Playing games is so much fun in the music room. First of all, they’re a nice change of pace from everything else going on. Second of all, your students love learning music in a variety of ways. Sometimes, they may not even realize they’re learning music while playing a game. If implementing games in your classroom sounds intimidating, it’s not as scary as you think it is. These are 4 fun elementary music games you can begin teaching this week!
1. Rhythm cake walk
Yes, I’m talking about “THE” cake walk you do to earn a cake. Rhythm cake walk is different though, because instead of just walking in circles over and over with no rhyme (see what I did there) or reason, this game has a musical purpose. Here’s how this game goes…
- On the floor, lay down pieces of construction paper (or any paper for that matter). You’ll leave out one paper so one child won’t land on one.
- Play a rhythm on a hand drum for your students. While they’re walking in a circle, they will walk to the rhythm you’re playing.
- There are two ways they can get out. If they aren’t walking to the rhythm or keeping a steady beat AND if they don’t land on a piece of paper.
- Keep going until there is one child left standing.
The rhythm cake walk is definitely one of my favorite elementary music games.
2. Find your Instrument Twin
I already talked about two instrument of the orchestra games in this blog post. But, this game is going to be involving the elementary classroom instruments. Each student is given an index card with an instrument written on it. For the younger grades, you can print out pictures of the instruments and hand those out instead. So, since you’re using classroom instruments, you’ll write “guiro”, “tubano drum”, “triangle”, “recorder”, and “sand blocks.” Of course, there are so many other instruments you can write down as well, but this gives you an idea of what I’m talking about.
You’ll write the same instrument name down on two cards. Students will walk around the room saying their instrument how it sounds. For example, if I have glockenspiel on my card, I’ll walk around the room saying “glock-en-spiel” until I find my instrument twin. Just like the rhythm cake walk, students can walk to the rhythm as well, or they can just speak it. That part is completely up to you.
3. Musical chairs writing
This activity is a little difficult if you don’t have enough chairs in your room. If you don’t have lots of chairs, then simply use the floor. Put dry erase boards and a marker (or a paper and pencil if you don’t have these) on the floor in a circle.
Everyone has played musical chairs before probably. But, for a quick refresher course, you’ll play music while the kids are walking in a circle. When the music stops, in the normal game, your students would need to sit down in a chair. The child who didn’t get a chair would be out.
In this version, when the music stops, the students will write down the rhythm, note, melody, or other musical concept you’ve called out. Once they’ve written it down, they’ll hold their board or paper up so you can come check it. If it’s not right, they need to rewrite it until it’s correct. Once time’s up, the students who didn’t write the correct musical concept down or didn’t write anything are out. This is where the game is different from musical chairs. More than one student will be out at a time.
4. Create musical words
A really fun game to play with your students, especially upper elementary, is create musical words. Put the students in groups of about 4 people. Once they’re in groups, give one piece of paper and a pencil to each group. Giving the students 5-10 minutes, they’ll come up with as many musical words they can in the allotted time. Remind your students that they can only come up with words of notes they would find on a staff.
There will only be one writer per group and the rest of the students will help come up with the words. To make it more challenging, not only do they need to come up with the words, but they will also need to write the notes on the staff. If you choose to do this part, then make sure your students have a piece of staff paper as well as regular paper.
For each of these games, it’s up to you what reward students who win will get. Remind your classes that participation and encouraging each other are definite expectations of yours. Everyone is learning and having fun, and that’s the main goal.
What games do you do in your elementary music classroom? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments below or share your thoughts on social media as you share this post.
Also, I’d love for you to share this post or any of the resources on my website with a friend or colleague who you know NEEDS to see it.
P.S. Are you feeling frustrated or stuck as an elementary music teacher? Check out these free resources to help you teach elementary music with confidence!
I’m not a teacher, but I substitute teach elem. school music. I play a number of games with the children:
The Conductor Game (for younger grades): One child hides his eyes while the rest, sitting down in a circle, select a conductor (someone who will SILENTLY lead the children in silently “playing” an instrument. The conductor can switch to different instruments at any time, so the kids in the circle need to keep an eye on him without being obvious. Also, it’s important to tell the kids that they should not shout out “Who, me?” if they’re called on. It’s a silent game. The person who hid his eyes is called back to step into the circle (makes the game harder) and then has three chances to identify the conductor. If he guesses it wrong, then we tell him the identity of the conductor and the person who fooled him goes to hide her eyes. If he guesses it correctly, the person who was the conductor still goes to hide her eyes and you select a new conductor once she is no longer looking.
Something’s Missing, My Gold House Key, We Are Dancing in the Forest, and many other children’s games easily found online or in music textbooks. Also, there’s an upper-grade elimination game I learned from a music teacher for whom I subbed – Shanghai Chicken. In rhythm, the children learn to sing the song – Shanghai Chicken and he grow so tall, Hoo-day, Hoo-day, Take that egg a month to fall, Hoo-day, Hoo-day. Children sit in a circle with legs crossed. Give a child the shaker egg to start and he passes to his right. To the words, the proceed – Shanghai chicken and he grow so tall (tapping egg on alternate knees…Hoo-day, Hoo-day (throw egg into the air (not high up) and catch it again on each Hoo-day, Take that egg a month to fall (alternating tapping knees with egg), Hoo-day,Hoo-day (on first Hoo-day, throw egg into air and catch, on second Hoo-day, throw in air on first Hoo-day and toss to person to right on second Hoo-day. Person is out if s/he misses catching the egg (unless it was thrown roughly), doesn’t pass on the beat, throws the egg roughly. Last person left in the game is the winner. Warning: This game gets rather loud.
Also, I play Poison where I clap a rhythm that’s poison and then clap other rhythms AND the poison rhythm. If the kids clap incorrectly, don’t class when I haven’t clapped the poison rhythm, or clap the poison rhythm, then they are out.
Sometimes we’ll have a music facts relay, or other times I’ll have them guess a word I’ve made from the notes on the staff, i.e., What can you find in a grocery store? A b-a-g. What’s a form of transportation? A c-a-b and so on.
Another idea I found on another music site was to give the kids a product for which they are to write jingles. They do this during the class and then play them on instruments for each other. The best jingle wins.
I’m always looking for new music games to play with the kids, and other music activities, so thanks for posting what you did.
I love all of these games! Also, I love the fact that you’re a substitute teacher that is taking the time to bring your own experiences and lessons into the classes you sub in. Thanks for sharing these activities!