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Teaching music on a normal year is difficult. On a normal year, I am constantly looking for ways to get students reading music while having fun and being active in music. This year, with some people teaching music on a cart, 6 feet away from their students, other people teaching music virtually, and some music teachers doing both— the challenges are even greater. Asteroid! is an ACTIVE rhythm game you can play in class, 6 feet away, virtually, or on a normal year.
Yes. No matter how you’re teaching– you can use this one.
Plus, the kids get to move around.
I learned this game from a volunteer in our Children’s Church. She found it while looking for games students can play while they are socially distanced. As soon as the students started playing, I knew it would be perfect as an active rhythm game.
We will go through how to play Asteroid! normally, as a rhythm game, and if you’re virtual.
If you want the visuals to go along with the game, you can get them in my TPT shop by clicking here. Asteroid! decks come in 4 different rhythm levels from easy (quarter and eighth notes) to hard (triplets, eighth-sixteenth patterns, etc).
All of the Asteroid! decks come in color and black and white (so you can print them and take you with them on the go!) as well as regular and stick notation.
How to Play Asteroid… The Normal Way
To play Asteroid the normal way (or the socially distanced way!), students all need a home base. This could be their assigned seats, a piece of paper with their name on it, a hula hoop to stand in, etc.
The home base doesn’t move.
Directions:
- Students start on their home base.
- The caller calls a number.
- Then, students take that many steps in one direction.
- The caller calls a number.
- Again, students take that many steps in one direction– they may turn and go a different direction than the first time. They may NOT walk in a circle around their home base.
- This repeats as many times as you want.
- Once you think it’s been enough time, the called yells “Asteroid!”
- All students go back to their home base.
- The last student to their home base it out!
- Keep playing until you are down to one student. I usually allow that student to be the caller in the next round.
Also read: No Touch Movement Activities
How to Play Asteroid as an Active Rhythm Game
To play Asteroid! as an active rhythm game, the rules are basically the same. The only thing that I change is that instead of saying numbers, I project a rhythm on the board.
The students match their steps to the rhythm. So for example, if there is a quarter note, they would move one step. If there are eighth notes, they would move two steps.
For this rhythm, students would move four steps.
For this rhythm, they would move eight steps.
This is a level 4 rhythm, and students would move 5 steps. Their steps should match what they are saying as they read the rhythm.
Click here to purchase the Asteroid! Game in these pictures.
Then, if you want to tier it up and make the game harder, you can associate different movements with different rhythms. For example, students could tip toe on sixteenth notes, jump on quarter notes, slide on half notes, etc.
Looking for more no touch activities? Click here to get the FREE printable PDF Guide to Teaching Music Six Feet Away!
How to Play Asteroid while Teaching Music Virtually
To play Asteroid as an active rhythm game WHILE distance learning, you don’t have to change much. The students’ home base is now their computer. They will read the rhythm and walk that many steps away from their computer.
Then, when you hit an Asteroid! card, students go back to their computer and– type something into the chat. This is how you will know who came back in what order.
Instead of having the last person get out, I found it much easier to say that the first person back got a point, and the most points wins.
The caveat is this: Students must have their cameras on in order to play. Otherwise, they could just be sitting at their computer.
You can check out more music lessons for Zoom by clicking here.
You can also click here to get a FREE printable PDF Guide to Teaching Music on Zoom!
That is Asteroid! There are three ways to play, no matter what you are up to.
If you want the visuals to go along with the game, you can get them in my TPT shop by clicking here. Asteroid! decks come in 4 different rhythm levels from easy (quarter and eighth notes) to hard (triplets, eighth-sixteenth patterns, etc).
All of the Asteroid! decks come in color and black and white (so you can print them and take you with them on the go!) as well as regular and stick notation.
Click here to purchase the games!
What are your favorite active rhythm games? Let me know in the comments!
Happy teaching!
