Substitute Music Lesson idea – Music Travelling
One of the best ideas I ‘ve ever tried was “Music Travelling”. It can work very well with preschoolers and primary school children and it promotes creative expression, self confidence, cooperation,...
View ArticleClassroom Music Games – Note Blocks
I use Mortinson Math blocks to illustrate rhythm when teaching beginners. “One” blocks are quarter notes in their normal position, but turned over (they are hollow inside) they become quarter rests....
View ArticleClassroom Games – Note Races
One of the most fun activities my students love is playing “Note Races.” What you do is go outside to the parking lot (one with no or very little traffic) or any area that is paved or cement. Then,...
View ArticleClassroom Games – Playing Musical Words
Using manuscript on a whiteboard draw up notes that spell out a word: (eg. “edge”, “dad”, “face”, “cabbage” etc..) one point is first allocated to a student or team who correctly identifies the word....
View ArticleClassroom Music Games – The Note Bucket Game
Make up a series of large cards with a music notes or symbols that the class are currently learning, and tape them to a series of buckets. Then set the buckets up in front of the class and make a...
View ArticleClassroom Music Games – Music Memory
Draw a collection of music symbols on the whiteboard and have the students name them as you do so. After that have them turn their backs (or turn the white board around) and erase one. They must name...
View ArticleClassroom Music Games – Music Treasure Hunt
Select 4 contrasting instruments (any that you like…for example a scraping sound, a hitting sound, a shaking sound and a pitched percussion or barred instrument) Each instrument will represent a sound...
View ArticleClassroom Music Games – Round Mania
Take a well known round: I use ‘London’s Burning’ for younger children (KS1 in the UK) and either ‘Frere Jacques’ or one of the quick to learn African rounds for older children (KS2 in the UK) Make...
View ArticleSubstitute Music Lesson ideas – Note Pizza
When I was asked to teach a half hour class of 35 kids (aged 8 to 16) before their regular teacher could be there, a friend and I came up with this idea: Build “note pizzas” by giving 6 groups each a...
View ArticleSubstitute Lesson ideas – Musical Bingo
For an emergency substitute lesson I have 2 bingo games. Both are purchased games with game cards and a CD. One game is made up of musical instrument sounds and the other is sound we hear around us. I...
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