This is part of a Master of Education research project called Gender in Music Education: Lessons Addressing Gender in Music in Grades K-12 (PDF 4.8 MB) completed by Laura Anne Smith.
Kindergarten is a very important time in a child’s life. Some children are going to school for the first time, some are interacting with large groups of people for the first time, and some may have never spent a long period of time with an adult who is not their parent or guardian. It is important that educators know this so that they are intentional about their choices in the classroom and are aware of how those choices might influence their students. In this environment, children continue to become more aware of gender identity and the role it plays in scaffolding others’ expectations of their actions (Canadian Paediatric Society, 2023). This leads them to follow rigid stereotypes of gender performance that can prohibit them from acting in certain ways when they get older (Bear Bergman, 2022). These are often stereotypes that children have begun learning before starting school (UN Women, 2025), which means that teachers must be diligent in their attempts to reroute their students’ ideas of gender performance. Studies also show that children’s perception of gender roles is highly affected by what they see in media (Martono et al., 2023).
This activity gives students the opportunity to see themselves in colouring sheets of children with different musical instruments. Children at this age increase their self-expression and creativity when given opportunities to colour (Yuni Andari, 2025). The wide variety of images will ideally disrupt a child’s need to strictly categorize certain instruments or musical ideas by gender and ask them to consider instruments as gender-neutral. The coloring sheets were designed by Beth Gorden and include a space for students to practice writing the instrument names (if that is appropriate for their literacy level), which helps to introduce students to each instrument. It is important that the teacher is intentional about providing many options of images to choose from to give students a wide representation.
Kindergarten - Colouring In My Creativity
Lesson Objectives
- Students will be able to name and recognize different instruments.
- Students will be able to understand that people of their gender can play any instrument.
Materials
- Drawing utensils
- Colouring sheets
- Illustrations by Beth Gorden can be downloaded from the Preschool Play & Learn website!
- Beth Gorden's illustrations feature students of different genders and backgrounds playing a range of musical instruments.
Lesson
- Before handing out colouring sheets, remind students that anyone can play any instrument! Sometimes people think that only boys or only girls can play a certain instrument but they’re wrong! Any instrument is for anyone!
- Provide students with colouring sheets of children with musical instruments
- If you have students that you have noticed have pre-concieved notions about gendered instrumentation, try to give them a sheet that will disrupt that!
- Ex: give the “alpha male” boys a girl playing the drums or the tuba
- If you have students that you have noticed have pre-concieved notions about gendered instrumentation, try to give them a sheet that will disrupt that!
- Allow students to colour as many different sheets as they want to/are able to in the time allotted
- While students are colouring, go around the class encouraging them on their choices, and asking them why they like the instrument they chose.
*It is important to affirm students’ instrument choices wile helping them recognize that their gender should not limit their choices. Students may need help understanding that people of any gender can play any instrument.
Ex: If the girls only want to colour flute or clarinet pages, remind them that girls can play any instrument and ask them to colour a picture of a girl playing the trombone!
References:
Bear Bergman, S. (2021, January 4). How to talk to kids about gender: An age-by-age guide. Today’s Parent.
Canadian Paediatric Society. (2023, June). Gender identity. Caring for Kids.
UN Women. (2025, May 13). How to talk to kids about gender equality and stereotypes. UN Women – Headquarters.
Yuni Andari, I. A. M. (2025). Coloring as an activity for the development of artistic creativity in early childhood. Widya Sundaram: Jurnal Pendidikan Seni Dan Budaya, 3(2), 122–133.