When it comes to teaching elementary music, fun is one of the most important words. You want students to love music, and fun is how you get there. When it comes to reading music, it can be boring, but it doesn’t have to be. Enter: Kaboom! Kaboom is my students’ favorite elementary music centers game,… Continue reading How to Play Kaboom! in Elementary Music Class
Category: Games
Best Games And Lessons To Teach Kids Solfege
Coming up with games and lessons for solfege can seem daunting. You may feel like the only thing to do is to have students read flashcards on the screen. And while I do think there is value in that-- especially before an independent activity-- it’s not all there is to teaching solfege or melody. After… Continue reading Best Games And Lessons To Teach Kids Solfege
How to Play Lucky Lemons Solfege Board Game
Picture this: Me, teaching online for the millionth time. My students, showing up to every few classes, sometimes coming or going halfway through. It’s March and we’re STILL working on la with second grade. As we have been for weeks. I needed something new, a new solfege board game, and Lucky Lemons was the solution. … Continue reading How to Play Lucky Lemons Solfege Board Game
Ocean Themed Folk Songs and Ocean Animal Composition Activities
Maybe it's because I live in Savannah, Georgia (on the coast), but I love including ocean themed folk songs, listening activities, and lessons in my elementary music classroom. Every culture around the world has water-themed songs, and most also have ocean songs, which make it a great place to start including pieces from around the… Continue reading Ocean Themed Folk Songs and Ocean Animal Composition Activities
How to Use Boom Cards in Elementary Music
Have you ever heard of Boom cards? I learned about them in Spring of 2020, although, if we're honest, I did NOT have the brain space to think about them because..... #corona Later that summer, though, I investigated Boom cards, and I'm in love! Using boom cards in elementary music has been so great for… Continue reading How to Use Boom Cards in Elementary Music
Exciting and Effective Ways to Play Four Corners from 6 Feet Away or Virtual (in music class!)
I was talking with one of the Children's Church teachers at church this week, and she told me, "No matter what fun, creative games I come up with, the kids just want to play four corners." Four Corners is a super simple, super fun game, and I have adapted it a few ways to work… Continue reading Exciting and Effective Ways to Play Four Corners from 6 Feet Away or Virtual (in music class!)
How to do Candy Bar Composition for Halloween Fun
Halloween…. A teacher’s nightmare…. When it comes to Halloween/Halloween time, I try to “harness the power of the candy” instead of trying to get kids to sit still. I do that in two ways: I either do movement activities, or we do centers. One center activity that I like to do is candy bar composition.… Continue reading How to do Candy Bar Composition for Halloween Fun
How to Play Asteroid! An Active Rhythm Game
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… Continue reading How to Play Asteroid! An Active Rhythm Game
No Touch Singing Games for Elementary Music
This year has been.... an adventure, to say the least. And it is continuing to be an adventure, as schools reopen and teachers are forced to change their curriculums once again. This time, we are focusing on activities that can be done without touching or being near students... For elementary music teachers, that means no… Continue reading No Touch Singing Games for Elementary Music
Al Citron: Mexican Passing Game for dotted quarter note
This month is Hispanic Heritage month! I love Hispanic Heritage month, because I love teaching lessons from different cultures, and I also love a good theme. I find themes to be the easiest way to make lessons really flow together. This year, I am sharing one of my favorite lessons: Al Citron. Al Citron is… Continue reading Al Citron: Mexican Passing Game for dotted quarter note