Celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday with these five creative music activities that make his world come alive for kids through rhythm, song, and hands-on fun.
William Shakespeare isn’t just for grown-ups or dusty old books—his stories were filled with music, dancing, and drama that can still spark creativity in kids today! What better time to explore that fun side of the Bard than on his birthday, celebrated every April 23rd? Whether you’re a teacher, parent, or music lover, this is the perfect opportunity to bring history to life through engaging musical play.
In this article, you’ll find five imaginative music activities designed especially for kids to connect with Shakespeare’s world. From creating Elizabethan-style songs to remixing famous lines into modern beats, these ideas combine learning with laughter and creativity.
With printable worksheets, instrument-making tips, and even a Shakespearean singalong, there’s something here for every young explorer of music and the arts.
Table of Contents
- Who was William Shakespeare?
- “Sing Like Shakespeare” Workshop
- Create a Mini Musical from a Shakespeare Scene
- “Shakespeare Remix” – Modern Beats, Old Words
- Instrument-Making & Court Music
- “Musical Sonnets” Puzzle Game
- Conclusion
Who was William Shakespeare?
William Shakespeare was a famous writer who lived a long time ago in England—over 400 years ago!
He wrote plays, which are stories meant to be acted out on stage, and also poems. His plays had everything: love, laughter, magic, kings, fairies, and even sword fights! People still perform his stories today all around the world.
Even though the words he used might sound a little old-fashioned now, his stories are full of big feelings and exciting adventures that everyone can enjoy.
Using Shakespeare’s birthday (April 23rd) as a hook for kid-friendly music activities can be both fun and educational.
Here are some creative and engaging music-based ideas themed around Shakespeare for kids:
🎭 1.
“Sing Like Shakespeare” Workshop
Activity
Teach kids simple Elizabethan-style songs or rounds inspired by the kind of music used in Shakespeare’s plays.
Ideas
- Use traditional instruments like tambourines, recorders, or lutes (or simple modern equivalents).
- Try a call-and-response format using old-style English phrases:
“Hark, what light through yonder window breaks?” 🎶
Printable Materials & other Resources
Includes:
- Fun facts about Shakespearean music.
- Pronunciation guide for old-fashioned words.
- Elizabethan songs or rounds in simple sheet music (“Greensleeves” and “Hey Ho, Nobody Home”).
Includes:
- “Modern English vs. Shakespearean English” lyric matching game.
- Fill-in-the-blank verses in Shakespearean style for kids to finish.
🎼 2.
Create a Mini Musical from a Shakespeare Scene
Activity
Adapt a short scene or a famous quote (like from A Midsummer Night’s Dream or Romeo and Juliet) and turn it into a little musical number.
For younger kids
Use narration with music in the background and have them sing just a refrain or a simple chorus.
Printable Materials & other resources
Adapted kid-friendly versions of short scenes or quotes from
A Midsummer Night’s Dream,
Twelfth Night, and
The Tempest.
🎵 3.
“Shakespeare Remix” – Modern Beats, Old Words
Activity
Take famous lines or sonnets and set them to modern music beats. Let the kids create their own melodies or rhythms.
Fun example:
“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” set to a hip-hop or pop rhythm.
Tools: Body percussion, beatboxing, or apps like GarageBand (iOS app) or Chrome Music Lab (web-based).
Printable Materials & other resources
Shakespeare Remix Activities PDF for kids
Includes:
- Lyric Remix Sheet:
- Famous quotes or sonnet lines with blank spaces to add modern slang or rhythm patterns (like Mad Libs).
- Rhythm Grid Worksheet:
- Kids break sonnet lines into syllables and assign body percussion or beatbox sounds to each line.
- GarageBand / Chrome Music Lab Guide:
- Printable visual instructions on how to build a remix beat using free digital tools.
🪕 4.
Instrument-Making & Court Music
Activity
Build simple instruments (like shakers, drums, or string instruments from boxes and rubber bands), then explain how music was used during Shakespeare’s time at court or in theatres.
Step-by-step guides for building simple instruments
1. SHAKERS
How to Make Shakers from Recycled Materials
🎒 Materials You’ll Need (per shaker):
- 1 small recycled container (like a plastic bottle, yogurt cup, or cardboard tube with ends)
- A handful of dry filling (e.g., rice, dried beans, lentils, pasta, buttons)
- Tape (masking tape or duct tape works well)
- Paper, markers, stickers (for decorating!)
- Optional: rubber bands, fabric scraps, or foil for extra sound or flair
✂️ Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Clean Your Container
Make sure your container is clean and dry. If you’re using a bottle, take off the label.
Step 2: Add the Filling
Put a small amount of dry filling inside your container.
🎵 Try different fillers to hear different sounds!
- Rice = soft shake
- Beans = louder rattle
- Buttons or pasta = clicky sound
Don’t overfill—leave space so it can shake freely!
Step 3: Seal It Tight
Use tape to seal the opening. Wrap it a few times so nothing spills out.
If using a tube (like a paper towel roll), tape one end closed before filling, then tape the other end afterward.
Step 4: Test the Sound
Shake it gently. Like it? If it’s too loud, take some filler out. Too soft? Add a little more!
Step 5: Decorate Your Shaker
Use colored paper, markers, stickers, or fabric to decorate your shaker.
🎭 Bonus:
Give it a Shakespearean name! Like “Sir Shake-a-Lot” or “Lady Rhythmia.”
2. BOX GUITARS
How to Make Box Guitars from Recycled Materials
Strum, pluck, and play—using things you’d throw away!
🎒 Materials You’ll Need (per guitar):
- 1 empty tissue box or small cardboard box (shoebox, cereal box)
- 3 to 6 rubber bands (different thicknesses = different sounds!)
- 1 cardboard tube (paper towel or toilet roll)
- Scissors or craft knife (adults only!)
- Tape and/or glue
- Optional: crayons, stickers, markers for decorating
✂️ Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Box
Remove any plastic from the tissue box opening. If using a cereal or shoebox, cut a rectangular or oval hole in the top — this is your sound hole!
📦 Tip: Keep the box sturdy. If it’s flimsy, double-layer the cardboard.
Step 2: Stretch the Rubber Bands
Wrap several rubber bands around the box so they go across the sound hole. Try bands of different widths to make different pitches!
🎵 Fun test: Pluck each band. Which one is highest? Lowest?
Step 3: Add the Neck
Tape or glue the cardboard tube to one end of the box — this will be your “guitar neck.”
📏 You can even draw pretend frets or tuning pegs on it!
Step 4: Test the Sound
Pluck each rubber band and listen to the sound. Move them slightly to see how position affects pitch.
🧠 Try This: Put a pencil under the bands near the hole to raise them slightly — it changes the tension and sound!
Step 5: Decorate It!
Color your guitar, add stickers, or name your instrument something epic like “The Bard-o-caster” or “Strummy Shakespeare”!
- Create a classroom mini band!
- Record kids playing their guitars and describe their sound.
- Combine this with a Shakespeare-themed music day or rhythm activity!
Musical Instruments of the 1500s
Winds & Brass
A wooden flute-like wind instrument played by blowing into a mouthpiece.
Not to be confused with the modern cornet, this was a wooden wind instrument played like a trumpet.
A curved, buzzing reed instrument that sounds like a kazoo married a clarinet.
A loud, reedy ancestor of the oboe, often used for outdoor music.
Strings
A pear-shaped plucked string instrument with a delicate, mellow sound.
A bowed string instrument held between the legs, known for its rich, gentle tone.
A wire-strung instrument like a folk guitar, often plucked for dance music.
A small bowed instrument with a rounded back, used for both court and folk music.
A quirky instrument that makes music with a crank, keys, and a wheel that rubs the strings (kind of like a mechanical violin!).
Keyboard Instruments
A quiet keyboard instrument that allowed for expressive dynamics.
Larger and louder, it plucked strings with quills and was used in courts and churches.
Percussion
The pipe was commonly played with one hand while the other hand beat the tabor drum, a classic combination in medieval and Renaissance music known as “pipe and tabor.”
Small, hand-played drums like tiny kettledrums.
Printable Materials & other resources
Shakespearean Court Music Poster – Musical instruments from the 1500s
Illustrated overview of instruments used in the 1500s (lute, recorder, viola da gamba, etc.)
“Design Your Own Court Musician” coloring pages
3-page PDF with coloring pages
📜 5.
“Musical Sonnets” Puzzle Game
Activity
Give kids a scrambled sonnet (or a line-by-line version) and assign each line a musical note or rhythm. They reassemble the sonnet musically!
Printable Materials & other resources
Shakespeare’s “Musical Sonnets” Puzzle Game PDF
Includes:
- Cut-and-Play Sonnet Puzzle Cards:
- Print a Shakespeare sonnet split line-by-line (each on a card). Kids can reorder lines and match each line to a musical rhythm.
- Syllable Clap Chart:
- Worksheet where kids write the number of syllables per line and choose clap/tap rhythms.
- Melody Builder Sheet:
- A blank music staff with lines to assign one note per syllable and create a melody from the sonnet lines.
Conclusion
Shakespeare’s birthday is more than a day to remember a famous writer—it’s a chance to celebrate imagination, creativity, and the power of music across time.
These activities invite children to sing, build, perform, and play their way through the magic of Shakespeare’s world, making his legacy feel fresh, fun, and truly unforgettable.
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