The most beautiful children's songs and stories for everyday kindergarten life
- Kita-Job Agentur
- May 1
- 5 min read
Daycare tips for foreign educators
Music and stories as the key to integration
Children's songs and stories play a central role in everyday life in German kindergartens. They not only promote language, creativity, and social skills, but also offer a wonderful opportunity to build a loving relationship with children. Especially for educators from abroad, children's songs and fairy tales are valuable tools for building cultural bridges, better teaching the German language, and quickly adapting to everyday kindergarten life.
Why children's songs and fairy tales are so important in kindergarten
Children's songs and fairy tales are a common thread throughout the kindergarten routine. They provide an ideal foundation for developing children's core skills in a playful and enjoyable way, while simultaneously strengthening a sense of community.
Language development: Through repetition and simple structures, children learn new words playfully and without pressure. Catchy melodies and the repeated use of certain terms ensure that language patterns are naturally memorized. Regular singing and storytelling also offer effective ways for educators who speak German as a second language to improve their language skills. This way, the language barrier gradually decreases and everyday teaching becomes easier.
Emotional connection: Singing and storytelling together creates a loving atmosphere in which children feel safe and secure. Music directly addresses emotions and helps children build trust—both with the teachers and with each other. This form of nonverbal communication offers an excellent opportunity for foreign teachers to quickly connect with children, even if their language skills are not yet perfect.
Rhythm and structure: Everyday kindergarten life thrives on clear routines and rituals. Children's songs and fairy tales provide a natural structure to the day – from cheerful welcome songs in the morning to songs for tidying up, to quiet stories at lunchtime or at the end of the day. These rituals provide children with security and orientation and make it easier for staff to organize and transition between activities.
Cultural values: Through traditional children's songs and well-known fairy tales, children learn about cultural customs and values. Themes such as friendship, helpfulness, courage, and honesty are deeply rooted in many German fairy tales and songs. For foreign professionals, this is a wonderful opportunity to teach not only the German language but also important social norms and cultural characteristics. At the same time, sharing stories and songs from their home country provides an opportunity to celebrate diversity within the group and promote mutual understanding.
The most beautiful classic children's songs for everyday kindergarten life
Here is a selection that every professional should know:
song | Possible uses |
All the birds are already there | Spring, nature themes |
Brother Jacob | Morning circle, canon singing |
Bake, bake cake | Role plays, eating situations |
The Cuckoo and the Donkey | Humorous stories in song form |
lantern, lantern | St. Martin's Day, autumn time |
Sleep, little child, sleep | Rest periods, bedtime rituals |
Little Hans | Farewell, travel, new beginning |
All my little ducklings [children's song | Water and animal projects |
A Bi-Ba-Bozemann is dancing | Movement activities, circle games |
Fox, you stole the goose | Traditional songs, teaching values |
I'm going with my lantern | Lantern parade, autumn festival |
A bird comes flying | Welcome song, thematization of longing |
Cuckoo, cuckoo, calls from the forest | Spring, nature observations |
Green, green, green are all my clothes | Learning colors, theme weeks |
Buzz, buzz, buzz, little bee buzzing around | Spring, bees and nature themes |
Tip: You can find many of these children's songs on platforms such as Kinderlieder Texte or SingKinderlieder YouTube channel.
Wonderful fairy tales and stories that children love
Stories help focus attention and encourage active listening. Particularly popular in kindergarten are:
The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Eric Carle) → Perfect for language development and teaching about nature. This story is a great way to discuss development and changes in nature. Tip: Create your own "Caterpillar Journey" collage with your children.
The Rainbow Fish (Marcus Pfister) → Conveys values like sharing and friendship. Use this story to spark conversations about community and helpfulness. Tip: Make rainbow fish out of colorful glitter foil as a symbol of sharing.
Frederick (Leo Lionni) → Ideal for creative projects about the seasons and emotions. This book is a wonderful way to discuss emotions and the importance of imagination. Tip: Have children create their own "Frederick stories" about winter.
The Bremen Town Musicians (Brothers Grimm) → Simple structure, perfect for retelling and role-playing. Especially suitable for theater projects in kindergarten. Tip: Organize a small play with simple costumes.
Further tips for educators:
Use picture books as visual support when telling stories.
Tell the stories using assigned roles or in simple language.
Have the children make movements or animal sounds to the fairy tales to actively involve them.
Repeat key words and phrases to deepen language comprehension.
Combine stories with creative activities such as painting, crafts or singing.
Tip: You can find free fairy tale texts at Project Gutenberg or as audio versions at Ohrka.de.
Preparing for everyday kindergarten life: Tips for foreign professionals
A solid language foundation is essential for communicating confidently and confidently with children, parents, and colleagues. Use language learning apps like Duolingo or DeutschAkademie to learn new vocabulary and grammatical structures every day. Listening to children's songs and fairy tales in German is particularly effective. Repeated listening improves language proficiency and makes it easier to understand sentence melodies and typical phrases. One recommended collection is "The 30 Best Children's Songs" on Spotify, which offers a diverse selection of well-known songs.
Deepen cultural understanding
To feel comfortable in everyday German kindergarten life, it is helpful to be familiar with cultural customs. Learn about important German holidays such as St. Martin's Day, Christmas, or Easter and their significance in the kindergarten context. Typical German fairy tales such as " Hansel and Gretel " or " Little Red Riding Hood " (both by the Brothers Grimm) convey values and morals that are deeply rooted in German culture. A visit to a local library or bookstore will allow you to familiarize yourself with fairy tales and picture books that are also popular in daycare centers.
Practical exercises with children's songs and fairy tales in kindergarten
Practice is the key to success. Learn simple songs with movements—like "Aramsamsam" or "Wash Your Hands"—and regularly incorporate them into your daily routine. Also, prepare short fairy tales in simple language, perhaps even in the form of picture stories that provide visual support. Cards, figures, or picture books can also help you bring stories to life and promote understanding in children.
Use interactive methods
Children love to be actively involved. Combine children's songs with instruments like chimes, drums, or rattles to create a sense of rhythm. Tell fairy tales interactively by having children mimic movements or ask simple questions ("What do you think will happen next?"). Short role-playing games based on well-known fairy tales like "The Bremen Town Musicians" encourage creativity, language, and teamwork.
Creating rituals with children's songs and stories
Rituals give children a sense of security and make the daily routine easier. Start each morning with a welcoming song like "Good Morning, Sweet Sun." Use fairy tales as a calm transition ritual after lunch or before naptime. You can end the day with a quiet farewell song or a short bedtime story. Such established routines create a harmonious atmosphere and also help you adjust to the daily routine of daycare more quickly.
Other useful resources for nursery rhymes and fairy tales
Children's songs: Labbé Verlag - Songs for children
Fairy tale: Grimmstories.com
Working materials: KitaKram.de - Materials for daycare
Children's songs and fairy tales are more than just pleasant entertainment: They are central elements for language development, social integration, and cultural education in kindergartens. They offer foreign educators an excellent opportunity to quickly become familiar with German daycare culture and actively contribute to everyday educational activities.
With targeted preparation, practice and the joy of singing and storytelling, the start of everyday kindergarten life will not only be easier – but also an enriching experience for everyone involved.
Your Kita-Job Team
Vladislava Ivanova
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