I’ve found that playing music adds a wonderful dimension to a PE class. I can use it to energize or calm down a class, or just add some fun. I love it when just the right song comes on and all the kids are singing along as they work on their skill or play a game. I often see, or get asked for requests, for song ideas for a PE playlist, so here are some ideas:
Current Disney or other movie hits are always great with little ones (K-2). Especially if there is a current movie out with a really great soundtrack. Frozen is a good example of this. When that movie came out, I could put the soundtrack on and the whole class would be singing along. It was adorable. (Now I get groans for Frozen songs so there is a definite time table)
Write down songs you hear at sporting events in your area. Chances are you have students that are attending those events and they will get excited to hear those songs.
Ask your older students for ideas. You’ll need to carefully screen and I scratch a lot (because I’m the one that hears them all day), but I do get a few good ones.
Make separate playlists for holidays and other special events. For example I have a playlist that has songs I only play for certain activities like Star Wars songs, Mission Impossible, swamp music, etc. I also have a Christmas playlist, Halloween playlist, and a tabata playlist that I use for warm-ups.
Here is my current (and always changing) PE playlist:
High Hopes/Panic at the Disco
Natural/Imagine Dragons
Life Changes/Thomas Rhett
Better When I’m Dancin’/Megan Trainor
Only Wanna Be With You/Hootie and the Blowfish
Connection/One Republic
Hall of Fame/The Script
Wake Me Up/Avicli
Glad You Came/The Wanted
Maps/Maroon 5
Cheerleader/OMI
Lift Me Up/One Republic
Out of My League/Fitz and The Tantrums
Baby Shark/Pinkfong
Immigrant Song/Led Zepplin
Dynamite/China Anne McClain
Pump Up the Jam/Crazy Frog
Fireflies/Owl City
La La La/Shakira
Can’t Stop The Feeling/Justin Timberlake
Keep Your Head Up/Andy Grammar
Different Colors/Walk The Moon
Hula Hoop/OMI
Whatever It Takes/Imagine Dragons
Mom/Meghan Trainor
Old Town Road/Lil Nas X (student request and favorite)
Happier/Marshmello
Zero/Imagine Dragons
Have It All/Jason Mraz
One Minute More/Capital Cities
Play That Song/Train
Wasted Time/Keith Urban
Walk Me Home/Pink
Rescue Me/One Republic (current favorite)
Shine/Collective Soul
Welcome to The Jungle/Guns N Roses
Hey, Soul Sister/Train
Grenade/Bruno Mars (student request)
Cake By The Ocean/DNCE (clean version)
Heaven/One Republic
Fine By Me/Andy Grammar
Try Everything/Shakira
Wonders/The Script
One Less Day/Rob Thomas
Take On Me/A-ha
Best Day of My Life/American Authors
Believer/American Authors
Superheroes/The Script
Brave/Sara Bareilles
Pompeii/Bastille
Because We Can/Bon Jovi
It’s Time/Imagine Dragons
Good Time/Owl City & Carly Rae Jeppson
The Middle/Jimmy Eats World
On Top of The World/Imagine Dragons
Funkytown/Lipps, Inc
Cool Kids/Echosmith
Viva La Vida/Coldplay
I Lived/One Republic
Sugar/Maroon 5
Don’t Stop/5 Seconds of Summer
Animal/Neon Trees
You’re My Best Friend/Queen
Life Is A Highway/Rascal Flatts
Ho Hey/Lumineers
Centuries/Fall Out Boy
Don’t Stop Believin’/Journey
House of Gold/Twenty One Pilots
Kernkraft 400/Zombie Nation (radio edit)
Rise/ Katy Perry
Luck/American Authors
I Like To Move It/Madagascar 5
One Thing/One Direction
Eye of The Tiger (many versions)
I Was Born/Hanson
Something Just Like This/Chainsmokers and Coldplay
Hopefully, this list will give some ideas of music that might be right for your class. Comment with your favorites because I always need new songs to keep things fresh!