Stand Up, Sit Down is a simple movement song that’s easy to follow and perfect not only for a quick movement break, but for teaching musical elements such as tempo, expression, and spatial awareness.

Lyrics

Stand Up, Sit Down
Turn around and touch the ground.
Hands up high, hands down low,
Hands to the side then touch your nose.
Turn your head and turn your shoulders,
Turn your knees and stand like a soldier.
Jump three times and move your hips,
Swim like a fish and pucker your lips!

Lesson Ideas and Extensions

Explore tempo changes.
Have students speak the song at different tempos, such as slow, medium, and fast. Once students are comfortable, try varying the tempo within each repetition. For example, start slowly, gradually speed up, then slow back down again. This is a great way to build listening skills, steady beat awareness, and quick reaction time.

Experiment with different voices.
Invite students to perform the song using different vocal qualities. They can speak it, sing it, whisper it, use a silly voice, or express different emotions such as happy, angry, sad, excited, or sleepy.

Let students lead the class.
Choose a student leader to speak or sing the song while the rest of the class follows the movements. Student leaders can choose the tempo, voice, or emotion for each round.

Play a “mistake detective” game.
Speak the song as usual, but intentionally say one word incorrectly or perform the wrong movement. Students must listen and watch carefully. If they copy the incorrect movement, they are “out” or can move to a special observation role for the next round.

Add dynamic levels.
Try performing the song quietly, loudly, or with a gradual crescendo and decrescendo. Students can connect their voices and movements to the dynamic level, making smaller movements for quiet sounds and bigger movements for louder sounds.

Create new movement commands.
After students understand the basic structure, invite them to suggest new actions such as clap, stomp, freeze, turn around, wave, jump, or tiptoe. You can replace “stand up” and “sit down” with new movement pairs to create fresh versions of the activity.

Use it as a quick transition activity.
This song works well as a short movement break between seated activities. It can help students reset their bodies, refocus their attention, and prepare for the next part of the lesson.