Top Resources for Learning Folk Songs in Your Homeschool or Classroom

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As I was researching to write my newest online course called A Folk Song a Week, I discovered some wonderful resources for learning Folk Songs in your homeschool or classroom. Have fun singing!

A Folk Song a Week online course

A Folk Song a Week online course is the easiest way ever to add folk songs to your homeschool or classroom!

Learn 36 folk songs, one per week, throughout the school year. What types of songs are included? You’ll find historical folk songs, rounds, spirituals, songs in other languages, and lullabies. Many of these you’ll recognize from your childhood! Songs by composers such as Brahms and Stephen Foster are included, but most have unknown composers.

Included with each song is:

a video of me (Gena) singing the song
another video of the song
background information
link to lyrics pdf
link to sheet music pdf
copywork
picture book suggestions (if available)
and a coloring page

What are the 36 songs included?

All the Pretty Little Horses
Alouette
Bicycle Built for Two
Buffalo Gals
Danny Boy
De Colores
Down By the Bay
Down by the Riverside
Erie Canal
Follow the Drinking Gourd
Frère Jacques
Hava Nagila
Here Comes Peter Cottontail
Home on the Range
Hush Little Baby
I’ve Been Working on the Railroad
Kookaburra
Let There Be Peace on Earth
Lullaby and Good Night (German Cradle Song/ Brahms’s Lullaby)
Make New Friends But Keep the Old
Oh Susanna
Old Dan Tucker
On Top of Old Smoky
Over the River and Through the Woods
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Scarborough Fair
She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain
Shenandoah
Skip to My Lou
Swing Low Sweet Chariot
Take Me Out to the Ballgame
The Water is Wide
There’s a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea
There’s a Hole in the Bucket
When the Saints Go Marching In
You are My Sunshine

15-Minute Music Lesson: What is a Folk Song?

Learn what folk songs are and how they have changed through the years in the 15-Minute Music Lesson: What is a Folk Song?. Listen to a specific folk song called “Danny Boy”.

Songs Listed By Historical Era

I like this list that contains folk songs separated by historical era. It will help you if you like to learn songs as you’re studying history.

A Long List of Folk Song Ideas

Wildwood Curriculum has a long list of folk song ideas here.

The American Folk Song Collection

Holy Names University Kodaly Center has a nice search engine of 615 folk songs in its American Folk Song Collection and even includes games and recordings.

Disclosure: I get commissions for purchases made through affiliate links in this post.

Wee Sing Songbooks for Folk Songs in Your Homeschool

I loved using the Wee Sing songbooks when I was teaching elementary music and with my own kids when they were little. I’m so glad they’re still available! And, check iTunes/Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Spotify — see which recordings have been added!

Wee Sing America

A Folk Song Every Day of the Year

This site includes 365 folk song recordings that are fun to listen to, and most of the songs are more obscure and less commonly known.

Head over to get “A Folk Song a Week” online course for elementary!

Songs for Teaching

The Songs for Teaching website includes many folk song lyrics and separates them my subject category (such as French, Mathematics, Science, Preschool/Kindergarten, Campfire Songs, Friendship Songs, etc.)