Harvest is one of the first big moments of the school year - a chance to bring your school community together, welcome parents and carers into the building, and explore themes of gratitude, nature, and togetherness through song. It’s also a time of year that’s rich with learning opportunities.
Whether you're planning a special assembly, a community performance, or bringing some singing into your classroom, here are five ideas to help save you time and make this year’s harvest celebration one to remember.
1. Choose songs that set the tone
Start with songs that reflect the spirit of the season - thankfulness, growth, and community. Our harvest collection is packed with options for all ages and settings.
Top picks:
KS1 & 2
- Let’s harvest – a lively, celebratory song that’s perfect for bringing the whole school together.
- Cauliflowers fluffy – this one is a classic, and if this video is anything to go by, you might have a good chance of getting your pupils' families singing along to this too.
- Thank your lucky stars – our Members love this Sing Up favourite.
KS2
- We’re so grateful – a cheerful song of thanks for friends, food, and nature.
- Harvest for the world – this soulful song from The Isley Brothers helps children reflect on gratitude from a global perspective.
2. Warm up with purpose
A confident performance starts with a good, energising warm-up. Why not kick off with a fun food-themed song like Five portions a day (included in our free assembly plan) to ease your pupils into the main part of your singing activity?
3. Learn about harvest around the world
Singing as part of an assembly? Help pupils discover how different communities around the world mark the harvest and express gratitude. It’s a prime opportunity for cross-curricular learning and a nice way to foster cultural awareness and celebrate diversity.
If you fancy giving this idea a try, we've set it all up for you. Check out our free harvest assembly plan, Harvest – a global celebration of gratitude. It comes complete with our suggested warm-up song, Thank your lucky stars, and a downloadable PowerPoint that’s ready to use.
4. Get the whole school singing
Unison songs are a great choice for mixed-age groups, children with varied needs and quick rehearsals. Many of our harvest songs are unison arrangements and come with backing tracks and printable scores to make your life easier.
Want to add an extra challenge for older or more confident singers? Add some harmonies. Thank your lucky stars has an optional harmony part you could try.
5. Have family members join the fun
Harvest is a great opportunity to involve pupils’ families and invite them to share in the special moments you’re creating at your school. Ask your audience to join in with a simple, catchy chorus that feels comfortable to sing: not too high, and with words that are easy to pick up.
To help them feel assured, give them a clear invitation before the song begins, teach them what the chorus sounds like, and practise the words together before you set everyone off singing.
Getting teachers and staff involved too can give your families the confidence to join in.
Like these ideas? Continue discovering
We hope you have a wonderful and joyous harvest celebration.
If you’re new to Sing Up and would like to explore more of what we have to offer, register for a free trial account here to unlock your free harvest assembly plan, preview our Song Bank catalogue and more.
Already a Member? Head over to our autumn and harvest collections for more song and assembly ideas for this term.