weekly music class too. Our preschool enrichment classes bring a Rockness teacher to your school, and you can watch how we use songs and movement with your own class.

Learn More At A Teacher Workshop

Humming is one part of what we cover in our professional development workshops for teachers. We also go through songs, movement, and other ways to use music through the school day. If you're curious what a session is like, we wrote about it in what a Rockness teacher workshop feels like.

👉 Want to bring a workshop to your staff? Get in touch with us or call 732-205-1971, and we'll talk through what would work for your school.

Thanks for reading,
The Rockness Crew
Rockness Music