Games

#17 Games - Updated 12/16

    TOPICS (Just click on the title you want to view)

  • Bingo Markers, ETC.,----Board Games ----Concentration----Cup Games ----Dynamics

    Ear Training----Jeopardy ----Melody & Rhythm----Movement ----Multipurpose

    Online Interactive Games ----Passing Objects to a Beat ----Puzzles ----Resources

    Reviewing Material---- Rhythm----General Game Rules (For discipline during games, see ##46 Seating Charts, Rules, Rewards, Discipline)

    Board Staffs ----Floor Staffs ----Musical Symbols

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    BOARD GAMES

    07/13 Don't Break the Ice is a simple matching game. One player flips over a card and then they have to find and hammer out the ice cube that matches the card. You will need to purchase the game from Amazon, Target, Walmart, Toys R Us, or any store that sells board games. I use the game as a matching game for my centers.
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    12/12 A GREAT LIST OF GAMES
    http://colorinmypiano.com/2010/11/15/musical-spins-on-favorite-games/

    http://sherylwelles.blogspot.com/search/label/Games
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    12/12 CANDYLAND (Music) This is a fun variation of the game Candyland. This great idea came from Rachel on the Yahoo piano teachers group. To make this game, you will need a Candyland game. On each square, write A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. On the pink candy spaces, draw a bass clef, treble clef, piano, forte, mezzo forte, and a double bar line. Draw a card from the pile, name the note, and move to the corresponding space. If you draw a card with double notes, you get to move double the spaces. Sometimes I will send this home with children who are struggling with notes, and tell them it counts as practice time.They love that, and come back the next week much better at their notes. I also made up cards that show the notes on the keyboard, so this game can be used when teaching that skill as well. (At the website below is a photo of the board.
    http://laytonmusic.wordpress.com/2007/12/03/candyland-music-sytle/

    12/12 PIRHANA PANIC (purchased game) Piranha Panic: This is a pricey game, but my students love it. I use this game to work on note values. The deck of cards has the note and how many beats the note gets. The card tells them how many spaces to move (e.g., two eighth notes = 1 space). The goal of the game is to get your 3 fish to the top of the river before the piranhas attack. ---- Tami Mangusso

    12/12 MUSIC UNO: Change Uno to Music Uno by adding notes and symbols to the cards 1 - quarter note, 2=half note, 3= dotted half 4=whole 8=8th etc, use symbols such as treble clef or rests. Use fermata for losing a turn, and repeat for an extra turn - use your imagination for others

    I use Don't Break the Ice to match the real note with the syllable sound. --- Tami Mangusso
    12/12 DO RE MI hopscotch

    12/12 TWISTER: Add notes to a twister game spinner and playmat and play music twister whole note, half, quarter, eighths

    12/12 Musical Dice Games
    http://www.musick8.com/listarchive/message_display.php?db_choice=listarchive&e_id=23241

    12/12 FOUR CORNERS I pick someone to be the caller, they stand facing the board. I say "scatter" and those playing move to a corner. I count down, sometimes from 5, sometimes from 3, it just depends. I'll say "freeze" and everyone needs to be at a corner and committed. I do not allow any open corners (empty corners) until we are down to 3 people. I'll then say "call" and the caller picks an instrument family. Everyone there goes and sits in the middle. Then I say "scatter" and it all begins again. I let the caller know when they are down to 4 and fewer. I allow for the caller to say the same family two rounds or more in a row. If it gets down to 2 kids still in and the caller does not get anyone out three rounds in a row, I have them stay put and the caller calls another family until they get someone out. Also, the same person cannot be the caller twice in one day. If that person is the last one standing, the 2nd to last person becomes the new caller. ---- Stephanie in Tacoma

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    BINGO

    09/03 "Game That Pertains" This is the list of games that I keep on hand for those days when nothing else will do. I try to get to them at least once during the year!

    These are games I use for 3rd-6th.
    Lines and Spaces Bingo
    Musical Symbols Bingo
    Rhythm Bingo Instrument Bingo
    Pass This Shoe MK8 3/3 - I love this!
    Musical Pictionary/Musical Charades/Musical Picturades (A combination of the first two.) - I choose cards that I have made that pertain to whatever we have been studying. The Cup Game - I use Sugar, Sugar from Laurie Zentz's Percussion Play-Alongs, the theme from Hawaii 5-0 AND any other new piece that we want to try!!
    Who Wants To Be A Music Millionaire - I make up questions for this and we play as a class on the overhead. Musical Go Fish - I made instrument cards and laminated them, enough for 4 decks. We play in groups of 4.
    Floor Staff Twister - I make a floor staff with electrical tape each year. We lay it just like you would regular twister...except on the staff. You know...right foot G...left had F.
    Musical Tic-Tac-Toe - I have a blank grid that I fill with current music vocabulary. We have 2 teams and they try to make a tic-tac-toe by defining the words correctly.
    Tennis Ball Rhythm - Each child gets a tennis ball and we stand in 4 rows. We warm-up with 1 row each of whole notes, half, quarter and eighths. We do this to Stars and Stripes Forever or any piece that has a very strong beat! After we get good at this, we do each pattern for 8 counts and then move to the next pattern. I have this displayed on the (Laurie Zentz's) Heart Chart at the front of the room.
    Extreme Bop-it. - I have several and we play in circles. (I have picked these up at my local Goodwill for a fraction of the cost of new! Keep your eyes open! It's garage sale time you know!)
    The Rhythm Name Game and The Rhythm Instrument Game - These two games are circle games. There is a 4 beat pattern: patch patch clap clap snap snap. Snaps are quarter notes. The leader starts by saying their name on the first snap and then someone else's name on the second snap. Then, that person says their name on the first snap and someone else's on the second snap. You keep doing this at random until someone messes up and then they stand on the outside of the circle continuing the body percussion. I usually have a practice run with younger classes and we just go around the circle in order the first time. The we do a random pattern.

    I usually sing game songs for my K-2nd graders. My standards are the Penny Song, The Button and the Key, Punchinello and Bluebird. (I learned all of these from my study in ETM.) We will also sing game songs from the book 123, Echo Me by Loretta Mitchell. I read on the list that it is back in publication! Yea! I also try to do the Hokey Pokey and Looby Loo a couple of times a year. We will do these the old fashioned way AND with colored scarves and pipe cleaners made into notes and percussion instruments. - Contributed by Carol Cantrell
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    BINGO MARKERS, ETC.,

    06/05 I just went to a no-name dollar store this weekend and got 100 chips for $1.00. They're totally cheesy, which I love, because you can see through them on a music staff, and it helps with the line/space concept. Erica on Longisland
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    5/01 I use anything from my old button collection (which ended up in school in a big ziploc bag) to dried macaroni (there's all kinds of cool shapes) - the kids are in charge of disbursing them, collecting them, and cleaning the floor ! They love this.

    I bought a bag of multi-colored plastic discs from Teacher Resource Center. I keep them in little paper candy cups that I store in a box lid(tray), ready to distribute easily and quickly when we play bingo.

    I pass out film containers with corn inside. The kids like the colored popcorn. At the end of the game, the corn is put back into the container. No eating, no loss if a piece doesn't make it back in, plus, I can observe the cards as the children are playing Bingo. Also, I have eAn easy and fun idea for bingo chips is to use Cheerios. At the end of class, they may all eat them. This way all of the kids get a "prize" and you have no chips to collect at the end of class. I also give a piece of candy to the winners.

    Note: Film canisters may not be a good idea for food. I've heard that they are filled with chemicals! This is not a safe container.

    I use dixie cups of pinto beans as markers.

    The kids will get a cup of Fruitloops for markers.

    I use poker chip for Bingo pieces-they work great! Just the right size and pretty difficult to sneak out or flip across the room. I keep a copy of every bingo card I have in big, individual zip-lock bags with enough pieces to play the game that requires the most bingo pieces. I number every single poker chip and card in the bag.

    Ihave a giant dannon container filled with small squares of multi-col. construction paper. lasts about 3 yrs. then i cut fresh ones on the paper cutter. Before lining up, they "bury their maestro (free space) in leaves," putting all their chips in a pile on their card. ready for the next class, and easy to clean up later.
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    Storage:

    I keep containers and the games in a cardboard flat that canned sodas come in. The whole set of games and containers are ready at a moments notice for emergency subs, etc.

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    CONCENTRATION

    Make 10 sets of matching cards (e.g., picture of a trumpet on one card, the word trumpet on another). Teams take turns calling two numbers. I turn them over to see if the kiddo made a match. If so, they remove those two cards and the next team plays. If wrong, cards get turned back over and are still in play. For the last play, when there are only two cards left in pockets - and they obviously are going to match - I take out the definition card and read it to the child. They must tell me what's on the last card. For the instrument version i show the picture and they must tell me the instrument name.

    I do Notes/Rests and their names, tempo and dynamics vocabulary terms, review questions from any lesson, and instrument concentration. I leave a key (paper) attached to the back of the board at all times, so this can be used with a substitute teacher. -- Artie Almeida
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    12/07 I draw 30 boxes on one transparency. I include 15 music symbols (or whatever concept is to be taught. I draw symbols on the transparency with a permanent marker and I make them small enough that a penny can cover each symbol. (They are plenty big when shown on the overhead screen.) I, too, keep an answer sheet ready at all times and pretty well always leave this game available for my subs, along with 30 pennies:) My instructions to the subs are as follows: Every time you uncover a symbol, have the class say its name. (This means that by the end of the game the students have had much participation and lots of practice looking and saying each symbol.) I have three or four versions of the game and each version focuses upon different things: some rhythms, some music symbols, some solfege, etc. -- Pamela Rezach
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    Needed are several pairs of cards (3" by 3") on poster board; Use markers of different colors and for each pair, think of a music element and it's meaning on the other card such as: p,piano; f,forte; 2/4(pictured correctly), meter; (picture of treble clef), clef;a small staff with a 'g' whole note, G, etc.; I use solfeggio and the Kodaly rhythm symbols so I can use a staff with a 'do' clef with 'sol' on the staff and the word 'sol' on the other card; a picture of a quarter note and 'tah' or "quarter note" on the other card. Pictures of instruments and their names is another idea. On the other side of the cards you can use colorful stickers to make them more esthetically pleasing.
    I tried this with a mixed age group of elementary students (I use about 40 cards for each 5 kids) and they loved it. It is played like "Memory" or "Concentration":
    The cards are placed face down (mixed up)and each student in her/his turn turns over 2 cards trying to find a match. If and when a match is found, the student removes and keeps that pair. I don't allow more than one extra turn when a match is found in order to give the others a chance and after 3 pairs, no extra turn is allowed for the same reason.
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    04/03 Take a transparency sheet and divide it into how many even divisions you desire. In each box, draw a music symbol (or whatever you are focusing upon.) Of course, you will want to draw each picture two times somewhere on the transparency so that all symbols can be matched.Number each box. I numbered them moving from left to right. I put the numbers in the bottom right corner of each box.

    Cover the answer with something. I use little plastic circles that I already use for notes on my overhead. Any little circle will work - even pennies! The point of the circles is to cover the symbols. As the students select boxes, you take off the "penny" and play the game. (If there is no match, you cover the symbol again.)

    This sure makes life simple! It takes up very little room and is easy to store. Keep an answer sheet with the transparency/s and BINGO! you have a great lesson plan for a sub who knows nothing about music.

    Every time a penny is moved, I say the symbol and the students must say the symbol. LOTS OF REPETITION in one class period!! If the student makes a match, he/she receives once sticker for making the match. If the student can tell me the name of the symbol, he/she gets two stickers. If the student can tell me what the symbol does, he gets three stickers. The students love this: First grade through fifth grade.-- Contributed by Pamela Rezach
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    01/03 PAPER PLATES: Use paper plates programmed on the bottom with whatever you want - I wrote rhythm patterns on the back of mine. Scatter the plates face-up on the floor. Let students take turns flipping 2 plates over to try to find a match. I bought jack-o-lantern plates at the Dollar Tree and also bought some with cornucopias on them.
    Contributed by Tina Morgan
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    Additional Ideas: I have a huge vinyl floor graph from when I used to teach in a K-1 classroom. It has large squares marked off in blue--that might be a good "grid" to set out the plates!!
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    I made a board on Poster Board. I use Library Pockets. I number the pockets, then I use Library or Index cards to put my terms or notes or anything I want to match. I put them randomly in the Numbered Pockets on the board and the students call the matches by number.

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    CUP GAMES

    12/16 CUP GAME: "All the Way Around the Susan Girl" Sheet music at: http://kodaly.hnu.edu/song.cfm?id=799 5th Grade: This song is to help them review four sixteenth notes. The cup pattern will be: beat 1 grab and lift the cup up, beat 2 put it down in front of their neighbor, beat 3 & 4 clap 2 times (once one beat 3 and once on beat 4). I will start with just one cup to see how well they keep the beat moving. We will do it once without any singing. Then we'll do it again, but this time I will be the only one singing. The students don't know the song. This is a fun way to teach the song, rather than teaching it by rote. Once the cup makes it all the way around the circle. I will sing the song (still just me), but I will be adding a cup each time. I will have a big stack of cups next to me. I will stop as needed. My students tend to get excited to see how there are more and more cups. Golden Ring Around the Susan Girl can be found in many different resources. I have it in the Making Music 3rd book.--- Tami Mangusso
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    11/13 "WHEN I'M GONE" At J.W. Pepper, there is an arrangement of this piece, though you have to search it by the title "Cups." Arranged by Roger Emerson and published by Hal Leonard. CD accompaniment track available although it says it may also be sung a cappella. They have an "e print" format as well, so you can get it asap! ---- Julie Jones, music teacher
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    06/06 CUP PASSING - The one with the extra cups is not necessarily the one with the problem. If their neighbor keeps passing too quickly, they can pile up. I tell the kids that their assignment is to pass ONE cup on the steady beat. If they wind up with 20 cups in front of them, their job is still passing one cup on the beat. Also, if a cup gets away, don't go after it. They'll just have an empty spot going around the circle.-- Susan Simandle Music Specialist
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    04/02 EASY CUP GAME
    CLAP CLAP BUMBLE BEE
    (clap clap tap tap tap-on cup) CLAP UP DOWN
    (clap, pick cup up, put it down)
    CLAP TURN TOUCH TOUCH
    (clap, pick up with right hand twisted, thumb down, touch left hand, touch floor)
    CHANGE PAT DOWN
    (change cup to left hand, pat the floor with the right hand, pass the cup to the LEFT and start again.

    When you put the cup back down in front of you with your right hand (before CHANGE...) isn't the cup on its bottom? If so, how then do you CHANGE, PAT, DOWN in front of your neighbor? Somehow the cup has to be put back on its top. How and when????.....at that point, the cup should still be upside down.

    Note: When we do it, we pass the cup to the RIGHT, and turn it over while we're doing it.
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    04/02 EASY CUP GAME
    1. "up, down, clap" pick up cup with right hand, put it down, clap hands

    2. "ti-ti ta, clap" do ti-ti ta on bottom of cup with fingers like a drum, clap hands (repeat these over and over with music until they "have it")

    3. "flip it, left, down" grab cup on its left side with right hand (thumb pointing at floor) and flip cup, put bottom of cup into left palm, holding with left hand now put cup back on floor bottom up.

    4. "click, click, click" later becomes "click, click, pass" right hand picks up cup and taps it on the floor three times later: right hand taps cup on the floor two times and on the third beat puts cup in front of right side neighbor.

    Practice passes by doing this: tap your own cup twice, lean and tap neighbors once. repeat....
    now try: click your cup on the floor twice and click it on the floor in front of your neighbor.
    finally: let it go over there and grab the new cup in front of you. practice the pass without the other moves then add them one by one.
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    10/01 CUP GAME: STARS AND STRIPES

    A pattern: q q q q | qr qr q q | q q q q | q q q Q ||
    clap clap clap clap |
    play on cup clap hit cup clap hit cup
    clap pickup pass rest

    B pattern: q q qr q | q q q q | q q qr q | q q q Q ||
    clap snap hit hit hit clap hit cup clap
    hit cup clap snap hit hit
    hit clap pickup pass rest

    C pattern: q q q q | q q q Q | q q q q | q q q Q ||
    clap turn palm floor
    | R knee, L knee, floor clap turn back palm
    floor clap pickup pass rest

    D pattern: q q q q | q q q Q | q q q q | q q q Q ||
    hit cup on the floor floor palm palm floor floor palm
    floor palm knee knee floor floor pass rest

    Begin the game with the cup turned upside down. When the directions say: turn: grab cup on the opposite side that you normally would and turn it right side up The next turn you’ll grab cup on the opposite side that you normally would and turn it upside down again. Rest during the 2 bar intro.
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    10/01 16 oz. red, white, and blue Solo cups work great and can lead to discussion about form/patterns.
    Right -v- Left Hint: washable marker dot on right hands does the trick. i used red and blue. everyone began by tucking his/her left arm in (across lap).
    Flipping Cup Over Hint: here's how i got mine to successfully flip their cups the same way. "hover your right hand over your cup. now turn your thumb down until it taps the floor. keep your hand firm and open while doing this." we practiced tapping our cups (hands) then the floor (thumbs). this gets their hands in the right position for grabbing and flipping the cups.
    Passing Hint: practice passing first by just having everyone tap his/her neighbor's cup (on the right). like this: two taps on your own cup (on beats 1 and 2), lean to the right and tap neighbor's cup once (beat 3). beat 4 = "back home" straighten up and hover right hand over your own cup. if you do this over and over again to the music, they'll have no prob. (or very few anyway) actually passing their cups to the right. and they'll see how neat it's going to look.
    Routine: each pattern first taught alone and practiced slowly then with music. then taught other parts, later adding them together. *pattern one: "up, down, tap." pick up cup with right hand as if to drink, place back down, tap the cup on its bottom with open hand. BEWARE: think ahead. let them know at the start that this is a tap not a smash! and set up some consequences for those not following directions. otherwise you LIKE I will have several squashed cups! *pattern four (teach it 2nd): "click, click, click." pick up cup and tap open end three times (to the beat) on floor in front of you. once they have mastered both patterns together, turn pattern four into "click, click, pass." on beat three lean slightly to the right and put your cup down in front of your right neighbor. return to normal sitting position and hover right hand over your new cup.
    ---once they've mastered these two patterns together you can add more--- *pattern two/three: "flip it over, tap." reach over the top of cup (thumb down), grab cup, flip it over onto its bottom, tap the open end. repeat and follow with last pattern.
    ---next week we'll try this---
    *pattern two: "flip it over, dump." grab it, flip it, dump imaginary contents over right shoulder.
    *pattern three: "down, flip it over." place back down on its bottom, reach over and flip it onto its top. follow with final pattern. more songs that work well:

    Sousa's The Lambs, The National Game, Powhatan's Daughter (i love this one!), The Glory of the Yankee Navy. Guthrie's This Land is Your Land is also at a good tempo to begin with. faster: Sousa's The Washington Post (about his fav. newspaper of course) and The Stars and Stripes Forever.
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    10/01 Passing games of any kind can be tricky to get going and to keep fun as opposed to tedious.
    One of the tricks I use with the cup game to get everyone going in the right direction, is to keep the pile of cups in front of me and hand them out to my right one at a time. This forces the child to pass in the correct direction. While I pass I say, pick and pass and pick and pass..... The kids say it with me and even my grade 2's (this is only Sept!) can all pass to the right.
    In some passing games, just the passing isn't gamelike enough to keep them interested. I used sticks with obwisana this year instead of stones - each child gets one. We go tap tap tap pass as we sing. I use those colored lumni sticks and pass out only 3 yellow and the rest the other colors. Whoever has the yellow at the end of the song, leave the main circle and make a new one. The grade 2's have been very enthusiastic about this game version. They are keeping the beat really well, passing to the right and they sing the song very well.
    I liked the idea someone else posted of doing the cup pattern just on the rondo part of the listening piece! This really makes them listen.
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    CUP PASSING GAME
    Language is: "clap clap bumblebee, clap, up, down"
    ("ta, ta, titi, ta / = ta, ta, ta, rest")
    Beat 1: clap (ta); Beat 2: clap (ta)
    Beat 3: tap the top of the cup twice (titi)
    Beat 4: tap the top of the cup once (ta); Beat 5: clap (ta)
    Beat 6: raise the cup a few inches into the air (ta)
    Beat 7: place the cup down again (ta); Beat 8: rest

    Second part: Language is: clap, grab, pop, down, switch, clap, pass
    (ta, ta, ta, ta / ta, ta, ta, rest)

    Beat 1: clap
    Beat 2: grasp the cup from the left with the right hand
    Beat 3: "pop" the top (open) end of the cup against the left palm held flat with thumb up
    Beat 4: place the cup down, right side up. Don't let go of the cup.
    Beat 5: place the bottom of the cup in the left palm, then grasp with left hand. "Switch" the cup to your left hand in this movement.
    Beat 6: Slap the table (or floor) with the right palm down.
    Beat 7: Using the left hand, place the cup in front of the person to the right, reaching over the right hand that has slapped down. The cup is placed upside down, in position to begin the first part.
    Beat 8: Rest

    Suggestions:
    Teach the first part first and pass the cups on the "up/down" part putting it down in front of the person to your right.
    As you are teaching it, pass the cups out gradually. Passing to your right until everyone in the circle has a cup in front of him or her. Once everyone has a cup teach the second part s..l..o..w..l..y !
    Use plastic tumbler cups. Paper cups will get crushed and cans are too noisy. Try this game using the Washington Post March (Sousa)
    Try this in a performance using white gloves, white cups and black light. Have the kids make up their own cup passing patterns!
    I usually play Scott Joplins Entertainer. Washington Post sounds like a fun variation. I've used Scott Joplin music for the same activity.
    I simplified mine a bit since I teach VERY large classes 35 to 45 at times. Ragtime goes well with it. Try using two different tempi, they love it when it goes faster.

    First I teach it w/o cups. They have no clue what its all about but they have to be able to do the entire song, if they make a mistake they have to find the way to catch up (its funny because sometimes I'm coaching them while playing and I mess up and they have a blast at watching me try to catch up) they learn from watching me mess up!!! I add the cups after they have practiced first in their seats and then in the circle.

    I too learned it along time ago at a MMEA workshop except the words were a little different.

    Clap Clap Pit-a-pat clap up down.
    Clap grap touch down change slap down.
    The actions are basically the same. For touch we used the side of the cup. I also collected a tub full of cups from the local eating places that were specialty cups. The kids brought them in, too. My daughter brought me a dozen or so from a Royals baseball game. I found these cups work better than the solo cups because they are heavier. I use it with 1st graders but never do the 2nd half. I modified it to where we pass on the first line on the word "down"

    I simplified mine a bit since I teach VERY large classes 35 to 45 at times. Ragtime goes well with it. Try using two different tempi, they love it when it goes faster. First I teach it w/o cups. They have no clue what its all about but they have to be able to do the entire song, if they make a mistake they have to find the way to catch up (its funny because sometimes I'm coaching them while playing and I mess up and they have a blast at watching me try to catch up) they learn from watching me mess up!!! I add the cups after they have practiced first in their seats and then in the circle.

    Looking through my materials, I came across "the cup game" and it is done to the song "Turn the Glasses Over

    I tried this activity, The Cup Game, somewhat timidly my last week of school, but I even had trouble getting it to happen with my own little brood back home (5,7 & 9 years old). By any chance is beat six of the second part: "slap?" ie: Language is: clap, grab, pop, down, switch, SLAP, pass

    If you could clarify this, I'd appreciate it. I did, however, stumble onto an O.K. although perhaps shameless little ruse that helped me get through the last couple of hot, hectic days (I still have to go back in on Monday, believe it or not).

    I take a few half gallon plastic empty juice bottles and freeze them 2/3rds full of water, bring them into school the next day and and top them off. I then whip out the cups (for The Cup Game) and proceed to pour myself cold water, drink and gradually mark names on the cups and invite students that are participating with distinction to join me. Beats stickers or animal crackers in this sort of weather.

    But since I couldn't get The Cup Game to hold water, I had to go to an alternative, keep-em cool activicty, DRAW ME A BUCKET OF WATER. Although I fear that anyone not already familiar with this wonderful, touching singing/movement activity may experience the same sort of difficulty that I experienced with the cup game, never having seen it done, there is a MIDI file and lyrics and instructions available through the following URL http://www.concentric.net/~Gamba/DrawMeABucket.html

    P.S. When you get really good you can flip your cup during the the touch, touch part. My kids love this too after they get really good at it. So the third line goes: Clap Turn Flip Catch. This usually works only on the slower tempos though. -----------------------
    CUP GAME (another version): It goes like this:
    "clap, clap, tap, tap, tap, clap, up, down, clap, turn, touch, touch, change, pat, down".

    You start with the cup upside down on the floor. After all the kids can get it with their own cups, we get in a circle and on the last "Down" we change it to "pass". I have a sequence of recordings (mostly ragtime) from the Weikart CD's, starting very slowly and speeding up to break neck tempo with "12th Street Rag" and "Mayim". My kids love it, so I would love to have another variation! I buy Solo plastic cups from Costco (Price Club) and tell the kids that if they break one on purpose they have to buy me a new bag (about 8 bucks for 200, I think). Haven't ever had to enforce it, though. I get out one set for all of my 5 and 6 classes and they last all year. I make them use them until they won't stand up anymore - cracks and all.
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    I have always used the cup game as a team event for sixth grade and every year the kids listed it as a favorite.
    Here's how we did it in teams:

    -Divide the class into groups of 5-6
    -Allow each group to choose a "cup-related" name
    -Put up a "scoreboard" bulletin board with three rounds scored as follows: Round One-learn the cup game from the teacher
    0-5 points for correctness/steady beat
    0-3 points for team work during practice time

    Round Two- given a rhythm create your own cup motions
    0-5 points for correct use of rhythm
    0-5 points for originality
    0-3 points for teamwork

    Round Three-notate your own rhythm and create a cup pattern to match it
    0-5 points for correct notation of rhythm
    0-5 points for originality
    0-3 points for teamwork

    If you balance the teams when you assign them the teamwork points almost always make the difference (a good life lesson). Winning teams from each classroom get to drink a soda from their cup (after the cups are washed)
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    PASSING CUP GAME: 1st and 2d grade
    1. I use plastic Solo cups. They do occasionally break. I simply tell the kids that I can only buy one package a year. If we run out of cups for the class, we just don't get to do it again until the next year.
    2. Use any music with a good, strong beat. I have Phyllis Weikart's Rhythmically Moving series. At first I choose a slow one like Kortanc (CD 3).

    When we are secure at the slow tempo, we move to a faster selection like Alley Cat (also on CD 3).
    3. The rhythm is in 4/4. Ta, ta, ti-ti, ta. Ta, ta, ta, sh. Ta, ta, ta, ta. Ta, ta, ta, sh.
    4. This is the chant I teach while we are learning the routine: Clap, clap, pitty pat. Clap, up, down, rest (whisper). Clap, grab, touch, down. Change, slap, down, rest. After we learn the routine, we do it without chanting.
    5. Children sit in a circle with open side of cup down to begin. They use their right hand to do all steps until you get to the part where you "change."
    6. Okay, this is the hard part to explain. Obviously, you clap on the parts where you say clap and you rest when you say rest. I will try to give detailed instructions for the other words in the chant. Pitty pat = use over-turned cup as a drum. Gently tap out ti-ti, ta. Up = pick cup up with right hand. Down (the 1st one in the chant) = put cup back down on floor. Grab = Grab cup with right and and turn cup right-side up. Touch = touch cup bottom on palm of left hand. Down = Touch bottom of cup to floor. Change = Pick cup up with left hand. Slap = slap right hand down on floor. Down (the 2nd one) = cross left hand over right as you pass your cup to your neighbor on your right.
    7. Repeat the routine as you move cups around the circle.

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    DYNAMICS

    HOT AND COLD
    The class sing either "I Have Lost My Closet Key" or "Button, You Must Wander". Both songs are in the appendices to the Kodaly books by Lois Choksy. This idea involves "the same concept of hiding the object when one child is out of the room or covering their eyes. As the child gets closer, you sing louder, further away, you sing softer. There can be varying levels to volume when they are approaching the object. If they are hovering in the area, but not finding it, you can start singing softer again until they become really close.
    "After playing this game a few times on different occasions with the children, I challenge a child by hiding the object on my person, in my hand or behind my back and I walk around the room as they are looking. The same rules apply, if they are close to me, sing loud. The fun part is that even though they may be standing still, the children may be singing various volumes because I am moving. It's a great laugh when the child figures it out! Word of caution: Only do this with a child who can take the joke."
    -----------------------
    DYNAMIC EXERCISE Put a simple phrase on the board (I use sheets of paper with the sayings on them and stick them to the board - the phrase I use is from a poem called the Judge (I think) "A horrible thing is coming this way, creeping closer every day". After teaching students the symbols for dynamics, I ask them how they would mark this phrase to make it more dramatic. I write the symbols on the board and conduct the class as we chant the phrase. I usually allow 3 - 4 different interpretations. The kids enjoy this activity, particularly the crescendo part and anything double forte. For singing, if you can schedule it during Halloween, Ghost of Tom is an excellent song to use using the same method. -----------------------
    WHAT DYNAMICS TO USE? Put a simple phrase on the board (I use sheets of paper with the sayings on them and stick them to the board - the phrase I use is from a poem called the Judge (I think) "A horrible thing is coming this way, creeping closer every day". After teaching students the symbols for dynamics, I ask them how they would mark this phrase to make it more dramatic. I write the symbols on the board and conduct the class as we chant the phrase. I usually allow 3 - 4 different interpretations. The kids enjoy this activity, particularly the crescendo part and anything double forte.
    For singing, if you can schedule it during Halloween, Ghost of Tom is an excellent song to use using the same method.
    My grade 8's must mark a poem dynamically and creatively read it, or act it out for the class. I give them a choice of poems or let them choose their own with my supervision.
    -----------------------
    HIDE THE DOLL Allen steps out of the room while Bruce hides the dolly. Bruce steps back in the room and looks for the dolly. Clara plays the G bell when he's getting warmer and the E bell when he's getting cooler. Since we have 3 individuals, and since 3x2x1=6, then there are 5 more ways we can assign roles.

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    EAR TRAINING

    EAR TRAINING
    Another variation is to have cards with notes on them. I use this one for ear-training. Each card has one note on it. I have to use 13 different notes as there are 26 kids in some of my classes. I play the full scale from the lowest note card to the highest note, pause a moment, then play just one single note. Whoever has that note gets to shoot for his/her team. You could also have cards with solfege patterns, or whatever you happen to be working on at the moment. Endless varieties, I imagine, I just haven't thought of many more yet. I guess it all depends on the age/ability level of your students. You can modify the level of difficulty...easy rhythms for the lower grades, more complicated rhythms for the advanced students. At any rate, they ALL love to play games, no matter what it is!

    Another ear training game I use is "hide the candy". I have 8 plastic cups(not the transparent type). On the bottom of each one I put do, re, mi, etc. Turn the cups upside sown on a table, piano top, or whatever you have. I use the piano bench and sit in a chair at the piano. I have a piece of their favorite candy hidden under one of the cups. (My students like "Jolly Ranchers".)

    I will play a scale from do-do, pause, then play one note(the one under which the candy is hidden). Someone to come and choose the correct note(either "hands up" or my choice of student, depends on what you would like to do). If they have good ears, they will choose the correct note, and their reward is the candy! I start this game with the third graders(8 years old), only using do-sol, and the older grades using full scales, and notalways using the same key. It's a really fun way to end the class after some lesson work, and it is a great motivator for good behavior and hard work!
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    01/02 TONE COLOR RECOGNITION: B--I--N--GO AND BINGO WAS HIS NAME--O

    Alison McDonald applies the BINGO game for tone color recognition. "I make up cards with 6 squares, and drawn pictures of classroom instruments. I then hide behind a screen, and they use counters to mark them off. Some of the cards have the same instrument twice, but they can only mark one each time I play it, so they have to wait for a second playing before their card is full."
    As long as you have a deck of matching cards, though, you may as well get your money's worth by also playing concentration, go fish, and old maid. For further discussion on this, call up:

    Games Page AT
    http://home.earthlink.net/~debrajet/games.html

    Click on "Box Game," and scroll down to "Rhythm Card Deck." Of course, you should check out all the other ideas while you're there. You have probably seen the DICE GAME:
    http://204.96.11.210/jchuang/Music/Mozart/mozart.cgi
    in the form of a minuet by Mozart, or the ragtime Melody Dicer by Scott Joplin.
    For more info write to:Carousel Publishing Corp., Brighton, MA 02135
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    SNAKE PIT
    Have the children sit in a large circle on the floor, legs criss-crossed. Choose two individuals to be in the middle. One person is running away and one person is chasing. Give a clicker to each player. (You can also use finger cymbals, a shaker or any other noise making device.) Blindfold each player, making sure they know who is chasing and who is running away. The person who is chasing clicks twice and the person running away must answer by clicking twice, and the chase is on. Every time the pursuer clicks, the other person must click back. I encourage the students who are being chased to click and then run away, since their objective is to not get caught. As the two people in the circle get closer to the edge, the other players hiss at them,letting them know they are at the edge and need to move to the center, hence the name Snake Pit!

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    JEOPARDY

    07/11 Game Building Website: http://jeopardylabs.com/
    ------------------
    07/11 DOMINOES: ONLINE to print out from Brian Weese: http://www.box.net/shared/ucsoto8oou

    NOTE NAMES: ONLINE: to print out: http://www.box.net/shared/82lr5yr8jf

    NOTE VALUES: ONLINE to print out: http://www.box.net/shared/8xxv601s9n
    --------------------------------------------
    1. Get 2 posterboards and cut one of them up into 6" by 6" squares.
    2. Put glue on 3 edges of the squares and use them to create 3 rows of 4 pockets on the other posterboard. (12 pockets in all)
    3. The next step is to write some rhythmic patterns and/or melodic patterns on strips of tag board, 8 inches long and 3" wide. Create 2 of the same pattern until you have 24 pairs.
    4. Then choose 6 matching pairs and place them at random in the boxes. Here is an example: Since the rhythm is not being shown on a staff, the note heads are not needed.

    How to play:
    1. Divide the class into 2 teams. My class loves to play Boys vs. Girls.
    2. Team #1 will choose any square on the posterboard and the strip containing the pattern is revealed.
    3. If the player says/sings and claps (if it's rhythm) the pattern correctly, then the player gets to choose another pocket.
    4. If the other pattern chosen matches the pattern that was performed correctly, then that team gets a point.
    5. Then teams trade turns until all the patterns are used and the pockets are empty. (I like to keep filling the pockets after the posterboard becomes half empty. While I am placing new patterns in the pockets, I turn the chart stand around so that I can work in privacy and the class hums the Jeopardy Television Theme song until I have completed the task.
    A HINT:
    You can modify the game for beginners by having the other side of the posterboard with multi-colored pockets. It's easier to remember where a particular pattern was if a color can be associated with it.
    --------------------------
    I've made up some categories, such as Rhythms, Pitch Names, Composers, Ways To Listen, Instrument Families. I have 17 categories, each with at least 5 clues. The Jeopardy board is made from a piece of poster board with library pockets glued on, then laminated. One piece (vertical) will hold 6 across and 5 down, just like the real Jeopardy. Each clue is written on half of a 4x6 card. The class is divided into three teams, each team having a different musical instrument (so I can distunguish who is "ringing in"). Only the first person in each team can answer. After their question, they go to the end of the line. If *no one* of the front people can answer, then I open it to the first hand I see, each team having only one more chance. It's pretty much like real Jeopardy; the extra rules are because we play in teams.
    -----------------------------
    I use Jeopardy for our end-of-the-year test review. The game is made on a large piece of foam board and I put it up on an easel for us to play. I have the category headers on magnetic tape so I can change them out for each grade level. I do this game 3rd-5th. Each category has four colorful library pockets mounted below it to represent 100, 200, 300 and 400 dollar questions. I use different colors of paper for the questions for each grade level as well, so in between classes you can change the headers and the content questions. Of course, as the dollar amount goes up, the questions get harder. I won't be back to school now until August, but could list the categories and questions. We don't do it in the form of an answer like on the TV show, but kids don't mind.

    I also have Recorder Jeopardy and Orchestra Jeopardy headers and question cards. -- Artie Almeida
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    6 categories, such as composers, notation, "That's Italian" (tempo and dynamics words), instruments, grab bag - whatever you have been studying this year. five boxes under each: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 points each (hardest ones worth more) Questions on index cards, face down in each blank on the grid. Kids in teams (I do it very arbitrarily) take turns choosing category and amount. They can answer by themselves for full credit, or choose someone on their team to help for 1/2 credit. If they miss, the other team gets a chance to answer for full value.

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    MELODY & RHYTHM

    10/12 MUSICAL UNO - the template for the cards, which is just eight blank rectangles (2 rows of 4) to copy onto cardstock and make the cards out of. The instructions, how many of each card to make, etc. are in an email to the list. You don't really even need the template - just make a 2 row x 4 column table that is the size of your whole page to copy onto your paper so you'll know where to put whatever you're putting on your cards. Or to put pictures in, if you want to go that way. – Pamela Rezach
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    04/05 MUSICAL ALPHABET SCRABBLE:
    Goal: kids are able to manipulate the music alphabet forward/backward.
    Materials: (do it any way you want, but here's how I did it) ----70 plastic bottle caps, 35 white, 35 blue (color irrelevant, but they make keeping things straight easier). We use diet cokes, orange juice, soymilk, water bottles etc. I keep a big bowl in the kitchen and we recycle the bottles and throw the caps into the bowl which gets emptied into a giant ziplock once in a while and taken to school. Rinsing the caps is a good idea, btw.) ----
    Avery 5474 color coding labels, 3/4" round (some are removable, some aren't) (7 rows by 5 rows = 35 pitches) ----
    Template for printing onto those labels downloadable from avery.com.
    Print the music alphabet onto the round labels using the template. You'll want to futz around to get the printing just right, but perservere.
    For the beginning level, use the pitch letters.
    For the more advanced levels, use the notation.

    Peel and stick the labels onto the bottle caps. Store them by cap-color in two small ziplocks. Use one of each color for the game. (That way they are easily separated into correct bags in case I want to use the caps for a different activity.) You're done. OOOOORRRRRR cut out squares of construction paper and eliminate all this.

    GAME You need the caps and a card with an arrow pointing up and an arrow pointing to right. These indicate where "up" is so that there's no confusion about which way the alphabet should go. Rules: -- up to 5 players -- empty two bags for the game.
    Everyone draws 7 and hides them behind a file folder.
    Suggest that the kids arrange them in alphabetical order rather than building cool pyramids with them.... sigh....) -- the rest of the caps go to the side for the pot -- remind the kids to put their caps in real straight rows because it's easier to play on (use the ones already on the board) that way. -- kid with the most (pick a letter)
    A's drawn goes first; play then goes clockwise.
    The first player makes the first move IF s/he can put down at least 3 in a row (alphabetically speaking..... cde, abc, gab, etc.)
    If not s/he draws one from the pot and play goes to the next person. The next players must choose to play horizontally or vertically, but never both, for that turn. The next player may extend the line put down by the previous player or start another one in the opposite direction, i.e., vertically.
    RULES: You can only play on ONE line. You can't put your caps down in two different areas. ONE line.
    You can extend a line from the edges however.
    If the current line is bcdef, the next player may add g and a at the beginning and also a g at the end, for example. You can also, like scrabble, use a piece that's already been played as part of YOUR sequence.
    The player puts down all the pieces that can be played on that one line and then draws a single cap and that turn is over.
    If the player has no play (then he's probably not very awake!), he just draws a cap and his turn is over.

    Keep playing until ...... you run out of time, someone uses all his/her caps, you use all the caps in the pot, you get bored.... whatever.

    My kids kinda like having time called and then being challenged to put EVERY remaining cap into the puzzle correctly - as a group in a mad dash in one minute. Then they put the caps back into the bags sorted by cap-color and squoosh the air out, zip them up tight and give them back to you. Serendipitously, the little grippers on the bottoms of the caps make the caps stick nicely on my carpet and the kids don't have to chase them down and restraighten them all the time. FUN. This would be an excellent choice for centers. -- Martha Stanley
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    01/03 FROGS & FLIES 2-4 : Sit in circle. Detective leaves room. Choose one frog. All others are flies and buzz on different or same note. Detective returns and has 3 guesses to discover frog. Frog kills fly one at a time by getting eye contact and quickly sticking out tongue. (FAVORITE part!) Frog becomes detective.
    Children sit in a circle. All are flies except Detective who leaves room while a 'secret' frog is chosen. Detective returns to the room. Flies hum (buzz) and frog can "kill" flies by catching their eye and quickly sticking out his/her tongue at them. Flies fall backward as they are "killed".
    The detective stands in the middle of the circle and gets 3 tries to guess who the secret frog is.The kids love this. I have to remind the younger ones to look around the circle in order to not give away who is playing the frog.After a guess or three tries, the frog becomes the new detective and the detective rejoins the group.
    Contributed by Laura McDonald
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    SOLFEGGIO BINGO
    Materials I have a board for each child (which is a paper with 12 spaces (3 columns across, and 4 rows down) I put this in a plastic sleeve. (I have mixed classes (grades 1-3) so the thrid graders use the staff notation side and the others use the side with letters (d for do, m for mi and so on) I place the letters (ex: s m s) higher and lower according to their pitch level. Each child is given a baggie with 9 poker chips in it.
    Directions
    There are 16 spaces (one free) and they only have to get THREE any direction. I sing first: "Sol" then a three note pattern (on "loo") from a row of their board (I have cards to sing from) and kids raise their hand to tell me which pattern I sang. The first one to get a correct bingo (we check their "three-in-a-row". This child becomes the new caller but I sometimes assist if their singing is not accurate. It's a good chance to hear individual voices.
    --------------
    I've been doing this as a variant of "Hide the Closet Key" for many years. I have a bucket of toys: fake poop, mega bugs, plastic eyeballs, etc. that I get from a neat place called World of Science. Sometimes we hide the tiniest key we can find for a real challenge. I use the song with it and just change the words. It's also great for teaching crescendo and decrescendo as the kids get more skilled at controling the volume levels. I'm thinking of even adding a tempo element to it, such as cold=slowest tempo, hot=fastest tempo. Could be done really well with the hand claps.
    -----------------------
    HEAR THE MELODY
    Material: a chart with a picture of a keyboard, with white keys from C to high C labeled. Put labeled masking tape on the same keys on your real keyboard or piano. First, you divide the boys from the girls. Then pick a captain for each team. Teacher sits near the white/chalk board to keep score. The boy captain comes to the piano and plays a key with tape on it. The girl captain stands where she cannot see the keyboard and listens. Then she walks around to try and play the same key the boy played. She gets three chances. Teacher can give verbal clues, like "Too High" or "too low." If she gets it right on the first try, girls get 3 points. If she gets it right on the 2nd try, girls get 2 points. If she gets it right on the 3rd try, girls get one point. If anybody talks during this procedure, their team loses one point. I keep a separate column on the board for plus points and minus points. If she doesn't get it right at all, the BOYS get one point. Let's say she got it right. Then she gets to play the next key for one of the boys. The boy captain gets to pick the next boy contestant. Let's say she didn't get it right. Then the same boy plays for the next girl, chosen by the girl captain.
    -----------------------
    HIGHER FASTER STRONGER (Upper Elementary)
    Something for a little change of pace. I tried it a few Olympics ago and the kids got a kick out of it. Taking off on the Olympic motto of "Higher, Faster, Stronger" I had for our theme "Higher, Faster, Longer". Each student chose a category to compete in and were judged on how high or how long (in one breath) they could sing or how fast they could sing a selected tongue twister. I think I used something like Peter Piper for the speed contest. Student judges were used for some parts of the competition with the requisite score cards to hold up. Gold, silver and bronze medals(from yellow, grey and brown construction paper) were presented in each category. And all this in one lesson! With the Olympics just over a week away it may provide a short diversion.
    -----------------------
    PATHFINDER
    A melody was played on the piano. 5 notes long. The students had constructed a large mat made from 25 squares of construction paper. Each square had a letter-name written on it. The contestant stood on the middle square which was a C , the starting note. They then listened to the melody and had to step the the correct letters on the mat. If they were wrong,they got another try by correctly clapping back a melody, or giving the meaning of an Italian term.
    -----------------------
    M & M's AND SKITTLES
    I made up staff paper to fit the little candies "M & M's" and "Skittles" which are marked with "m" and "s". Give each students ten of each. Using the recorder, play various sol-mi patterns. If they get it correct they get eat the song. Of course you can make any kind of game variation of this. It would be particularly fun at Valentines Day because of the candy.

    SKITTLE STAFF: It takes some preparation and is difficult to explain, but I'll do my best! I have a staff for each student (about 6x17) that is laminated. Each student also gets small bag or cup with Skittles. I usually give each student about 15. Then I have decks of cards made up with the music alphabet letters (eg. A, B, C, D, E, F, G) three of each letter, two cards that say "Any Space", two cards that say "Any Line", two "Lose a Turn" cards, and two cards that say "Eat a Skittle." I divide the class into groups with about four or five in each group and give the group a deck of cards. The students take turns drawing a card from the top of the deck and placing a Skittle on the correct line or space. If they get a repeat of a letter, they don't put anything down. They can choose any space or line if they draw those cards. And, of course, their favorite is to draw. -- Beth Haugland

    ” I've played the Skittles game a few times with my recorder classes and decided to add more cards like: Reverse Eat a Skittle (from the board) Lose your turn Remove a Skittle Remove a (specific color) Skittle Take away 2 Skittles Skip -- Gretchen in IL
    ------------------------------
    SING ME A MONSTER
    Although this idea was designed to be played during the Halloween season, Adapted it for use year-round. The students make cards in which four monster body parts are illustrated: head, arms, tummy, and legs. The teacher collects these cards and puts them in a hat. The teacher approaches each child and sings, "Sing me a monster" on a simple pattern. Then, on the same pattern, the child responds "I'll sing a monster" and takes a card out of the hat. The student who actually completes a monster without getting two of the same body part gets a prize. (According to my calculations, the chances are 3 out of 32 that the student will get all 4 body parts on 4 draws.) The game can be modified not only for animals, but for colors, numbers, foods, or any other subject matter. Golden Pipes does not demand that each child sings, but rather allows any child to draw a card after making an honest attempt.
    -----------------------
    LISTEN BEFORE PASSING
    Sue Snyder Children sit in a circle. One holds a large yarn ball or other object to pass (make it interesting to see and hold). The teacher improvises on recorder (or voice, or other pitched instrument). When the "magic sound" is heard (so-mi-so-mi), the ball is passed to the next student. If the children are not used to this aural discrimination, start vocally using solfege syllables. Eventually transfer to neutral syllables (loo, la, etc.) and then to instruments. Start by playing the pattern in predictable spots, like the ends of phrases. Also, at first play only other pitches when the magic sound is not present. Gradually make the placement less predictable, and challenge the listeners to pass the ball only when they hear the complete pattern. Kids should eventually become leaders. This can be used for any pitch or rhythm patterns, and is great for aural discrimination and building listening skills. It provides a great opportunity for you to model improvisation, and to build understanding of phrase.
    -----------------------
    INTERDISCIPLINARY GAME
    This is my idea. Test the class with a sample of items which fit into two categories. For each item, the class will sing or play "so" if it fits into one category or "mi" if it fits into the other category.
    For example, tell the class to respond to "so" for every noun or "mi" for every verb. Other possibilities include odd or even numbers, or African or European countries. If you're not afraid of confusing the children, tell them to respond "so" to every true statement and "mi" to every false statement.
    -----------------------
    WAR
    I bet some of your students already know how to play War, using standard playing cards. It should be easy, then, to teach them to play the same game using a deck consisting of 4 cards of each solfeggio syllables (names such as 'sol, mi, etc., or actual notes on the staff. Deal out all the cards to 2 or more players. Each player turns the cards face down. All players lay out the topmost card. The player laying out the note with the longest value gets all of the cards which were just laid out. In the case of a tie, a "war" takes place. This means that the tying players lay three cards face down and one card face up, while saying "I declare war," with one card to a syllable. The player laying the face-up card with the greater value gets all of the cards which were just laid out.

    If a war results in another tie, another war takes place.. If a player is thus left with fewer than four cards for a war, that player forfeits those cards and loses the game. To be authentic, you must continue the game until one player wins all of the cards in the deck. You can allow this in an informal situation with no strict time allotments. But in a regular classroom situation, you might prefer to continue the game only until the players run through the cards which were dealt out.
    -----------------------
    INTERVAL FEUD
    "I make two shakers (each has two plastic cups taped together on their top rims, with bells inside) and place them on a music stand that has been pushed down and layed flat. A student from each team stands on either side of the stand with their hands around the shakers."I show a card with two notes on a staff which show an interval. Since these are sixth graders it would be too hard to ask them to identify whether it is major or minor so they have to tell me if it is a third, fourth, unison, or octave. "When the student has identified the interval, s/he shakes the shaker. The first to shake gets to answer, and must answer IMMEDIATELY. If the answer is correct that student's team gets a point. If it is wrong the other team's student gets to answer, (again - immediately) and if this student answers correctly, his/her team gets a point. "I make sure all the students can see each card I hold up so they can practice and be able to do it when it is their turn. The two contestants cannot get help from the rest of their team. If a member of the team forgets him/herself and shouts out help, that team's contestant cannot answer."
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    BUTTON MUST YOU WANDER
    Melody (M):if you don't use solfeggio,translate the following to key of C: d = c, r = d, m = e, f = f, s = g, l = a, t = b, d' = c', etc.,

    Rhythm (R): // = 2 eighth notes; l = quarter; z = quarter rest; b = half 1. One child hides eyes outside the circle. Class sits in a circle and passes a large button ON THE BEAT to the the person next to her/him around the circle while singing the song. When the song is completed, the class sings to the one child (with closed eyes):
    l l / / l z
    s m s s d
    "(Name) Turn a - round."

    OR: 2. One child sits in middle of circle and trys to figure out who has the button as all pretend to pass it ON THE BEAT.

    Song: / / / / l l l l l l
    d d d r m s r s m d
    Button must you wander, wander, wander.
    / / / / l l l l l z
    d d d r m s r s d
    Button must you wander everywhere.
    l / / l l l / / l l
    l l l s d l l l s d
    Bright eyes will find you, sharp eyes will find you,
    / / / / l l l l l z
    d d d r m s r s d
    Button must you wander, everywhere.
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    GAME WITH CARPET SQUARES
    If you prefer non-competitive games, you might like Tim Shields' activity using carpet squares. On each carpet square, paint a staff with one note and the appropriate pitch name. After a few carpet squares are placed on the floor, one student steps from one note to another while the others play each note which is stepped on. The child stepping on the squares could improvise, dictate a song which he/she knows by memory, or follow a sheet provided by the teacher.
    -----------------------
    COMPOSITION GAME
    Have you ever played the game in which one person begins a story, the next person continues the story, and so on? Tim Shields asks his students to create musical compositions on the same principle, using the afore-mentioned carpet squares.
    -----------------------
    COMPOSITION GAME
    With my class of 30, I ask the first 15 students to give me a letter between A and G. I then write those across the board. I then ask the remaining 15 students to give me a number between 1 and 4. 1 equals a whole note, 2 equals a half note, 3 equals an eighth note, and 4 equals a quarter note. When they give me the number, I simply write in the musical symbol under the letters. I then play the tune for them on the piano. (Sometimes, though not often, adding accidentals to certain notes to make it more melodic).

    I then return to the first 15 and ask them to start a sentence. One by one the next students adds the next word to the sentence.I instruct them to keep the sentences simple and not to use peoples names or ugly comments. The sentences usually read someting like "The Martian landed on the moon" or "The cat jumped over the trash can."

    I then sing the song for them. Not only is this amusing but they have actually come up with some pretty good melodies. From this the students are part of a song writing experience.
    -----------------------
    EAR TRAINING
    Music ed. was probably the farthest thing from Bruce McMillan's mind when he published the picture books, "One Sun" and "Play Day," but that's exactly what they are adaptable for. On each page turn, the text consists of what McMillan calls "terse verse," or a pair of rhyming on-syllable words. I have a 3 year old student named Louise. My first task has been to get her to hit the bell once on every signal. Since the child's name is Louise, I started by having her hit the bell once on "Lou" and once on "ise." From there, it was a small step setting McMillan's 2 books to music since we were still dealing with 2 syllables. With my primary age recorder class I use the 2 bookds for ear training. One child hides the eyes while I direct the remaining children to play either EE, GG, EG, or GE. The child then guesses which of the 4 that had just been played.
    -----------------------
    SING DOWN one of my kids favorite activities. They have 5-10 minutes in small groups (5 -8) to write down a list of ANY songs they know. These can include nursery rhymes, TV jingles, rock songs, songs from anywhere, etc. The idea is, once they have the list, that you point to each group, say "Go", they all sing a part of this song. You only let them sing for 5-10 seconds, then say "stop" Then on to the next group. The rules include: No one can repeat a song (even another part of the song), the entire group must be singing, and it must BE a song (I don't let them do raps). Winner is last team to be able to sing a song that hasn't been done before. There are a few other rules I use, but you get the idea. This usually takes an entire period.
    -----------------------
    MELODIC DICTATION WITH PENNIES
    I introduce melodic dictation by giving each student a page with a staff printed on it and a small yogurt or margarine tub that has pennies in it. The staff is sized so that the pennies can be noteheads. When we first begin, each tub has three or four pennies. As the kids improve, I put six or eight or ten pennies in. The pennies are always recycled for the next class. However, in the class before Christmas, Valentine's Day, or Halloween, I substitute Hershey's Kisses for the pennies.

    1. Name that Tune
    Place note-heads or students on the various lines/spaces and have the students sing/play the tune. They can sing in solfege, absolute pitches, hand signs, or using inner hearing (you play the notes or students).

    2. Chords/Inversions
    Arrange note-heads or students in chord arrangement of various lines/spaces have class sing or play on bells/recorders the pitches and identify the chord. Do root position first; then inversions.Students on staff could also have a bell and play as you play them. Sing in solfege; sing with hand signs.

    3. Marvelous Melody
    Show melodic phrases of familiar tunes on sentence strip or flashcard and have students place on the staff. Have them sing or play back. Use solfege, absolute pitches, hand signs. Name the Tune.

    4. Two-Part Harmony
    Place two pitches on the staff at once or melodies from partner songs. Sing aloud: use absolute pitches, solfege, handsigns. resonator bells, recorders, orchestra bells, whatever.
    -----------------------
    FRISBEE TOSS
    Have students line up in 2 lines and take turns tossing a frisbee onto the grand staff.
    1pt question - Is it a line or space note?
    2pt question - What is the letter name of the note on the staff?
    3pt question - What is the name of a note in the bass clef or on a ledger line?
    -----------------------
    MUSIC BASKETBALL
    We usually use it to review the letter names of the notes on the staff.
    1pt question - Is it a line or space note?
    2pt question - What is the letter name of the note on the staff?
    3pt question - What is the name of a note in the bass clef or on a ledger line?
    If the student answers the question correctly, their team gets that number of points. Then the student comes up and shoots a whiffle ball into a trash can for one extra point. I make 3 lines at 3 distances away from the can (the basket is still only worth one point, but it's amazing how they will try to answer a harder music question to prove they can make the basket from the farthest line!!!). If a student gets the question wrong, I still let them come up and try to get one point for making the basket.

    You could have the student toss a frisbee for extra pts. if it lands on that note.
    -----------------------
    MUSIC BASEBALL is easy because all you need are 4 chairs and a piano. Arrange the chairs like a baseball diamond. Divide the group into 2 teams. Play through the major scale and have the students sing it with solfege syllables. Select a team to "bat first" and have the first person go "up". He/she sits at home plate. Tell the students you will play "do" first, then a second note, and they will have to guess what it is. If the person "at bat" guesses it on the first try, it's a home run and the team scores a point. If he/she is incorrect, play the interval again. If he/she guesses it on the second try, it's off to 2nd base. If incorrect, I don't play it again but he/she gets one more guess. If correct, he/she goes to 1st base: if not, it's an "out". Run it just like a baseball game EXCEPT I only let each team have 2 outs: otherwise, the team that "bats" second will wait a LONG time to get up (if at all). You'll be amazed at how quiet your room is during this game.

    5/01 My students love music baseball. Since I use Orff and Kodaly methods this is my version. We sing the pitches we have worked on as a warmup. For instance first graders are singing la sol mi. The pitcher plays the warmup on a xylophone hidden behind a large chart. Both teams echo with solfege. We usually do this twice. Then the pitcher picks one pitch and plays it. Batter guessing correct on first guess, homerun, second guess, second base and third guess, first base. You are right --every child should at least get on first if they pay attention. Change pitchers with every batter. I have a five run limit. Second grade is singing s mrd--etc.
    -----------------------
    MUSICAL ALPHABET
    "I give the children popsicle sticks with a letter of the musical alphabet when they enter the room and they find their place on the staff. Sometimes we exchange sticks and do it again. We also play twister and have team races to see can get to the correct line or space first.
    "I do put ledger lines down also. It is a fantastic visual and kinesthetic approach to understanding the staff. I wouldn't be without it! When it's time to line up, I can reinforce their learning by having them line up on the E line or the boys on the B line and the girls on the G line etc. The applications are endless."
    -----------------------
    MUSICAL TWISTER (for evaluation)
    One or two lines of kids. I flash the card and whoever hits their melody bell first sings it first. The first person to sing it accurately goes to the music staff and puts their feet and hands on a note on the staff. Usually it is a 4-note pattern. Ist note-foot, 2nd note other foot, 3rd note hand, 4th note hand.Then walk accross the staff in that position and receive a piece of popcorn before entering the line again. The loser stays until he does win. For the music staff, I put tape on the floor or rug- three lines-so, mi, and space la for G,E, and A.I also put the letters so, mi, and la where the notes are. THis helped them to read the patterns better. During a half hour class, you can focus on hearing a child about 4 times to find their accuracy. Even those that refuse to use their singing voice are somehow persuaded for popcorn. For the "low aptititude" kids, I gavethem a few chances and then let them go without embarrassing them. Only about 4 kids had this problem in grades 2-4

    TWISTER The game is kind of like Simon Says. There are two DJ's one is a male and one is a female. If the male DJ calls a color they have to put their left foot on the colored dot (or move their left arm and hand). If the female calls a color they have to put their right foot. The tracks are short 40-50 seconds. As you play the challenges get more difficult. They will make them do things like hand on your head or jump on one foot. They just have to remember whether they do it with the right or left. There are 3 disc plus a bonus disc. It doesn't mater which disc you use they start off simply and as you go through the tracks they get more challenging. Each track start off with the DJ calling the pattern and then they will tell the players when to go. When I play it I will play the beginning a couple of times to allow the players to try to memorize the pattern. I found that this helps the kids to get. It is a pretty challenging game and I only play it with my 4th & 5th graders. I haven't played it this year, but since we've been talking about on this list, I might just have to pull it out and play it. You could easily play with teams, any time a player messes up then they sit out and a new player goes up. Those who are not dancing are the judges. It's a fun challenging game and would work well for a fun day. You can get the game at most any store. I bought my at Wal-mart, but I've seen them at Target and ToyRus. -- Tami Mangusso
    --------------------------------
    ADAPTED RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT Maybe you could adapt this to stepping on staff: In a game much like red light, green light, have the teacher sing a step, skip or same note and students can take:

    1 step for an interval step
    2 steps for an interval skip
    0 steps for same notes

    If a student moves when they aren't supposed to, or if they step too many times, they are sent to the back of the room. The first student to make it to the teacher wins.
    -----------------------
    FREEZE TAG
    Everyone walks freely around the room while teacher improvises on the recorder. The signal to freeze is "so mi" (or whatever pattern you may be working on at the time). They must stay frozen until they hear the signal again.
    -----------------------
    NOTE IDENTIFICATION
    Recorders:
    He made a velcro board board with the staff on it and I also made notes with the letter names on them. He coded the notes blue for the lines and red for the spaces. He times the students on placing the notes correctly.
    -----------------------
    FISH
    They promptly asked, "Can we play the fish game?" Patsy thought they were kidding at first. But no, they really wanted to play the game! So she laughed and said, "OK, but the rules are going to be slightly changed."

    The materials needed are:
    1. dowel rods with a string at one end with a magnet attached
    2. playing cards, each containing a note or letter name
    3. paper fish, attached to the playing cards with paper clips
    4. a large floor display representing a staff, keyboard, fingering chart, circle of fifths, herinafter referred to as the "orderly symbol"

    The game begins with the fish laid in random in a "pond" and the orderly symbol laid in another place. The student's task is to catch a fish, remove the card, and place the card in the correct place on the orderly symbol.You can play this game cooperatively or competitively. If you do it the cooperative way, you can ask another student to correct any mistakes a student makes in laying the card on the orderly symbol. If you do it the competitive way, the object will be to make as few mistakes as possible and to correct as many of the opponents' mistakes as possible.

    When Patsy said that the rules would have to be changed, what did she mean? She probably meant that the game would be adapted for a more advanced level. The game has many applications: scales, triads,inversions, rhythms which fit into a specified time signature. The game is probably fun enough to keep on playing until you get to augmented sixths and diminished sevenths!

    What? Older students playing a game with pretend fishing poles? How babyish! You are probably saying, "The enthusiasm from the younger students must have been contagious! If she had presented this game with the younger students' help, the older students would have turned up their noses!"

    Maybe, maybe not. In "Positive Classroom Discipline," Fredric H. Jones presents a system of classroom discipline which centers around promising an enjoyable educational activity if the entire class behaves. The author tells us that he usually gets resistance from secondary school teachers when he presents this idea at seminars. However, when these teachers make give his idea a try, they discover that it is not so difficult to devise educational games which older students could accept.

    Patsy uses a kit from TCW Resourses, which contains patterns and transparencies for a wide variety of music symbols. There is another form of this game in "A Galaxy of Games" by Margaret Athey and Gwen Hotchkiss.

    5/01 Someone else described a fish game. I used a doll rod for the pole, and tied a bar from the glock on the string. On each fish I put about 1" or more of that magnetic sticky back stuff and an eyeball. On the other side I have a note or symbol that has been used in class. I put the fish inside a hool hoop on the floor and have two ponds, but will soon expand to four ponds. No one can talk because it scares the fish. Team mates may help the fisherperson find the answer in the room on a poster by pointing to the answer. The person who caught the fish must deliver it to me and state the correct answer for a point. I've played this with 3, 4, 5, and 6.
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    BUTTON AND THE KEY (Grade Level: 2-6)
    Objective: For students to identify singing voices and other voice qualities. Also for students to sing a descending melodic pattern.
    Materials: 1 button (I have been known to substitute a button for a quarter), 1 Key, 1 Chair
    Procedure:
    1) Students sit in a circle
    2) Choose one boy to hide the button and the key
    3) Choose one girl to hide her eyes (I usually put her in a chair facing away from the circle)
    4) All players in the circle cup their hands in their lap.
    5) Sing Two times:(see melody below) "Down comes (Insert name here),
    Down comes he/she He/she is hiding the button and the key."
    6) While the whole class sings the song two times, The boy gives the button to one person and the key to another. Then he sits down in the circle. (Hopefully, he will choose two boys)* He may not keep either one and he must give them to two different people.
    7) The girl who has had her eyes closed the whole time now sings "Who has the button?" (I usually prompt them until they get the hang of it)
    8) The person with the button sings "I have the button."
    9) The girl sings "Who has the key?"
    10) The person with the key sings "I have the key."
    11) All players in the circle now place their hands closed and in their laps, so that everyone looks the same (It's good to point out to the students that the object isn't to guess, but to remember the sound of the voice).
    12) The girl now opens her eyes and may come back to the circle. She has 3 guesses TOTAL for the button and the key, to guess who has it. *She must state the person's name and the object she thinks they have.
    13) Weather the girl answers correctly or not, she gets to hide the button and the key next.
    (Hopefully, she will choose two girls)
    14) The person who had the button gets to hide their eyes.
    15) Anyone who has hidden their eyes is to keep their hands closed and in their lap during the song.
    16) The person hiding the button and key may only give the button to people whose hands are open. (This is to make sure everyone has a turn.)
    17) The key may go to anyone. Hands open or closed.

    This is not the way I learned the game, but I've modified it so it's easier for the classroom. I've played it this way for so long, I don't remember the original. It's a game that can be easily adapted to any group of students.

    Grade Level: 1st grade - To make it more age-appropriate I play it the same way, only I do not use the key. It's not as confusing for them.

    SONG: D Major
    4 | | | | | | d
    4 d d m m d d s
    Down comes (Kri-sten), Down comes (she).

    | | | |. -| |. -| | d
    d d m d d m m r d
    (She) is hi-ding the but-ton for me.

    ___ ___ ___ ___
    4 | |. -| |. -| Z | |. -| |. -| Z
    4 s m m s s s m m s s
    Who has the but-ton? I have the but-ton.

    ___ ___ 4 | |. -| d | |. -| d
    4 s m m r s m m r
    Who has the key? I have the key.
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    SONG BINGO
    I used a wonderful activity with my fourth and fifth graders this year before the holiday break. I will use it again. Basically a "Christmas Carol Bingo" or "Sing" - O!! Each class compiled a list of 24 Christmas/Winter/Holiday songs which I wrote on the board. Each class's list was different. Then I passed out a grid of 5 - 1 inch squares by 5 - 1 inch squares. the middle one was labeled "FREE". Each student filled out their own "game board" by putting the listed carols wherever they wanted on the grid. I wrote all the carols that they listed on blank 3x5 cards. All of that took up the first 35 minute class time.

    In the second 35 minute class time we played the game. There were two ways to play (although I'm sure all of you can think of MORE!) #1 - I sang, on "LA", the melody of the song chosen from the shuffled 3x5 cards and the students marked their cards. When they got the required 5 in a row, they shouted "Ho! Ho! Ho!" Not as brilliant as BINGO but they thought it was fun!
    #2 - The students sang the song on "LA".

    The second option was more fun for them because they got to sing. However we weren't able to play it as many times because they got so silly! Imagine that! Also some of them didn't know the songs that they picked and I had to help them.
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    IDENTIFY BINGO/rhythm & solfeggio
    This game requires boards (or dittoes) with appropriate symbols (rhythm on one side and solfeggio (on staff with 'do' clef) on the other side of board, a free space in middle, game pieces and a call set of cards with every pattern.
    SOLFEGGIO:
    The patterns in squares will be 3-4 note patterns on staff with clef with columns varying the symbols used. For instance: Row M: the five squares contain 4 note patterns of sol & mi (starting with sol on each one might make it more simple for younger students) such as: s m s s, s s m s, s s s s s m m m, etc., Row U: I add "la": s l s s, s m s l, etc., / Row S I add "do," Row I I add "re" Row S I add "fa" (There are so many possibilities that you could limit the choices for all 5 rows to sol, mi, do, & la.
    GAME BOARD
    The "board" for each student is approximately 11" square made from poster-board. It has a row at the top (1") with the letters M, U, S, I, C labeling the columns and 25 square (2") spaces for rhythm or solfeggio patterns with a free space in the middle. In the real game of bingo, there are about 19 possible numbers for each column of 5 squares. I use about 10 different patterns per column (of 5 squares) & change their positions on the board so that not everyone will have the same sequence of patterns.Put a one-measure pattern in each square (don't forget meter signature)
    GAME PIECES (square covers) These can be made from paper, stones, buttons or I use poker chips.
    CALLER CARDS
    Make complete set of cards each having one of the patterns you are going to use. (Be sure to keep a master copy for replacements.
    HOW TO PLAY
    The game is played with each student having own card and pieces. The caller plays the rhythm with rhythm instrument (2x) and then someone "Identifies" the rhythm by reciting it using words to describe the pattern: tah, ti-ti, tah, tah, or quarter, quarter, eighth-eighth, quarter or whatever. If the person identifies it correctly. the caller shows that pattern card to the class (to make sure they mark the correct square on their card with a game piece.) If not is not identified correctly, it is performed again and someone else guesses. (Be sure to stress the positive: "Good try" but let's try again!" The person with the right answer is the next caller. (The caller will have to ask someone to tend his/her board during his/her turn to call.)

    Another version: 1) On the chalk board make four color coded columns.(eg Red Yellow Green Blue)
    2) Have children dictate improvised four beat patterns - eight to ten for each color column and write them on the board in the right columns.( 8 red, 8 yellow etc.)
    3) Give out bingo boards each with four color columns in random order. (RYGB, BRGY, GBYR, etc.)
    4) Have children select patterns from each column and write them in the column on their board. While the kids are doing this the teacher needs to copy the patterns so that s/he can transfer them to calling card (also color coded)
    5) Play BINGO - I usually start with the teacher as the caller although that changes with time. You can also vary the difficulty by using rhythm/melody names when you sing or not. You can also "call" by playing the patterns on instruments.

    I find that the process does take time but then I save the boards for each class and it makes a great substitute activity. Also it is something that can be revisited at different times during the year and made more challenging. For those of us who have less time you can make the boards yourself as Sandy suggested or there are ready made BINGO boards available. I have the ones from Kodaly Related Materials but I know that there are others on the market. Has anyone had experience with Cheryl Lavender's BINGO games?
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    HOT AND COLD You have probably seen the game in which one child steps out of the room, a second child hides an object, the first child returns to the room, and the class says, "You're getting warmer" when the child moves toward the object and "You're getting cooler" when the child moves away from the object. The class could also sing or play "so" on G for "You're getting warmer" and "mi" on E for "You're getting cooler."
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    PASS THIS BALL
    Melody (M):if you don't use solfeggio, translate the following to key of C:
    d = c, r = d, m = e, f = f, s = g, l = a, t = b, d' = c', etc.,

    Rhythm (R):// = 2 eighth notes; l = quarter; z = quarter rest; b = half (the solfeggio syllables w/an apostrophe refer to upper octave)
    R: / / l l /. \ / / l l l
    M: m f s m' m' r' d' l s l s
    Song: You must / pass this ball from me to you to you

    / / l. / l. / / / / / /
    s s f' m' r' d' t s l t d'
    You must /pass this ball and do just what I do.
    (for #2, 'hide it in your shoe)

    Game #1
    Class sits in circle passing a ball on the beat & whoever ends up with it on the last word of song performs a rhythmic body movement. (It might be a rhythm pattern just learned such as ta, ta, ti-ti, ta - l l // l)

    Game #2
    One C. hides eyes and turns away from group (sitting in circle) and ball is passed around on the beat. On the last word (shoe), the C. who has is hides it & their hands between their legs (as does everyone to throw the guesser off) then kids sing:
    l l / / l / / / / l
    s m s s m s s m s d
    (Name) turn around, Can you find the ball?
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    THE CLOSET KEY TO MY LADY'S GARDEN
    It comes from an Old English tradition, hence the title "My Lady" in the title. It teaches solo singing, dynamics, and hide-and-seek fun! The teacher chooses child A to hide his/her eyes. The teacher chooses child B to hide a small pocket/locket containing a key. Then, child B sings solo

    I have lost the closet key to my lady's garden
    |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| | |
    do do mi mi do do mi mi mi mi re mi re do
    I have lost the closet key to my lady's garden
    |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| |__| | |
    do do mi mi do do mi mi mi mi re mi re do

    Then child A opens his/her eyes and begins to wander around the room to look for the locket/pocket containing the key. As they look, the rest of the class (which knows where the key is hidden) begins to sing louder as child A gets nearer the hiding place and softer as he/she gets further away. The class sings:

    Help me find the closet key to my lady's garden
    |____| |___| |__| | |__| |___| | |
    do do mi mi do do mi mi mi mi re mi re do
    Help me find the closet key to my lady's garden
    |____| |___| |__| | |__| |___| | |
    do do mi mi do do mi mi mi mi re mi re do

    Then, when child A has found the pocket/locket, he/she brings it back to the teacher and sings solo

    I have found the closet key to my lady's garden
    |__| |____| |__| |__| |__| |__| | |
    do do mi mi do do mi mi mi mi re mi re do
    I have found the closet key to my lady's garden
    |__| |____| |__| |__| |__| |__| | |
    do do mi mi do do mi mi mi mi re mi re do

    The only dangers about this game are (1) to make sure the class doesn't start to yell (2) to insist that each child selected as A or B sings SOLO, and (3) to make sure that the locket/pocket can really be found without too much trouble or struggle.
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    TONE MATCH
    The favorite game at our school is Categories. It is a Kodaly tone-matching and thinking game. A body percussion ostinato accompanies the game:
    pat--clap--R.H.snap--L.H.snap (all quarter notes)

    The singing part is:
    "One, two, categories, Tell me the name of an (instrument, composer, etc.,)
    (All sung in sol and mi)
    The teacher fills in the category each time. Any broad category works. For example, "musical instruments", "composers", "trees", "states", etc. Find out what is being studied in other classes and name categories to underscore the information being learned. Example, "state capitols", "Native American tribes", "constellations", etc. Sit in a circle. Patsch and sing the above with the teacher filling in the category. Student to the right sings an answer on the snaps of the subsequent ostinato, student #2 sings on the next snaps, and so on until a miss. No answer can be repeated. Start a new category with the next person after a miss. If a person misses, he/she can be eliminated and play continues until there is only one person left. You can choose to change the categories and not eliminate players. A third option is to have the person who misses sit inside the circle. After the next miss anyone in the center has a chance to reply and earn his/her place back.
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    MITTEN GAME
    For a picture of the game board, email me: Sandy Scott Toms spojaw@sbcglobal.net The game board is a series of 8 cardboard flaps (5" x 7" each w/ a picture - see #1-8) hinged at the top ends with clear tape - 2 rows of 4 across onto a posterboard. After a child sings her/his guess, she/he lifts the appropriate flap to see if the mitten is 'hidden' under the flap. In between turns, the teacher hides the mitten (a mitten shape cut from an index card). This can be a problem if the kids are watching too closely, so I have them turn with their backs to me while I hide it. It is advisable to tape a pocket for the mitten somewhere on the board for storage. We usually sing a song about a mitten before we begin the game. There will be room below the flaps for the words to any song of your choice.

    The song: s=sol,l=la d'=high do, r-re, etc., I=quarter, //=2 eighths,
    Z=quarter rest, 4/4 meter (basically one syllable per rhythmic and melodic syllable)
    (One, There was, I, When I are all pickup notes[anacrusies]) s d' s s l s m m m m
    One day in the month of February,
    / / I I I / / / I / Z
    s s d s l s s m r d
    There was snow as far as the eye could see
    I I I I / / / / / / Z
    s d' s l s s m m m m
    I spent all day playing out in the snow,
    / / I / / I / /-/ / / /
    s s d s s l s m m r d
    When I came back inside, my hands looked like so.
    s m s s m r m s s
    I I / / I I / I /-I
    So where did my other mitten go?
    m s s m r d
    I / / / I / Z Z
    Where did my mitten go?
    (fermata over "So"; clap on Z Z;repeat these 2 lines once.)

    This is a game of echoing sol-do or sol-mi phrases. To the Teacher's question:
    l / / / /
    s s s d d (or m m)
    "Where is the mitten?" the students respond in kind with:

    Is it : 1) in the rabbit hole 2) under the tree 3) in the bird's nest
    4) under the snow 5) in the frozen pond 6) under the snowman
    7) under the person 8) under the swing

    (The children sing the 'guess' in the same melody as the teacher's question.)
    -----------------------
    FOUR CORNERS
    I have the 4 corners as: "Low do" - "mi" "so" "High do"

    I randomly play one of the 4 notes and whoever is in that corner must sit down. Now, here's the hard part. With the older kids, they can use an insurance card. Let's suppose that I play "mi". After I play the note, I say "eyes closed and raise your hand if you want to use your insurance card". If a person is in the "mi" corner and they have their hand up, they are not out. You can only use your insurance card once. To make it even harder, use do, re, mi, so.
    -----------------------
    PENCIL GAME
    Students sit in a circle on the floor. I choose 5 objects, of which 3 are ALWAYS a pencil, pen, and mallet (and usually a ruler and a stuffed animal that is a seal). The kids hide their eyes, and while I count to 10, I hide the objects behind 5 students. When I get to 10, they open their eyes and reach behind them. (If they have an object, they leave it there.) The class sings "Who Has the Pencil?" (sol mi la sol mi) Billy Bob, who has the pencil, brings it out of hiding and sings a solo "I have the pencil!" and then he chooses the next item to be found. When all items are found, the 5 children who have them hide them while I again count to 10 (from a very comfortable chair, as with Carol's jumping game). The last person to sing in the first round chooses the first object to find in the next round, and we continue until all have had a turn.

    This game gives me an opportunity to assess the stage of development of each child's singing voice, without causing undue stress and trauma for the child. (They usually don't even notice that I'm writing.) I make marks in my grade book that would look like hieroglyphics to anyone else, but tell me that:
    ---the child matches pitch in the head voice
    ---the child matches pitch but in the chest voice
    ---the child sings the intervals correctly but pitched lower than what was sung to him/her (we're into organum....)
    ---the child comes close to matching pitch
    ---Pitch? Is this a baseball game?
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    NAME THAT TUNE
    Name That Tune contest using all songs learned throughout the year. Divide class in teams, put song titles in hat, 1 student from each team competes in each round, give student E and G resonator bell to "ring in" to give the answer. When the student knows the song he "rings in". You can easily hear who's bell rings first (sol or mi). If student gives correct title, his team earns 2 points. If incorrect, opponent can guess. Correct answer from opponent is also 2 points. If neither player recognizes melody, anyone from the first team can respond, earning 1 point. If first team is stuck, anyone from 2nd team can answer to earn 1 point. Anyone whispering answer loses a point for their team. Kids get excited with this silly review. It's an easy and fun way to sign off for the year. I use this same game with holiday songs after our "winter concert". Some classes get so competitive I've had them combine both side's scores to compete with a different class...seems to promote teamwork.

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    MOVEMENT

    07/11 CUT THE CAKE [This] was great on the chase games because I played a quick 8 bar chase music and the turn was over and we started again. Cut the Cake was one of the favorites even up to sixth grade. It was voted onto our music party games list for next year. Alicia from Chicago aliciad1019@yahoo.com
    http://briancocke.com/Musiced/workshop/Gagne%20-%20Singing%20Games%20and%20Dances%20Children%20Love.pdf
    Another version:
    Clap your hands together. Give yourself a shake. Make a happy circle. Then you cut the cake.
    So mi so mi la so Do so so so so so mi so mi la so so fa mi re do
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    TENNIS BALLS
    I just watched a fabulous lesson last week that used tennis balls, by my partner (the other music teacher). She had them listening to Handel's Water Music Suite, and they would bounce on the strong beat during the theme. Then, at other times, they would hold the ball in one hand and show the beat by drawing little "U's" in the air by just moving their wrists. One place where the melody went in an upward motion, they would take this movement up, and then back down. I hope this is making sense, because it's hard to write. Anyway, the biggest thing was the rule that you had to keep control of yourself. These were third graders, and yes, sometimes the balls were dropped, or bounced off a shoe. The student immediately got up quickly and quietly and retrieved the ball and got back in with everyone else. It was great. I'll talk to my partner and see if she has any more ideas, and then I'll get back to you guys...
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    DETECTIVE
    This game comes from the same primary source and the same secondary source. It's good for an end-of-class filler. The class forms a circle, except for the "detective," who stands in the center with eyes closed. The teacher quietly selects someone to be the leader. The leader starts some type of movement that everyone else imitates. The detective opens the eyes after everyone starts imitating the leader's movement. The leader changes movement, and everyone else follows suit. It is the detective's job to find out who the leader is. They get three guesses. Ms. Stafford uses this game with Grades 1-6.
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    MOVEMENT WITH THE XYLOPHONE
    This is a technique that can be used with any combination of instruments: (If using Orff instruments set bars up for pentatonic) With every step you take the student should make a sound with their instrument. Start with walking around in place or in a circle. Stop unexpectedly Begin again Run a few steps, Leap into the air etc..
    Remember to keep things fresh, so change tempos often when you sense that the children are following your movements closely. Children love to be fooled too. So don''t forget to move as if you are going to step but remain still. This could go on as long as you and the students are having fun. And it is a lot of fun! This activity is great for a variety of reasons. And in your case, it should free your students as they enjoy an exercise in improvisation. As your students see you do this, they may want to try to be the conductor with their bodies. Give it a try.
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    JUMPING GAME
    You get out a hand-drum, see? And you sit down in your most comfortable chair, if possible.

    You make the kids stand in a circle with adequate space. You number them off. And you explain to them that when you call their number, they have to create a new "jump", and jump into the middle of the circle to demonstrate it. Then everyone has to jump the new jump. It can be jumping jacks, one foot, whatEVER. But each person has to make up a new jump of some kind. Right here I lay down the rules that the jump can't be dangerous, the jumper has to remain upright and not fall on the floor, and can't touch anyone else. Also, no noises.

    Then you explain that this is a game that some Native American Indian kids play at holiday time (because their parents are BRILLIANT).

    NOW everyone stands in the circle and just jumps up and down, plain in-place jumping, to the beat which you provide on the drum. Everyone has to keep jumping all the time, no matter what. Then you call numbers, in order, around the circle. When "1" is called, that kid jumps into the circle and demonstrates the new jump and the others copy. I usually give them about 8 jumps or so each. Depending. On, you know, whatever. Then I call the next number. But during the time that it takes to change people, everyone has to keep jumping plain jumping. Then we jump. And jump.

    After they've gone all the way around the circle, I let them rest a minute "to think up new jumps." Then we do it again. If they're sufficiently tuned in, I sometimes call numbers in random order - - which I mark off the list I'm holding in my hand for that purpose, since I can't remember diddly.
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    GROSS MOTOR ACTIVITY
    Keyboard Game "There are many different guesses as to what the song means. One child may think of running when a chromatic scale is played, while another may think of twirling. I do this to get them thinking about the music that they hear." "This exercise is a prequisite to playing songs in major, then minor keys. They must figure out which song is the happier of the two. I do make them turn their back so they hear the difference, not by looking at black or white keys."
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    CANDY WALK
    Just like a Cake Walk, but using individually wrapped pieces of candy as the prizes instead of cakes. Children wlk around a circle with numbered cards on the floor while music plays, (I usually play songs they have recently learned, and they sing along,) and when the music stops, their feet find a numbered card. I let a student draw a number from the can, and the winner recieves candy.
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    WE ARE PLAYING IN THE FOREST
    (a musical game where I act like a near-sighted wolf who thinks the children are trees, unless they move from their frozen position.) The best thing about this plan is that it uses music activities as the reinforcer. It also lets me know which games and activities the kids enjoy the most, because they vote on activities for Fun Day.
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    ARCHES
    Have you ever played "Arches"? (A movement game taught at a workshop by Sanna Longden) I use Celtic music (the livelier, the better) as we play the game. Basically, it's a combination of London Bridges and Musical Chairs.

    Have the class form a circle. Two people start out as the Arches. (Join hands up high ala London Bridges). Put on lively music, and the class walks clockwise, going under the arches when they come to it. Teacher stops the music randomly and the 'Arches' drop hands quickly to try to catch someone. The person caught in the Arches goes to the middle of the circle until another person is caught. They, then, form a second Arch. It keeps going until you get down to just one person going under the Arches(the winner).

    I play this with grades 3 - 6 and they LOVE it!! It's even more fun with two classes in a big circle! No...my sixth graders will not hold hands!! We have colored hose (dyed hosiery)* that we call 'stretchies' and they use these to connect to the other person to form an arch. Boys and girls don't mind being partners, and it forms a bigger arch to get under. Of course, then we have to have a discussion about not doing any "clothes-lining"!!

    The game starts out pretty slow, because it might take several stops of music before the first person is 'caught'. But when there are several arches, your chances of getting caught are multiplied and the action picks up. The kids are supposed to go single file, but sometimes in the heat of the game, they get a little bunched up, so it is possible to catch more than one person when the hands come down. Not a dumb question at all!! BTW - we do this in a gym, so our circle is pretty big....if you had a small area, it would be harder to avoid getting caught by an arch when the music stopped.

    I got my Celtic CD (cheap)at a book store and it's called "The Road North" and features Alasdair Fraser & Paul Machus. The best (and liveliest) song on it is "Tommy's Tarbukas". Yes, every 'arch' drops hands when the music stops.

    *To order waste hose: send a letter of request and a check or money order for $10. for shipping and handling (approx. 240 waste hose per box) to: Sara Lee Hosiery, Waste Work Program, PO Box 719, Highway 576, Marion, SC 29571
    Check should be made payable to Sara Lee Hosiery and marked for "waste hose". Hose come in white only, but they can be dyed any color desired. (Not sure of current price of shipping...might have gone up since I ordered)
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    01/02 BALLOON BASKETBALL- ala MUSIC!
    Divide the students evenly into two teams. Place chairs in two parallel lines facing each other, so that the knees of the opposing teams are pretty close to each other. At either end place a chair also. For a class of 22, you would have a straight row of 10 chairs, facing a straight row of 10 chairs with one chair facing in on one end and another chair facing in on the other end. You will need exactly an even amount of chairs - including the end chairs. If there is someone left over, they can be scorekeeper. One team sits on one side with an end chair belonging to that particular team. The other team sits on the other side with an end chair belonging to them also. I use several balloons, but NOT all at once. I blow up the balloons and write a musical symbol on it. Usually I use note values. For instance, quarter note, half note, whole note - whatever I am currently focused on. Sometimes I use treble clef or dynamic signs - whatever applies to what we are studying at the moment.

    The children seated on the end chairs stand up on the chairs and use their arms to form hoops. They are the basketball hoops. They are the hoop for their team. A balloon going through their hoop/arms counts for their team. I begin by throwing the balloon into the center of the kids. The object is to get that balloon to go into your own team's hoop. It is equally important to keep the balloon from going into the other team's hoop.

    There is one very important rule. THE BOTTOMS OF ALL CHILDREN (except the hoops) MUST STAY ON THEIR CHAIR AT ALL TIMES. You can never get up to try and hit the ball. If you do, it is a score for the other team. Also, the hoops may bend and twist to try to let the balloon go through their arms, but their arms may not ever lose the hoop shape. They must retain the hoop position and not move off of the chair. This involves teamwork - they must move the balloon to their own hoop (or away from the other team's hoop, whichever the case may be) by passing it on to the other teammates. Balloons must be handled with care, this they will figure out.... If they try to smash the balloon, they lose control. A balloon going into your own hoop counts as a point for your team.

    Here's a twist. I now put a half note balloon into play. This time, the half note balloon will bring you two points if it goes into your hoop. I change them out. (I have also played with two balloons in play at the same time. This is OKAY if you have a large class.) The point value equals the note value written on that particular balloon in 4 4 time. After a point is scored, the kids rotate. The hoop person goes to the end of the line, the person sitting directly next to the hoop person is now the hoop, all other kids move up one seat. The winning team is the team with the most points.

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    MULTIPURPOSE GAMES

    06/15 QUIZ,QUIZ!! 1.( http://www.theteachertoolkit.com/index.php/tool/quiz-quiz-trade)
    I made 15 sets of cards (anywhere from 6-12 cards in a set) on whatever topic: recorder fingerings, pitch letter names, note value names, music symbols names, etc... You will need 1 set per 2 students.
    2. I put 15 poly spots in a circle around the room, and one set of cards on each poly spot. I made sure that duplicate card sets were on opposite sides of the poly spot...
    3. Each student gets a cup and 10 bottle caps (something else I've been saving for years).
    4. Based on the previous quiz scores I paired up like-scoring kids and assigned them a poly circle, 1 on the inside and 1 on the outside.
    5. Set a timer for 1 minute. Outside partner quizzes the inside partner first. If the person being quizzed is correct the quizzer gives them a bottle cap. If the person being quizzed is incorrect s/he gives the quizzer a bottle cap.
    6. After 1 minute, switch quizzer and quizzee roles. 1 minute on the timer. Go!
    7. Everyone rotates 1 poly spot to the right. Repeat process as time allows.
    8. In a class with an odd number of kids, I am the quizzer both times.kk k Whoever has the most number of bottle caps at the end wins...D. Brian Weese
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    06/04 TIC TAC TOE (TEAMS) Have the kids play a game (in teams) of tic tac toe. This game allows the added dimension chance (4 game boards going at once - kids have to spin to see which board to put the "X" or "O" on after they give a correct answer.

    (This game take a while to make but it worth the time)

    Materials:
    Spin Board (stiff cardboard with 4 squares of different colors adjacent forming a larger square), form a hole at the center and insert a spinner (I use a paper clip reshaped so it will go through the hole and secure under board)
    Four game boards (different color) with grids for tic-tac-toe (yellow, blue, green, red)
    X's and O's (large black x's and o's from construction paper, laminated)
    Cards with questions of all different learning areas of music (whatever you are teaching) such as dynamics, melody, rhythm, history, theory, elements, form, song titles, composers, etc.,
    Answers on back of cards;

    Directions:
    Class divided into teams (X's and O's - choose a monitor for each team to ask questions and show question side of card (if necessary) to individuals - individuals take turns answering a question then if correct, spinning the spinner to see on which board they can place an X or O
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    COMPOSER GAME
    Use the same body percussion ostinato. Sit in a circle. Each student wears a sign with a composer's last name on it. (Use a poster board rectangle with a string attached at each end of the top. Make the string long enough to go over the students' heads.) On the first snap a person says his/her composer name and on the second snap says another composer name. The person wearing that composer name must respond on the next ostinato in the same manner, first saying his/her name and then someone else's name. Etc.
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    QUESTION FOR THE DAY
    Evelyn Beem puts a daily question on the screen saver on her computer. The first student who answers the question wins a prize. In order to give everyone a chance, recent winners are disqualified. Evelyn Beem only uses items already covered in class, but if you are interested in sharpening your students' research skills, you might prefer to use items NOT already covered in class.
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    DRAW POKER (Chords)
    I've thought for sometime that a person could develop a theory game similar to draw poker. (Maybe someone has already) It would involve developing a set of cards with one letter names on each card, pass out five cards to each "player" and they would take turns drawing and discarding trying to spell their most complex chord until someone calls. A system would have to be developed to rule which chord would be worth the most points, i.e. a diminished 7th chord would be a Major/minor 7th (3 of a kind beat 2 pair). Or you could use it like rummy(sp?) and have students try to spell scales. My thought is that this could be a substitute plan to introduce or reinforce some theory. I've never tried it, it's just an idea that floats around in my grey matter. If anyone makes a million dollars off this idea please send me a free deck of cards.
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    NOTE FRISBEE
    "Another game that my fourth graders really like is 'note frisbee'. I took a white cloth shower curtain and cut it in half, cutting from the ring holes to the weighted bottom hem. Then I drew a treble staff lengthwise on each piece. I saved six large margarine lids to use as frisbees. "The students form two teams and each team lines up by one of the staves, with the first child in line standing behind a strip of masking tape about 10 feet away from the staff. Each team gets three frisbees. "The first student in each line throws a frisbee onto the staff (which is facing him/ her). If the student's frisbee misses the staff, s/he can throw the second (then, the third, if needed). Once a frisbee lands on the staff the student stops throwing. S/he passes any additional frisbees to the next teammate in line, who holds on to them until his/her turn. "If none of the frisbees lands on the staff, the student's turn is over and the next person in his/her team comes up to the line to throw. If the student has thown a frisbee onto the staff, s/he has to tell me which line or space it is on, and the letter name of that note. A correct answer gets a point for that student's team. Again, any helping by team mates voids the point the frisbee-thrower might have made.

    "The student must count the lines from the bottom up. S/he must tell me which line or space the frisbee is on because sometimes it is not clear whether it is in the space or on the line. If the frisbee looks like it could be either (for example) on G or in A, when the student calls 'second line' or 'second space' s/he must identify the note in that location. "Both teams can throw at the same time, each to their own staff. Frisbees landing on the other team's staff don't count. Or, both teams can take turns throwing to one staff."
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    VALENTINE HUNT
    What kids like about this game is freedom to walk around and choose what they want to answer, and the 'heart' theme adds a festive touch. There should be a time limit and answers will have to be checked by teacher at end. Problem is delayed gratification.
    Materials: numbered red heart cards with thing to identify;
    1 pencil per group; answer sheet (1 per group)
    candy hearts as a reward; key for Teacher to correct answers
    On laminated red poster board hearts, put questions or pictures, staff notes or syllables, etc., to identify;
    I used: on 4 different cards: pictures of many different instruments of different orchestra instruments (I.D. family & instr - pt. for each) on 4 different cards: identify 4 different notes (I use the 'do' clef and sol, mi, do, la as whole notes on staff)
    on 4 different cards: 4 lines of rhythms with some note(s) missing (_____) student tells T. what could be placed in blank
    (B = bar line, I = ta, / / = ti ti Z=ta rest)
    example: on card: 4/4 I I / / I B I I ______ B
    Student would need to say 2 ta's, a half note, 2 rests or something similar;
    On 4 different cards: pictures of symbols such as p,f, fermata, tie, etc., student identifies name of symbol and what it means (pt. for each) With a large class, you will need more cards, answers and adjust the answer sheet (below) accordingly.
    Directions:
    Hide cards around room. Divide class into teams of 3-4.
    Group finds one card, writes answers on sheet as a group, replaces card and goes to find next card. The object of game is to work as a team and accrue as many answers as quickly as possible. Reward could be one candy heart for every point?
    Instruments
    Card #_______ Family_____________ Instrument____________________________
    (3 more lines like above)

    Melody (I.D. syllable)
    Card #________ Measure 1___________ 2_________ 3__________ 4_________
    (3 more lines like above)

    Rhythm (I.D. note values to substitute for blanks)Picture of Note Value:
    Card # _______ Line 1_________ Line 2_________ Line 3________ Line 4_______
    (3 more lines like this)(There are 4 lines of rhythm & 4 blanks per card)

    Musical Symbols (I.D. symbol name and meaning)
    Card #_______ Draw symbol: _______ Name________ Meaning___________________
    (example: f forte loud)
    Use about 4 symbols per card and enough lines on answer sheet.
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    FISHING GAME #1
    The fishing game that I have done is usually centered around a concept we are working on in class; note names, rhythm patterns, solfege patterns. I give the kids a fishing pole (long piece of bamboo from the swamps around here) with a string attached and a paper clip on the end. They cast it over a draped off area (blue bulletin board paper or an old blue sheet).

    I am behind the drape and put a "fish" on their pole. The "fish" has a note value on it, or a rhythm pattern or a solfege pattern or whatever we are studying. They take it off the hook, name it or clap it or sing it and receive a point for their team. I also allow other kids to go into the lake and attach the fish. Oh yes, give it a gentle tug when it is secured.
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    FISHING GAME #2
    I use a plastic swimming pool in the center of the room. I found some fish reproducibles from a clip art book and enlarged, copied them on different colors of paper and them cut them out. I placed a rhythm, or note name, musical symbol, etc. on the back and then laminated them. I then attach a paper clip to each and then place them in the pool. (I'm a big Mickey Mouse fan and I've got a HUGE plastic wading pool that someone gave me for Christmas as a gift (?)) I use dowel rods as the fishing poles with twine attached to each and a magnet at the end. I also have fishing net that I place on my wall and use clothespins to clip their "catch" to the net. The kids love it and have a ball learning all of the concepts. It takes a little bit of work to set up but it pays off in the end.
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    FISH GAME #3
    Supplies: Select fast music--of course we use Music K-8 selections; A little swimming pool(Inflatable, infant size); Four buckets, any size will do. Lots of fish - I bought material that had beautiful fish on it. I then put material stiffener on the material, waited until it dried and cut the little guys out. I then typed one question per computer label for music and PE. Example: How many counts does a quarter note get? How many strikes does it take to get an out in baseball? Etc. Place one question/label per fish.

    Arrangement: Place the swimming pool in the center of the room. Put the fish in the pool (dry pool:-) Divide the students into four teams. Team A, B, C, and D. Have each team go line up beside one of the buckets.

    Game prodecure: When the music begins the first person in each team runs and gets one fish. He quickly goes back, puts it in his team's bucket. Then the next member runs and does the same thing. No one can pick up more than one fish per run and the next runner must wait until the fish is completely in the bucket. Each team continues to run and get fish until the music stops.When the music stops, each team reads off the questions on their fish.

    (We let the team members help suggest answers, but we only accept the answer given by the first person in the line. When that person answers the question, the next person selects a fish, and so on.)If he answers right, the team keeps the fish, if he answers wrong, the team must throw the fish back into the pool. The team with the most fish at the end of the game wins.
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    TIC TAC TOE 1
    Draw the "giant sharp sign" on the board; put a waxy clip in the center of each space. Pass out a square of colored cardboard to each child to determine teams (I use our school colors of blue and gold). Show first flash card to first child - if they identify it correctly they can put their colored square anywhere on the grid. Play goes to the other team. Object is to get 3 in a row. Wrong answer means other team gets to try. We have some very heated games.
    - - - you can make this more challenging by enlarging it to a BINGO (I call it MUSIC instead!) grid and putting the flashcards (or your cards from the JEOPARDY game) in the blanks. First student calls a coordinate - M-3 for example, and you show that card or read that question. If they answer correctly, they replace the question card with their colored marker card. If they miss, the spot stays empty. The next player who correctly answers a question can put their marker in the space they chose OR ANY EMPTY SPACE. This gets real interesting, too. The object is to get 5 in a row, going diagonally, horizontally or vertically. (This also is good math review!!!)
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    TIC TAC TOE (TEAMS) This game take a while to make but it worth the time: Spin Board (stiff cardboard with 4 squares of different colors adjacent forming a larger square), form a hole at the center and insert a spinner (I use a paper clip reshaped so it will go through the hole and secure under board)
    Four game boards (different color) with grids for tic-tac-toe (yellow, blue, green, red)
    X's and O's (large black x's and o's from construction paper, laminated)
    Cards with questions of all different learning areas of music (whatever you are teaching) such as dynamics, melody, rhythm, history, theory, elements, form, song titles, composers, etc.,
    Answers on back of cards;

    Class divided into teams (X's and O's - choose a monitor for each team to ask questions and show question side of card (if necessary) to individuals - individuals take turns answering a question then if correct, spinning the spinner to see on which board they can place an X or O
    --------------------------------
    TIC TAC TOE 2 (older elementary)
    "We arrange 9 chairs about a foot apart to represent the tic tac toe arrangement. When the class shows up at the door I tell them that "ones" form a line on the left of the room from front to back, and the "twos" form a line on the right of the room from front to back. The "ones" pick a name for their "team" (Dragons, Red Skins) and the "twos" do the same for theirs. I give the "ones" a stack of red laminated 8x12 construction paper and the "twos" a stack of black laminated paper. I then ask a question of the first person in the "ones" line. If he gets it correct, he takes one of the laminated sheets and sits down in any chair he wants to, holding the sheet of paper in his lap so it is easily visible. If incorrect, the question is asked of the first person in team "two". If answered correctly, that person takes his black paper and sits wherever he wants to. "If still not answered correctly, the question and answer are discussed by the class and no one gets to sit in the tic tac toe chairs.
    The obvious objective for the children is to get three people from their team in a straight line; up, down, or diagonally. The teacher's objective is to work in a fun review of all the things you HOPE they've been learning during the past 6 or so years.

    "You do have to establish some rules, such as no groaning, shaking heads, or other signs to warn a team member that he is about to sit in a "wrong" chair. No whispering or "mouthing" answers to the one who is trying to think of the answer. etc. Make up the rules that make the game work best with your children. If I catch a team giving hints, groaning, etc., they have to stop whatever was going on, and the other team gets to send a person to sit in the chairs without even answering a question. That really seems to stop the attempts at influencing others.

    "You can use questions that require a simple answer: What is the highest-pitched woodwind instrument? What is the person called who leads an orchestra? Give a definition (or example) of syncopation. Who wrote "Carnival of the Animals"? Or questions that require the child to go to the board or an instrument."Draw a staff with a treble clef sign on it. Draw repeat marks. Play two measures of 4/4 music, including at least two eighth notes. Demonstrate a crossover bordun. Use whatever seems valuable and worth a final reminder as they leave you for the middle school. "It helps my brain and the children's sense of fair play if the questions are written down ahead of time

    (I use index cards and keep them in the tic tac toe file along with the laminated papers). As each child answers a question, the next question in the stack is asked. I have to admit to some manipulation of questions if I know a child has learning problems, or other extenuating circumstances, but kids have never caught me at it. You can put two cards to the back of the stack rather than one if that second card is a real tough one and you know that child would never in a million years stand a chance of getting it correct. "Use your own method of allotting a certain amount of time that is allowed for the child to come up with his answer. I usually give a short amount of silent time, then we start the 'Jeopardy' theme. "If I have an odd number of students, one becomes the score keeper. As each team gets tic tac toe, a point is put on the board for that team.

    Unfortunately, we usually only can work in about three or four games in a 35 minute period, but they really love this, and are getting a good review in the meantime." Beeper says, "There are several tic tac toe games out there. One is in Athey and Hotchkiss' 'A Galaxy of Games for the Music Class.' In that one, cards are put on the floor with rhythm patterns on them. A team member points to one and claps it. If he gets it right, he may cover that card with his team's color. Play continues until a team completes a tic tac toe.
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    TIC-TAC-TOE 3
    make a tic-tac-toe board on the chalkboard and put my symbols that I wanted them to know in the spaces. Pit the boys against the girls and call on a student from each team to pick a space and identify the symbol. If they get it right, it is erased and either an X or O is put there in its place. They go back and forth until someone wins. They LOVED it!!! The boys won. They want to play it next time!
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    MUSIC TIC TAC TOE FUNDAMENTALS
    Here's a game I love for my students to play. It takes a little time to make, but it is worth it. I have made enough games so that I can divide my students into groups of 4 and the whole class gets to play.
    First, make a tic-tac-toe board as it usually is, but larger. In each box write a music category at the top of the box. I use: Rhythms, Composers, General Terms, Bass clef notes, Treble clef notes, Dynamics, Accidentals, Music symbol pictures and Tempos.
    Next, make up cards that fit in the boxes--but let the category show. Be sure and decorate the front side of each card so the students will know to let that side of the card face up. I put stickers on the front side of my cards. On the back of each card, tell the answer. For example: In the accidental category I only have three cards--Sharp, Flat, and Natural. On the back of each card I tell what it does. Front side says "Sharp", back side says, "raises the note 1/2 step." (The other categories have more cards.)

    Playing the game: Students put the cards (face up) in each box. (By-the-way, I keep the cards in small envelopes and label the envelope according the the category name.) The students play the game just as it is always played, but when they choose the box to put their team's X or O, they must pick up the top card and answer it. If their answer is right, they put down the X or O. If their answer is wrong, they don't put down the X or O. They then place that card on the bottom of the stack and a person from the other team takes a turn. When a team has 3 X's or O's, they begin again.

    What do I teach in each category?
    Composers, the back side has the time period he/she lived in; Rhythms, the back side has the value of the note; General terms, the back side has the purpose of the term. (EX. Treble clef: It names the lines and spaces.) Note names, The students tell the name of the note; Accidentals, back side tells what it does; Dynamics, back side tells what it means; Music symbol pictures, back side tells the name of the picture.

    It is a wonderful way to teach the students all the fundamentals you want them to learn. At the end of class, or the next class I hold up flash cards and they tell me what it is. From this I know they have really learned from the game.
    -----------------------
    TIC TAC TOE 4
    X's and O's, 4 Boards (different colors w/ die or spinner to determine which board player will put O or X on for that turn. Player wins a board when he/she places third X or O in a row; question cards (see below) with answers on reverse side.

    Lines and Spaces; Rhythms (ta, ti-ti, etc.); symbols; Solfa (One note)
    instruments; Which Meter; Note Names
    1 card for: Take an Extra Turn, Lose a Turn, Remove one Opponent's marker
    -----------------------
    RELAY RACES
    http://www.cobb.k12.ga.us/~labelle "Divide the class into two teams. "Students race to the board drawing the music symbol, tagging the next person while saying the name of the symbol they drew. (Everyone draws the same symbol.) "Points are given to the winning team AND to the team with the best looking drawings!
    "Great as a lesson, end of lesson activity, or beginning the day's lesson, K-5th. You will be surprised at the retention! Have fun!" (You could have them put a frisbee on floor staff then proceed in same fashion.)
    -----------------------
    BINGO
    I have a bingo game that I "borrowed" from a math bingo game my daughter showed me 15 years ago. I started using it to reinforce interval recognition, but it has expanded well beyond that. It is great for bringing math skills into the music class. The directions may take time to sort out, but it's worth it.
    1. Students draw a blank bingo board: 25 empty squares
    2. Each box will be filled with a different number from 0 to 25. This is a total of 26 numbers, so each student must leave out ONE number. Of course, each student will leave out the number of their choice; hopefully not the same as the person next to them. Fill the boxes with the numbers at random, not in a particular pattern. For example:
    2 5 8 23 14
    6 21 0 15 22
    1 9 4 17 3
    25 24 13 7 10
    11 16 18 19 20
    In this sample I left out number 12.
    3. You ask the questions turning every answer into a number. Because the students have filled out their own board at random and they've left out the number of their choice the boards should all be different. Of course, once in a while they will be the same.
    Sample questions: (I use visuals on staffs when appropriate)I DO NOT give them the answers as we go along.
    1. The interval between low c and g (I would show the two notes on a staff.
    2. Whatever your previous answer was multiplied by 3.
    3. The day of the month you were born.
    4. The number of symphonies Beethoven wrote.
    5. The previous answer plus 2.
    6. The room number of your homeroom.
    7. The size of an octave.
    8. An octave multiplied by 3, plus 1.
    9. Add two whole notes plus a dotted half note. ETC.....
    When I ask the questions to the bingo game I write them down and write the answer, i.e. the number. When I ask a question about "your age," I don't follow it with another math computation. Then when someone has bingo, they tell me the five numbers they have and I check to see if I have called that number. They'll tell me which number was for their age. For the "board", I make blank grids to help them fill in the numbers. I then have them circle their answers so we can still see the numbers. Don't let them cross them out because then you have no way of checking. I suppose I could make the grids big enough to accomodate bingo chips. The fifth and sixth graders love this one because it is so challenging. They love to come up with questions.
    -----------------------
    SHARE YOUR CHAIR
    Have enough chairs for each child to sit on in a circle. Play music and when music stops you sit on a chair. Then take a chair or two away. Play the music and when it stops each child must find a chair or share the chair they are sitting on. My kids have gotten to 1 chair and everyone is touching the shoulder of someone else on the chair. This is a great cooperation game.

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    ONLINE INTERACTIVE GAMES

    O7/13 https://teachers.ocps.net/marcelo.quinoneslaracuente/websites.htm
    musictechteacher.com - Look under quizzes - tons of games! My kids love the basketball rhythm gamethat they can play in pairs!
    10/12 http://www.toytheater.com/music.php
    http://www.kisstunes.com/m3/kiss3.aspx
    http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/music/piano/guitar.htm
    www.musicteacher.com

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    PASSING OBJECTS TO A BEAT

    01/02 Stone passing: 4th and EI
    sitting in circle, everyone gets one stone. this is the "clicking" stone. hold in LEFT HAND!
    practice pattern with no other stones.
    ~pick up stone with RIGHT HAND (beat 1), click it on the left stone (beat 2), and pass it to the right neighbor with right hand (beat 3), get ready to repeat (beat 4).
    ~add stones as they're able: teacher just grabs one from container and enters it into the game using the pattern.
    ~finally harder pattern: pick up (beat 1), click (2), click (3), pass (4), repeat....
    Here's how i called it: "up, click, pass,----, up, click, pass,----...." and "up, click, click, pass..."
    ~eventually they were able to do it with no "calling" and it sounded really neat!
    ---------------------------------
    01/02 "Still they were racing and hoarding all the cups." 5th graders?? Seems the nature of the beast.... We did a bean bag thing this week and most kids were right on, but in a group activity it only takes one. We talked about teamwork and kept trying and were finally successful when peer pressure turned on the offenders.
    ---
    01/02 I've used that as young as 1st grade with slow, careful instruction. Catch em while they're young!!
    ---
    01/02 I'm finding my kids are really motivated to stay on the beat with Boomwhackers. I got the CD Boomwhacker Games and we are working our way through it in the last few minutes of each period. It uses walk, stomp (half notes), jogging, and skipping rhythms in a variety of ways with each song. The kids from grades 2-5 are loving it!!
    ---
    01/02 I have had the most luck passing on the beat with beanie animals or other bean-bag type articles. A faster beat seems to help, just as it helps younger ones keep the beat when playing bordun on the xylophones. Even with the beat-passing songs I've written specifically for that activity, I find we must usually use quite a fast beat. Passing balls and shoes seems to invite the "hot potato" syndrome, thus the use of beanie articles. ---
    01/02Koosh balls work really well for passing. Kids love them and they are easy to grip. Start with one and add more as the kids focus on the beat.
    ---
    01/02 I usually teach Aka backa soda cracker, in 1st grade, and use it for review and fun time in 2nd. We pass a bean bag, then later make it harder, two bean bags, change directions at will, etc. But I insist that they keep the beat. If a kid isn't trying and seems to be capable, I will have him/ her sit out and watch a good round. In 3rd grade we do variations of a stone passing game. I start with one stone and it goes like the bean bag, keep the beat or you sit out. Then when we are getting the hang of it. I have a collection of stones that we pass all together. It looks so neat when they get it. And because they can do damage, the kids usually won't try to hot potato it, cause they know fingers can get smashed! They eventually get there, but I break it down and do this over a period of weeks. I use the STM. and Acka Backa is in the first grade book and Obwesana ( and that is horribly misspelled) is in the 3rd grade.
    ----
    01/2 Try passing only one cup/ball/stick around the whole circle first. If they don't do it on the beat they are "out". Start the cup with the next person and continue the song. Those who are out start another circle to keep practicing. When you get a circle that can pass a cup all the way around on the steady beat, then give a cup to everyone.
    When the outs can get their one cup all the way around without missing the beat then they may join the main game.
    We teach so many skill levels that adaptations need to be made
    ---
    01/02 I usually use tennis balls and they KNOW ABSOLUTELY UP FRONT that if they bounce when they're not supposed to, they have to sit down. I have a large room without carpeting, so there is plenty of space to spread out. The older kids bounce to the beat (3rd & up) and we add some movement to it...FUN! And as Kristin said, it is so cool when they all get it together. I usually change the beats and I even have them tossing in the air on the beat. I do have one child who has limited vision...tennis balls were a problem. I bought her one of the big rubber balls at Target and she's having a lot more success! One thing that I've found that works very well for me, they each have their tennis ball and I say, "Look around the room for a spot that looks good to you. This is MY spot. I am going to turn my back for 10 seconds and you will ABSOLUTELY SILENTLY find your spot without messing up the chairs!" They love it because it's such a challenge! I've also found that demonstrating what to do when they have a "loose" ball, really helps control the atmosphere in the class. I demonstrate the WRONG way to go after a ball (bumping into people, running, bumping into chairs) and the CORRECT way (being careful not to step in another person's bouncing space, walking, and not being a complete laughing hyena about losing your tennis ball!!!) They think it's hilarious to watch me demonstrate the wrong way and they certainly get the message....I really love the hands on reinforcement for rhythms we've practiced.
    ---
    01/02 I too have the problem of passing on the beat with the younger kids. I notice that they will beat more readily on a micro (ti ti ) beat then a macro (ta) beat..... Before they pass anything around, I have them feel the beat by patsching and saying (Beat, beat beat etc.) Then we pass the bean bag but ONLY when we say "beat". ( When they miss I have them notice that they did not wait till we said beat)
    In kindergarten and first grade I take a Mother Goose rhyme (or whatever and have them follow the beat with me......as we say it.... I have often had to follow their faster beat at the beginning but work them into doing the slower (strong) beat with me. "eenie meenie miney moe" for ex. gets 4 patsches instead of the 7 or 8 they tend to do.
    I remember being pointed out that kids have problems with the beat because parents rocked them following the RHYTHM of songs rather than the BEAT. (notice they do the same!)
    Recently I had the kids imagine that they were"rocking " their dolls to the beat of a song.... (This might help feel the beat ) And when I had preschool classes I used to have them do this to quiet down too!
    ---
    01/02 I always start these things without the prop. If we're passing cups, I say put your right hand in front of your "neighbor's" house, then bring it back home. We do this MANY ways (very slowly at first) having them LEAVE it at their neighbor's house first to be sure all arms are going the same way, then bring it home, etc. Then we say NEIGHBOR-HOME-NEIGHBOR-HOME together just moving our arms. Then we add the cups. I start with a cup that is a different color than anyone elses so they can see how it moves around the circle. I don't know if this will be of any help, but it seems to work for me. I still have one or two who pass too fast sometimes. I also stress to the max how we all have to cooperate and move together for this to work.
    ----------------------------
    01/02 Try passing only one cup/ball/stick around the whole circle first. If they don't do it on the beat they are "out". Start the cup with the next person and continue the song. Those who are out start another circle to keep practicing. When you get a circle that can pass a cup all the way around on the steady beat, then give a cup to everyone. When the outs can get their one cup all the way around without missing the beat then they may join the main game. We teach so many skill levels that adaptations need to be made -------------------
    01/02 We use seashells. The kids love to compare the shapes and colors. AND, when we do a game where someone is "out", we will say "the tiger shell is out", or the "sword shell is out". The shells have been given a personality by the kids. I bought them in a basket at our local Hobby Lobby - over 100 of them for $6.00! Sure wish I could say I had collected them myself.... (dreaming of the ocean - sigh)
    ------------------------
    01/02 Stone passing games to teach rhythm, steady beat, steady acceleration, polyrhythms etc are common throughout Africa. The stones that I have seen used, and I have used with students of all ages, are what I call river stones - or beach stones - smooth, a pleasing handful rather than small. Gray rock, no sharp edges, but with a flat side so they don't tend to roll. Sometimes garden shops have something like this.

    They need to be big enough to pick up easily and that make a pleasant "clunk" when thumped on the floor during singing/chanting.

    One of the best known of the Ghanaian game songs is Oboo Asi Mi Nsa (the rock smashed my fingers) --I always caution the kids to see it as a game of dexterity rather than hot potato. No throwing or rolling of rocks allowed--just careful placement on the floor in front of the person to your right. On occasion a finger will get pinched, but rarely.

    Those who are worried about this with the smallest kids can start with bean bags.
    -----------------------------------
    01/02 Who's the Boss?" is a game that is more or less a time filler. Of course, it is fun and the kids love it - here's how it goes. Kids make a circle (either standing or sitting). One person leaves the room. It will be his/her job to figure out who the boss is. Once the person guessing is out of the room, select a "boss". This person will be in charge of maintaining the steady beat and changing the movements that create the steady beat. The boss begins (maybe with a clap, clap, clap, clap, etc. to a steady beat). The guesser comes in and stands in the center of the circle. The boss changes the sound (say, to a stomp, stomp, stomp, etc.).

    Everyone in the circle changes as quickly as possible to do exactly as the boss is doing. It is important to emphasize that they may NOT look at the boss directly. This would give it away for the guesser. The boss must change the movements frequently, but not frantically. The guesser has three guesses. The goal is to guess correctly. If not guessed, the BOSS becomes the next guesser. AND, a steady beat must be maintained.

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    GENERAL GAME RULES

    10/08 Check out this neat website full of on-line music games. http://www.quia.com/web
    -----------------------
    10/08 MUSICAL CHAIRS/DRUMMING-EGG GAME
    Chairs are set up in a circle with different colored plastic eggs or paper eggs under each chair. Each egg has a simple action listed inside. In the middle of this circle are drums and rhythm instruments. As appropriate pop music plays, students walk around until music stops, then find a chair.A paper egg of a corresponding color is drawn from a basket. The student with this color egg has to open the egg, perform the action, then go to the middle to pick out an instrument. A 4 beat rhythm pattern is projected or written on the whiteboard. (Remove this chair and egg). As music begins toplay and students begin walking around again, the student(s) in the center play the rhythm pattern to accompany the music. Game continues until only one person is left with a chair. Winner gets an egg with a prize or certificate inside. Set up:
    Chairs arranged in a large circle
    Plastic or paper eggs with various actions inside
    Rhythm instruments and drums in center of circle
    Pop music (4/4 meter)
    Various 4 beat rhythm patterns
    Prize (certificate for bag of popcorn on popcorn day) -- Laura Bryant
    --------------------------------------------------
    MAKE YOUR OWN: Join Quizllab.com and either use games and quizzes that are already there or create your own. I've been a member for years and use the site with my piano students and school kids. I have a yearly music/technology unit where we work in the computer lab for about 4 wks. or so. It's a great site. Even my kids can work independently and you can actually have the results of their work emailed to you!

    2. Make your own games and store them in plastic baggies, complete with instructions.

    3. You can buy blank jigsaw puzzles at some school supply stores. Buy a few. Write out music math problems, symbols and definitions, etc. and throw them into plastic ziplock bags. Get different colors to help keep the puzzles separate. They're pretty inexpensive, too.

    4. Make cool board games out of irregular pieces of mat board-- available cheap or free at your local art places. Design a fun game top or buy one of those books where designs are already done--just cut them out, color (or get your kids to), and paste them on the mat board. I have several with game pieces that I made. I keep them in those big, oversized manilla envelopes with the name of the game and the instructions on the outside of the envelope.
    (I made my game pieces with StaffWriter music font. See: www.macmusicfonts. com for information. ) --- Pat Boozer
    ------------------------------------------------
    10/08 CUP GAME: Clap, clap, tap-a-tap, Clap, up, down, Clap, grab hit flip, Switch, flap, pass It is demonstrated on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIpZnmri3Xc --- Jacquie Wood
    --------------------------------
    For those of you needing games and independent activities, check out www.laytonmusic. com She has some wonderful printables! -- Kim Good
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    06/04 CHOOSING TEAMS: I use numbered craft sticks and have students pull a stick out of the cup - the play odds against evens. That also eliminates "it's my turn!" -- Contributed by Tina Morgan
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    04/03 When my classes play large group games I try to figure out a way that every student is responsible for answering the questions. The "it" student is the student who answers out loud, but the rest of the students must show me their answers by following my specific instructions.

    For instance: If the questions are "yes" or "no" answers, the students must show me their answer choice by signing "yes" or signing "no." (I use sign language a lot in music class. It is a lifesavor. My students love using it.)

    If the answer is an "A" "B" or "C" answer, the students sign the letter they think the answer is.If the answer is a note name - same thing, they sign the name of the note. If the answer is a number answer, they use sign language to show the number answer.

    Also, when working with recorders, let the students fingering of the note that is shown while the "it" person says the name. Then have all the students play that pitch. To make it even more challenging, that the students sing what they think the pitch is to sound before letting them play the pitch.

    One level higher: Tell them they are to sing the pitch using Do, Re or Mi before playing the pitch. That will involve a lot of great music concepts to keep their brains focused upon music concepts.

    This approach lets me know those who are "on task" and those who are not. It has been very successful. I also use this approach when playing Music Ace 1 and Music Ace 2 (or any computer game.) One child is at the computer, the rest must answer silently by using sign language.-- Contributed by Pamela Rezach
    ----------------------------
    01/02 ( ...not following up well enough when I do set specific ground rules.) yes, this is indeed a key to things not blowing up. let's face it, many of our fun educational games can get down-right dangerous if played with goofing-off kids.

    (I'm not always sure how loose or tight I should be...) TIGHT, TIGHT, TIGHT!
    Let me clarify: loose in smiles and attitude but IRON TIGHT in sticking to the rules!!! IMPORTANT: pick your battles. decide right now what you will and won't tolerate. assumed: all behaviors that are potentially dangerous or cause the game to halt must go. how about talking-noise? let them know when it's important to listen and when it's ok to talk.
    Decide. Discuss at the beg. of game. Then be consistent and brutal! if you say "do 'such and such' and you're out" then by golly that's what had better happen the FIRST time someone does "it." and the second, third, etc... give some kind of treat to those who remain "in" the whole time and nearly all of the others will stop trying to get "out" on purpose. i LOVE LOVE LOVE the recent idea someone sent of having the "out" group practice until they've learned. This would make your goof-offs look like they just weren't as "with it" as the others. might do 'em good.
    For dangerous or disrespectful goofing off, i give them sentences to write while they're "out." i know it's archaic, but it works with certain kids. and they don't want to purposely get "out" again.

    (I even had them stand up, go out and come in again and take their circle places...) NEVER! you're too merciful on them. if they're eating up this much lesson time (having to go out and come in--boy, have i had to do that too!) than they no longer have time for "games!" i'd tell them: "Oh, too bad for you. you wasted all your FUN time and now only have time for WORK." how about this: give a signal when they're losing it and need to calm down. be specific. "when i wave my right hand in the air you have 10 seconds to lower your voices and obey my instructions or the game's over." and DO IT!!! no doubt you'll have to have a back up BORING lesson planned since you know they will test you on it a couple times. one or two groups might take several tries, but ALL should be able to learn self-control necessary.

    (I realize some classes may simply never be able to handle the higher key game...) Don't give up on them just yet. what i would do? have a heart-to-heart and tell them: you recognize their problem and are going to try to help them work on it. every class has things it's good at and things it's weak at. your class is good at _____ but seems to have trouble with ____ unfortunately it's costing you a lot of learning and a lot of fun too.
    I'll do my best to help you but in the end improvement is up to you. let's try this: tell them the plan, sit-down lessons every time they show you they're not yet ready for fun-game-type lessons. "some day i think you'll be able to control your bodies well enough. we'll keep trying until you get it...."
    Last: mixed praise. praise that lets them know "no hard feelings" but gently jabs them in the area in which they still need to improve. "not bad, guys! you played for 10 minutes straight today before we had to stop the game. pretty soon you'll be mature enough to play the whole game!!! good for you..."

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    PUZZLES

    06/10 MUSIC SCAVENGER HUNT (in books) : http://www.musick8.com/html/ideadisplay.php?ibid=1029&ideasubject=&idtextsearch=&submittedby=&group1=

    I use a Musical scavenger hunt with old music books.
    1. Patriotic Song
    2. A Christmas song
    3. A song from another country
    4. Song about animals
    5. Halloween song
    6. song in a foreign language
    7. song with repeat signs
    8. song with a sharp
    9. song from a state in the USA
    10. a song with a flat

    Questions:
    What has been your favorite activity this year?---------------------
    12/09 SUDOKU: Eight Puzzles at: http://schools.fwps.org/sac/musicteacherdownloads.htm (.pdf)

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    RESOURCES

    06/15 ADAPT THESE GAMES TO MUSIC: http://ms.loganhocking.k12.oh.us/~madame/teacher/presentations/GamesInstruction05.pdf
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    06/15 MATCHING GAMES: http://www.katietraxler.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=69&Itemid=466 ---- Katie Traxler
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    06/09 A large number of games her: http://www.musictechteacher.com/musicquizzes.htm
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    06/06 Advance to the World Series with Artie Almeida's Baseball Series These fantastic new games from master teacher Artie Almeida will enable students to quickly master music basics in a fun and effective manner. Based on the rules of traditional baseball, each game includes teacher's directions and a set of 40 flashcards organized by level of difficulty - singles (easiest), doubles, triples, and home runs (most difficult). Use this creative and imaginative series to introduce, review, or assess your students' knowledge of music concepts and help them build a solid music foundation. (Grades 3-6) Read more... MP-LR175 Artie Almeida's Melody Baseball - Game ................ $14.95 MP-LR176 Artie Almeida's Rhythm Baseball - Game ............... $14.95 Read more details, view product contents, or order now at MusicK8.com.
    -----------------------------------------
    Other addresses: http://www.kidcarpet.com/product.php?pID=340 10/05 I have the "Noteworthy" music rug in my classroom. It's great for playing music twister, name the music symbol and a whole group of games you can make up to teach music literacy. I have the 13'2 X 10'9" size, which seats 20 Kindergartners very comfortably. I also use it to teach the music room entrance and seating procedures. It's a wonderfully functional tool! You'll love it.
    http://www.furniture-4kids.com/1462x.html -- Marla White
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    10/05 This rug is perfect to seat 24 Kindergarten students. The floor staff in the middle is perfect for floor staff games. I had the smallest size for my preschool children, and it was great. They had their favorite squares (all different colors) and they'd come in and sit on their square. When we did circle games, I had them stand behind their square. (Even though it was a square it worked great). With 2 and 3 year olds, we didn't use the note values, signs or symbols, but it was still wonderful to have with them. We are also compiling a collection of games to play with the rug - all my floor staff games, jeopardy, and a variety of others, that will be given to anyone ordering the rug from us. Denise Gagne www.musicplay.ca Musicplay - the Sequential Text Series
    ---------------------------------------------
    08/04 I have a book called "The Big Book of Music Games" by Debra Olson Pressnall & Lorilee Malecha published by Instructional Fair - TS Denison out of Grand Rapids MI. The directions are all in there, you photocopy (permission granted) the pages, color them in (if you want) and voila! instant game! Some of the game boards are attached to file folders, while some of the cards should be mounted on card stock or construction paper for reinforcement. They also suggest (as do I) that you laminate everything so it will last longer. I made a bunch of them at the end of last year and am looking forward to using them this year! -- Contributed by Betty Petersen
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    01/02 www.funbrain.com

    There are a few music sites here, but the most valuable thing is the quiz center. Create a quiz (MC, T/F, essay, or whatever), take your class to the lab and in a couple of minutes the tests are done, graded and sent to you in e-mail where you can print them or copy them into your gradebook. You can also have students play their music games for a grade too. My students LOVE taking quizzes this way!
    -------------------------
    01/02 www.quia.com

    At this site you can create online activities like hangman, who wants to be a millionaire, flashcards and more. To see a sample of one of mine go to:
    http://www.quia.com/hm/49087.html
    It's free! They also offer online quizzes and such but I prefer funbrain's quiz center.
    ---------------------------
    01/02 www.puzzlemaker.com

    This one has probably been mentioned here before, but is definitely worth going to. Here you can create word search, crossword, acrostic, fallen phrase puzzles and more. FREE! free! FrEe! I like having students use this with instrument names or vocabulary. I also like to make some fun puzzles for band and choir with their names. They think its cool!
    ---------------------------------
    Games: http://www.jumpoint.com/bluesman/games.html
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    WEB SITES: http://www.funbrain.com/notes/MUSIC.html
    http://library.advanced.org/19537/Main.html
    -------------
    Games for older Children that I use in my classroom are "Black Snake", "Push the Business On", "Great Big House In New Orleans", "The Swallow", "Who Stole my Chickens?", "Goin' To Kentucky". For $10.00 I will send you these game songs and many more to use in you music classroom. Send to Jerrilyn MacDanel, 3125 Arrowhead Road, Harrisonburg, Virginia 22801. I will send you my song collection for older children. GAME MATERIALS:
    Do you know you can buy spinners in some of the educational stores or even through the catalogues? The one that comes to mind off hand is Calloway House.

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    REVIEWING MATERIAL

    12/16 REVIEWING MATERIAL: There are many versions of the game, but basically you create questions (one for each student). Set the cards in a circle or however you want to arrange them in your room. Each student is given a paper to recorder their answers (Just make a table with 30 rows or a grid with 30 boxes and number each one). Go over what direction you want the students to move. Have each student go to one of the questions cards. Students work on answering the question. They record their answer in the correct place on their card (e.g if they start with question 5, they mark their answer on the number 5 row or box. They don't 'scoot' to the next card until the teacher tells them too. Now they answer the next question. This process continues until the students have been to every card. Another way you can play it, is you can do a collaboration type activity. Instead of each student having a record sheet, they write or draw on a paper at the spot. You could do this with a listening activity where the students draw one thing to represent the music they hear. Then they 'scoot' to the next spot. Now they add another drawing or even a word to the paper. By the end of the activity you'll have 30 beautiful pieces of artwork. Then you can do a gallery walk at the end. FFScoot is just a fun way to review the things you have worked on in class.----Tami in CO

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    RHYTHM

    06/14 HAVE/WHO HAS activity. I also make my own for these. This activity takes awhile for the students to get use to. I make a set of 32 cards. When I have a class that is smaller than 32, then I just give a few students two cards. One thing I have learned with this activity is to have them flip their card over when they are done reading it and someone has answered their "who has" question. This way you can tell how many students are left. I have them sit in a circle and they lay their card face up. As they play, I will walk around the inside circle making sure they are reading the rhythms correctly. To help make this game a little more exciting, I will time them to see how long it takes. The first time they play the game it will take them about 7-10mins to play. I usually have a few students who don't have good fluency and they hesitate a lot. By the 2 or 3 week of playing this game, they will be able to do it in 5 minutes or less.They will even be able to read their cards to a steady beat (no hesitations or repeating a note) ---- Tami in CO
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    07/13 RHYTHM READING GAMES (click on ‘downloads”) http://www.ariosostudio.com/ ---- Tami Mangusso
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    07/11 I have been playing this game with my first graders this week and they have really enjoyed it. I created a SMART Board slide with 3 different eggs (ta, ti, and rest). The eggs are used to create a four beat pattern. Then, I clap a pattern in which one beat is different from the pattern on the board. The egg that is different is the "rotten egg". After they find it, they have to choose the correct egg to replace it. ---- Kim Good
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    12/09 RHYTHM DICE: Visit: http://www.christmasconcert.com/FlashCards/Flashcards.htm
    Themes & Variations publishes Rhythm Dice Games. There are 7 worksheets and 10 different games in the kit, along with 25 dice. Many of the games involve 2-3 students sharing one dice, so 25 dice is more than enough to have a whole class playing the games at the same time. There is a photo of the dice at the website and some samples of the games. The dice are "standard" sized dice. We give 5 dice to teachers who order our Music Rug. The music dice can be used for playing our staff and symbol games. (we give this book to teachers ordering our music rug) ---- www.musicplay.ca Musicplay – the Sequential Text Series tvmusic@telusplanet.net 888-562-4647
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    I bought a bucket of 1" cubes from the teacher store and I use them to make rhythm and melody dice for various games. I have ordered Denise Gagne's "Dice Games" because I wanted more ideas on how to use the dice. --- Tami Mangusso
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    12/09 BRIAN’S HOMEMADE DICE GAME - Random Song: I made 10-12 pairs of dice, 1 has note values (quarter note, half note, etc) and 1 had note names (B, A, G, etc). I got a 1x1 peioce of wood at Home Depot and had them cut it into 1' cubes for me. I painted them white and drew on the notes and note values. I used them to create "random" songs for my recorder players. I had several different sets for different lessons, grade levels, etc. The basic rules: I put the kids in teams of 2 or 3. They rolled their dice and wrote that note value with that note name in the measure. They kept going until 4 measures (or 8 or whatever) was filled up. If the note value didn't fit into the "current" measure they were rolling for, they had to reroll until they got a result that fit. The last note had to be the tonic of the key (they could take the value rolled and just make the note a "G". I usually had some pattern for the measures, like AABA or ABAC or ABCD or whatever. If they followed AABA for a 4 measure song (like "Hot Cross Buns"), measure 1, 2 and 4 where exactly the same and 3 was different (except for the last tonic note). That provided a little consistency to their random song. Then we played our songs.
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    12/09 BALLOONS: 1. Each person has one balloon, everyone lines up single file, and gets close enough to the person ahead that the balloons are held up by just bellies, no hands. The team goal is to walk in this line - out the door, and back in- without popping any balloons. Interestingly, the way our big team won this challenge, was to coordinate our steps with music!
    2. There are perhaps 10-15? People on this team, and up to 5 helpers standing on the sidelines, each holding a large sack of inflated balloons. The team goal is to keep the largest possible number of balloons aloft for a certain number of seconds- perhaps the length of a short recorded song. The balloons first are thrown in one per every (ten?) seconds. Gradually they come in faster. Music improves this activity so much! There are kits you can buy that include hand-pumps for inflating a large number of balloons.--- (Collected and passed along by Jean in MA)
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    06/09 RHYTHM DICE GAME KIT: The kit comes with 25 dice. Most of the games require only one dice between 2-4 players. 25 dice are more than enough for a class to be able to all play the games at one time. The note values that are found on the dice are quarter note, quarter rest, pair of eighth notes, half note, whole note, and dotted half note. This collection of games works very well as folder games, or as musical centers. The students enjoy being able to try the different games in the collection, and with 10 different games, this will give you games to use for many class periods. The dice can be used as “real dice” in any classroom game requiring dice. The teacher purchasing the Rhythm Dice Games is permitted to copy the worksheets and the games for the students in one institution. Product #RD Rhythm Dice Games $30 To order online visit:
    http://www.christmasconcert.com/FlashCards/Flashcards.htm
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    10/08 It's almost baseball season and I like to play rhythm baseball. I write rhythms on sentence strips. One measure = single, 2 measures = double, 3measure = triple, 4 measures = homerun.divide the class into 2 teams. The teacher is the pitcher and the batter chooses an instrument to play the rhythm you hold up. Three outs or the end of the order and you switch teams. The kids run around the bases you place in the room. Lots of fun plus it a child has trouble with the rhythm you can discuss it with everyone and have them all try it. Tracy Wayne
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    06/06 [I created this for my 7th grade class that loves to play UNO.]
    Making Musical UNO: I laid out all the real UNO cards and found that each of the four color-sets includes 1 "wild" draw-4 card, 2 "wild" draw-two cards, 2 reverse cards, 2 skip cards, and 1 wild card. (I began by making these cards. I tried to make my cards look like the real UNO cards

    I created my cards on Microsoft Word's "landscape" page setting - 8 cards to the page.) I printed one copy of the card page and then made lots of copies of this page. I drew the words/symbols so they look somewhat like the real UNO cards.

    Next, I discovered that there is only one 0 card for each color set. Each number (1-9) has two cards for each color set. This makes a total of 19 number cards per colored set.

    Once I made the wild cards, reverse cards, and skip cards, I then created a Rhythm UNO game: I made 1 whole note card, 2 half note cards, 2 quarter note cards, 2 eighth note cards, 2 quarter rest cards, 2 half rest cards, 2 whole rest cards, 2 eighth rest cards, 2 triplet cards, and 2 sixteenth note cards. I showed the designated note symbol on each of these cards. At the bottom of each card I wrote what kind of note is shown and how many beats it (or each set) receives. Next, I selected four different colors of card stock paper and made copies of all the cards. Next, I ran them through the laminator. Next, cut them and I'm now ready to have music UNO fun!

    I also made a game using dynamics and tempo, a game using time periods and composers, a game using tempos and accidentals, a game showing treble clef notes, and a game showing bass clef notes. Of course, the game ideas could go on and on. By the time I finished, I had created 5 UNO games. Each game focuses upon different elements or topics of music. This means my students will be divided into groups of four, each group playing a different UNO game. -- Pamela Rezach
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    06/06 CULMULATIVE: In "Old King Glory" the "king/queen" taps the 3 children during "the first one, the second one, the THIRD FOLLOW ME. The third child hooks onto the train. At the very end one child is left on the "mountain" and s/he is the new king. The children love this game. -- Cak Marshall
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    10/05 [Print] several pages of notes...whole, half, dotted half, quarter and eighth notes, and possibly their matching rests. Use little envelopes like you could put a key or some change in and seal it up. I would cut apart the notes and or rests and put them in a bowl and mix them up, then put maybe 10 random notes in each envelope and seal them shut.

    After our beginning of the year note value review, (4th or 5th grade), in another class period I'd give each one a sealed envelope.

    Instructions: You each have a sealed envelope which you may not open yet. In just a moment the music will begin, and as long as the music is playing, you may walk around the room silently and try to get people to trade envelopes with you by using signs only.

    When the music stops, you keep the envelope you have and sit down. (Music - probably a Sousa march - for 2-3 minutes) Instructions:

    Now, you each have an envelope, but probably not the one you started out with. I'm handing out scratch paper now. When I say go, you may open your envelope and use the scratch paper and your pencil to help you count and mark down the number of beats inside your envelope using 4/4 meter. You'll need to know how many beats each of the notes or rests gets in 4/4 time, and add them up. Go.

    After they have had a chance to add up the number of beats, determine which student had the envelope with the most beats in it (verified by the teacher), and award a small prize. I like this idea because the winner is totally random, since they traded envelopes so often, and it makes them responsible for thinking about the various note and rest values and adding them. -- Becky Olsen
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    06/05 RHYTHM INSTRUMENTS: Draw a biiiiig circle on the floor.
    Draw another concentric circle inside it about 2 feet inside the larger circle.
    Draw lines to connect the two circles, making the lines about two feet apart. You end up with enough say.... 30-35 spaces, big enough for everyone in your room to have a space with a few left over.
    Mark the spaces thusly: most are blank some have rhythm patterns (you determine difficulty) one has a big STAR drawn in it.
    Put a couple of rhythm instruments in the center of the circle inside a big star that you've drawn.

    Let the game begin.
    Each student goes to a space. The student on the star goes to the center and picks up a rhythm instrument of his/her choice.
    Play some music or determine another way to get the kids to move.

    When the music stops, the kid in one of the spaces with a rhythm pattern has to clap it.
    The STAR kid echoes it on the rhythm instrument, and the rest clap it back. Then, all the others kids in rhythm spaces - one at a time- clap his/her rhythm and the STAR echoes it.
    When everyone's done, everyone goes to a space and the music begins again.

    Ways to adapt this:
    1) STAR kid picks a letter of the music alphabet,a number from 1-8,and chooses forward or backward. Everyone moves either forward or backward, chanting the music alphabet as they go, starting on the pitch mentioned for however many numbers the STAR chose. Example: C - 5 - backwards. The children would move backwards in the circle chanting C, B, A, G, F. Then whoever lands on the rhythm spaces claps, STAR echoes on an instrument while the rest of the kids echo-clap.

    2) Have the kids play a recorder rhythm instead.

    3) Instead of reading a set rhythm, you could put "sing Old McDonald" or "sing the first part of the school song" or name a composer and a piece of his/her music. The STAR idea might not work with this one.

    4) Instead of writing the patterns on the floor, have tasks written on paper plates laid next to the spaces. When a kid lands on a plate-space, s/he picks up the plate and does what it says. It could be a pitch-reading review, a unit review on composers, name an instrument that starts with (you pick) a letter, or whatever you like. The STAR could say if an answer is or isn't correct. (Doubles the assessment opportunities!) -- Martha in Tallahassee
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    10/04 Go to http://www.speedstacks.com/ Our Phys Ed teacher does a unit of this and the kids LOVE it. very good for eye-hand-eye coordination and ambidexterity as well as quickness and concentration,
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    05/03 WHO'S GOT THE RHYTHM? Assign everyone a number. Everyone will need to have a different number. Mark the center of the playing area with the Hula Hoop or use tape to make a box. This will be called the "Center Zone". The teacher starts the game by standing in the center zone area with the ball. Everyone else is scattered around the center zone or you can be more formal and make a circle around the center zone. Play the music (any style) and as the music plays the students dance and move around the center zone. The teacher throws the ball into the air (not too high) and calls a number out. The student whose number is called attempts to catch the ball by the second bounce and then yells "Freeze". Everyone must stop moving and stand still (they don't have to be totally be still like in the game "Freeze"). the player with the ball walks up to someone and says "Do you have Rhythm?" At this point the teacher show the student a rhythm card. The whole class then says "Rhythm, Rhythm say the Rhythm". The chosen student then has to immediatly say and clap the rhythm without hesitation. I have the students us the Ta and TiTi method or you could just have them clap the rhythm to make it more challenging. If the person performs the rhythm wrong then they become the next person with the ball and you start the game again. If the person got the rhythm right then the original person with the ball goes to another person and ask the same question.

    Special Rules:
    1. A student can only get the rhythm wrong 2x's during class. After that they sit out until someone else gets out. This keeps students from purposly trying to get the rhythm wrong in order to get the ball.
    2. A student can only have the ball for no more then 3 rounds. You might have a lot of good rhythm readers and no one will get it wrong.
    3.You could make it more challenging by allowing the student to only see the card for a few seconds, make the pattern longer, or have the student write it on the board after the teacher performs it, etc.
    Variations: you could easily adapt this game to meet any of your music needs by using other categories: theory, notation, melody, instruments, composers, etc. All you need to do is change the question being ask and the chant that students say.

    My students have really liked this game and they have begged me to play it next week. I have been playing it with 2nd - 5th grade. Feel free to use this game, edit the game, or delete the game. Have fun! -- Contributed by Tami Mangusso
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    02/02 BODY RHYTHMS
    Grade: all. just make the rhythms grade level-approp. Materials: board to keep score and your own bodies.
    How to play:
    ~boys and girls sit seperately one team behind the other. choose captains.
    ~captain's tasks: make sure all students are participating and help keep the team organized and working together. captain may also be the "reader" who reads the rhythm back to the teacher/class.
    ~clap a rhythm for team one. they clap it back (and/or say with Koda'ly syllables, "ta"...)
    ~using every person on their team (captain may remain out to "read"), they must notate the rhythm with their bodies on the floor. no one may be left standing (add bar lines if nec.). team gets point if correctly notated and read.
    ~clap a different rhythm for team two. repeat procedures.
    ~once both teams have taken their first turn, try giving both teams their rhythms (making sure they're different) back to back without waiting, so both teams notate at the same time.
    I had two classes come to music together because of a scheduling goof (which gave me a much needed break in my schedule right now!), and we played one class -v- the other. the second graders almost beat my thirds. what fun!
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    PASS THE SHARK Make a shark and water animals out of construction paper or use plastic models. Have a pond in the middle of the circle. Bring all of the animals to circle. Hold them up one at a time and have the children call out the name of the animal. Give each animal, except the shark, to a child to put in the pond. Begin passing the shark around the circle. As the children are passing the shark, have them change:

    Pass, pass, pass the shark. Pass it very fast.
    Pass, pass, pass, pass. Let us see who is last!

    The child holding the shark at the end of the chant, puts it into the "water" and catches another animal. Chant again using the name of the new animal.
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    6/01 KING ELEPHANT - a wild and wacky game about the food chain (sort-a).

    Sit in a circle or long line (if playing in teams allow a little space between teams). the premise: one person (or team) is the King Elephant and the top dog of the food chain. another person (team) is the lowly Amoeba (hey, that's better than the "Fart monger" as i learned it!) and is at the bottom of the food chain.
    The goal of the game is to get yourself into the King Eleph. spot by making the current Eleph. mess up in the game, and to rotate yourself higher up the food chain by messing up those people.

    Getting the game started:
    #1 highly recommended helpful hint: start by choosing five or six teams and assign each team an animal identity. starting with Eleph. pick animals that go down in size ending with tiny amoebas. now have each group come up with a gesture for their animal that fits their character.
    Here are a few examples:
    cougar (one paw swipes in the air)
    bear (two paws up and spread out in front)
    mosquito (point index finger as if stinging)
    skunk (wave one hand in front of nose)
    moose (two antler hands spread on sides of head)

    King Elephant(s) sits at one end. leave a space and other groups sit around going down in size. Amoeba(s) will be directly to the King's left.

    Playing the game:
    #2 highly recommended helpful hint: GO SLOWLY!!! later on in the game give tempo control over to the King(s) to speed up as they wish. but for now, SLOWLY is the only way to go.
    Rhythm of the game: like in the number-game Concentration ("idy-ody-ation, call a number, any combination..."). quarter quarter half... over and over again
    patsch patsch clap (repeat)
    get everyone doing it very slowly.
    teacher lead the game as the only King until they get the hang of it.

    If playing in teams:
    once they have the rhythm going, begin like this:
    King: patsch, patsch, do your eleph. move and say "King" on the half note.
    patsch, patsch, do someone else's move and say their animal name.

    they respond: patsch, patsch, do their move: Patsch, patsch, do king's move

    King: passes it to someone else in the same way.
    When someone goofs up, the whole team goes to the Amoeba chairs, and everyone else rotates up the food chain (not the teams higher already than the goof-up team). They all must now learn their new name and move.

    When the king goofs up, he/she is dethroned and moves to the lowly amoeba chair(s) and the entire group gets to rotate up one spot. learn the new move and animal name and continue with a new king.

    When you can, expand adding more animals. the proper way to play is for everyone to have an animal and to not just keep passing it back to the king all the time.
    Example of full-play with individual kids having their own animal identities:

    King Eleph. starts: patsch, patsch, clap..... (get it going first)
    patsch, patsch, his move
    patsch, patsch, someone else's (let's say cheetah)
    Cheetah responds immediately:
    patsch, patsch, swipe with hand
    patsch, patsch, moose antlers

    Moose responds:
    patsch, patsch, antlers
    patsch, patsch, skunk wave

    Skunk:
    patsch, patsch, wave
    patsch, patsch, eleph. trunk

    King:
    patsch, patsch, trunk move
    patsch, patsch, wave

    Skunk:
    patsch, patsch, wave hand
    patsch, patsch, stinger finger

    Mosquito: patsch, patsch, trunk

    King:
    etc........

    This game can also be modified to play with body parts (i did this to teach my bilingual kids their English body parts), colors (holding colored cards or items), shapes, etc...

    #3 helpful hints from others who've played with their students: have captains for teams. try it with partners instead of teams. have animal pictures/names on large index cards and taped to chairs. forget about movements for a while and just say names. forget about saying names and just do movements (this is actually how the game's supposed to be played).
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    "FIND THE TRUMPET"
    The object of the game is to locate the small picture of a trumpet which will be hiding under one of 4 rhythm patterns. (You can hide a picture of anything and change the name of the game if you wish)

    RESOURCES NEEDED
    1. A small picture of a trumpet
    2. A number of individual cards approx. 2 inches by 3 inches which each display a single sign for Ta and Ti Ti and Saa and Tika-Tika. Depending how complicated you want to make the game, you can include other rhythms such as Ti-Tika, Tika-Ti or Si-Ti. remember each card represents one beat equal to a crotchet.
    3. Four large pieces of Cardboard or I just use 4 books approx 8 inches by 12 inches.
    4. Rhythm sticks for the teacher to use.
    5. White board and marker.
    6. A classroom of students. I play this with 30 chn.

    INSTRUCTIONS
    Class sits in a circle on the floor. Individual rhythm cards are placed in a jumbled heap right side up, in the circle. The 4 books or pieces of card are placed in a row near the individual small cards.

    Two students are asked to leave the room. While they are outside, one student writes a 4 beat rhythm pattern on the whiteboard. The teacher can stipulate whether Tika Tika is to be included or just to keep the rhythms simple with ta's, TiTi's and Saas.

    Four selected children take up their positions behind the four books. The child who has written the new rhythm on the whiteboard then hands the picture of the trumpet to ONE of the 4 students sitting at the books. That child hides the picture under his or her book and then proceeds to copy the rhythm on the whiteboard exactly using the individual cards and placing them in correct order on the book.

    The other 3 students make up their own 4 beat patterns which are very like but not exactly the same as the one on the board. Children get very clever at making the 4 rhythms look very similar to each other but only ONE is the correct one.

    The rhythm is then rubbed off the board and the 4 students resume their place in the circle. The 2 children outside the room are then asked to re enter and stand behind a designated line looking at the 4 rhythms on the floor. (I use my metre ruler as a starting line about one metre away)

    When all is ready, the teacher uses the rhythm sticks to play only the correct rhythm. The two students listen then try to be first to pick up the book and find the trumpet. Only one pick up is allowed.

    As you can see, 7 children are involved in each round so it doesn't take long for the whole class to have a turn. I always have a turn myself by going outside and letting the class run one round. This will only work if you have a child you can choose who will be able to play the rhythm competently on the Rhythm Sticks.

    Only one pattern is written on the white board by one child. It is put there so that the whole class can see it. Then one of the four children on the floor is chosen to copy the pattern from the white board, that is, make it out of their individual cards. Having it on the board enables the class to act as scrutineers and check that firstly the pattern has been copied correctly and secondly that no other child has accidentally done the same pattern. It is very important to remember to RUB THE WHITE BOARD CLEAN before the 2 contestants re-enter the room.)
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    RHYTHM -- Good for 5th grade and up. Here's how it goes: 1. The class sits in chairs in a large circle.
    2. On the floor in front of each student is a card with a number written on it. The numbers should be placed in order around the circle.
    3. Chair #1 is the winning chair.
    Play
    1. Together, everyone performs this pattern: pat, clap, snap left, snap right.
    2. The one who is "it" starts the game by saying his or her number on the first snap and a different number on the second snap. For example, player #1 would say "one" on the first snap and "seven" on the second snap. Player #7 is now "it" and the game continues in the same way.
    3. When a player messes up somehow (not responding, responding too late or too soon....) that player moves to the last chair and everyone behind that player moves up one seat.
    4. Each player should be motivated to move toward the goal of sitting in chair #1.
    Variations I've used
    1. Instead of numbers, use students' names. When it is time to rotate you can choose to have students take their names to the new seat, or to make it a little more challenging, have a "new" name each time they rotate. This is a good activity for the first weeks of school.
    2. Instead of numbers, use names of musical instruments or musical terms. The power of the game
    1. Students concentrate just like symphony musicians must concentrate to respond to the music and the conductor.
    2. Students practice working together using a steady beat.
    3. Students get experience following rhythmic cues.
    4. Students are able to distinguish, to a very close degree, which responses are good (on the beat) and which are not.<
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    SECRET CODE RHYTHM
    I use the overhead. Here are the directions: I write four four-beat rhythm patterns and number them #1-4. One student is the "detective" and they draw a card out of a bag. The bag has many cards in it, all with the numbers 1-4 written in a different order (1342, 1423, 4321, 3241, etc.). The detective looks at the card they've drawn, and doesn't show it to anybody else. The detective then reads the rhythms from the overhead in the order the card says. So, if the card they drew says 2431, they read #2 rhythm first, #1 rhythm last, and so on. The class's objective is to guess what the detective's card says. This is a challenge for them because they have to remember all the digits in order. Secret Code Rhythm has usually lasted a full 30-minute class period for all kids to get a turn; they don't tire of it too fast.
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    VANISHING RHYTHMS
    I start by drawing a very large cross on the board. In each of the four boxes, I write 4 beats of rhythmic notation. We practice each box separately, working our way up to reading all 16 beats of rhythm without stopping.

    Here's where the fun begins. The students LOVE this part!!!! I erase one of the four boxes of rhythmic notation. The students have to perform all 16 beats of rhythm, but the four "Vanishing beats" must be performed from memory. I them erase the other 3 boxes of rhythmic notation, one at a time, until there is nothing left. The students then perform all 16 beats from memory.
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    THREE STRIKES
    A bag filled with disks that had either a rhythm symbol or an x. The contestant listened to a rhythm 2 bars long. Then drew in the bag for a disk. If it was a rhythm they placed it on the measures on the beat where they think it belonged. If they drew a strike, they put it back in in the bag. If they draw the strike 3 times before getting all the rhythms out then they were "out." They would be given a chance to reorganize the rhythms at the end of the game.
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    PRICE IS RIGHT
    To spin the wheel I used a bicycle and taped index cards to the tire, turned it upside down so the wheel could spin freely. The cards were marked with note values, the person spinning closest to a whole note without going over was the winner. The show-case show-down was rhythmic dictation.
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    FROG GAME
    This game helps reinforce multiplication skills as well as coordination and concentration. It may be confusing at first, but it's worth taking the time to learn. Start slowly with the entire group learning all the words before trying to "break it apart." (Stephanie: loupan@hoflink.com)

    1. Students sit in a circle. Keep the beat with a "pat, clap" 2 beat pattern. Beat one is always the "pat."
    2. The spoken phrases are all 2 beats and will be spoken in rhythm to the hand pattern. Remember that beat one is always the pat. To learn the words, begin with everyone saying this series of phrases together:
    (Of course,don't say the pat clap, just do it.)

    One frog, (pat, clap); Two eyes, (pat, clap); Four legs, (pat, clap)
    Ker-plunk, (pat, clap)In the pond. (pat, clap)

    (Last phrase spoken as a dotted eighth and a 16th and quarter note)

    Two frogs, (pat, clap); Four eyes, (pat, clap); Eight legs, (pat, clap)
    Ker-plunk, (pat, clap); Ker-plunk, (pat, clap);
    In the pond, (pat, clap); In the pond. (pat, clap);

    Three frogs, (pat, clap); Six eyes, (pat, clap); Twelve legs, (pat, clap)
    Ker-plunk, (pat, clap); Ker-plunk, (pat, clap); Ker-plunk, (pat, clap)
    In the pond. (pat, clap); In the pond. (pat, clap);
    In the pond. (pat, clap)....And so on...

    NOW THE FUN BEGINS...
    Instead of the whole class saying all of the phrases, it will now go around the circle. EVERYONE CONTINUES DOING THE HAND PATTERN while each student gets to say ONE phrase:

    Student 1: One frog, (pat, clap); Student 2: Two eyes, (pat, clap)
    Student 3: Four legs, (pat, clap); Student 4: Ker-plunk, (pat, clap)
    Student 5: In the pond. (pat, clap); Student 6: Two frogs, (pat, clap)
    Student 7: Four eyes, (pat, clap); Student 8: Eight legs, (pat, clap)
    Student 9: Ker-plunk, (pat, clap); Student 10: Ker-plunk, (pat, clap)
    Student 11: In the pond, (pat, clap)
    Student 12: In the pond. (pat, clap)...etc.

    ***EACH TIME AN ERROR IS MADE, THE GAME STARTS OVER AGAIN AT "ONE FROG." A bingo chip is placed in front of any student who makes an error. Three or Five chips and you're out. This way they get to practice. I've never had a group get past 4 frogs!

    AN ERROR would be skipping a beat between phrases, starting the phrase on beat 2 (the clap) instead of beat one, stopping the hand pattern and of course, the most common mistake is saying the wrong phrase. This is my students all time favorite game. I save it for just before vacation.
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    SNOWBALL:
    This game is not necessarily musical, but it's a really fun way to review terms/definitions, notes/note values, notes/corresponding rests, or any other thing that has a question/answer format. It's called snowball. I give the kids each a small piece of paper and a pencil. Then I tell them each what to write, for example: kid #1 write half note, kid #2 write 2, kid #3 write quarter note (or draw one), kid #4 write 1, etc. Then they divide notes on one side and answers on the other. We crumple our paper and until I blow a whistle, we throw the papers at each other much like throwing snowballs at each other.
    Then when I blow the whistle, everyone gets quiet, picks up one piece of paper, and silently finds the person with the matching answer. They then line up and read off their pair and proceed to play again. This may seem a bit out of control, but last year was my first year of teaching and this game didn't get out of hand at all. It is so fun that you can threaten "you sit out and watch" if someone chooses to misbehave.
    ----------------------------
    This game is a variation on "basketball" and the supplies are very low cost. You will need 2 "baskets" or some kind of containers which have sides about 4-6 inches high, and a fairly large opening. Maybe shoe boxes would do the trick if you aren't able to get anything else. For the "balls" I use small beanbag type stuffed animals that I got at the local "dollar" store for about $2 or $3.

    In any case, the "ball" needs to be something that will not bounce easily, so that it won't bounce out if the student scores. You will have to make up game cards for the players with rhythm patterns. Each set is made up of two cards for every pattern. One card for each player, two teams per class. Each team will have the same patterns. I label my card sets with either a "1" or a "2" in the corner of the card, that way each student will know which team they are on.
    For the rhythm games, I have different rhythm patterns on the cards which I play on a snare(it's the ONLY rhythm instrument we have in the classroom!). The teams are on opposite sides of the room, and the "baskets" are set at one end of the room(against a wall is best), and the "foul line" is at the other end of the room. As soon as I play a rhythm, whoever has that pattern(one player from each team) should go up and shoot the basket. I let them have as many tries as they need to get a basket, then that team gets 1 point. I have certain rules to my game, but you may want to modify anything. After the player shoots, he has to go back and retrieve the ball him/herself, may not have any help from a classmate with the shooting of the ball. The first time I did this game, I had to take extra time for explaining the directions so make sure you leave enough time for playing the first time you do it. Now they look forward to "game time" every week. It is a great motivator, and if they don't get their lesson "work" done, they don't get to "play"!
    CAKEWALK
    I found a set of plastic squares at garage sale several years ago. Its a children's game that can be assembled in an infinite number of ways to make hopscotch patterns. I drew quarter notes, half notes etc on different squares. Then we play the music and they WALK around the squares. There are enough squares for everyone so there is no pushing or shoving. Music stops and I have one of the students pull out a flash card with one of the notes on it, for example a quarter note. Then everyone who is standing in a square with quarter notes on it is out. I have several variations to the game to make it more challenging for older grades too.
    ----------------------------
    TIT FOR TAT
    The game uses a die made from poster board, 7" on a side, and filled with styrofoam. Each side of the cube has one of these: quarter note, half note, quarter rest, eighth note, two eighths, and four sixteenths. Divide the class into three or four teams. Only the front person in each team can answer. The players rotate by moving to the back of the line after answering. I roll the die for Team One. Whichever rhythm is on top, the front person tells me the name of the note. If that answer is right, the person gets a bonus question: How many beats does that note get? So, if both answers are right, that team just got 2 points. If the first answer is wrong, they don't get to try the second question.
    ----------------------------
    PENCIL GAME
    I do a variation of the "Who Has the Pencil" game...using textured notes. I made a whole note, half note, a quarter note...and a quarter rest from cardboard...covered with sand paper and I use these when teaching the notes. Kids close their eyes and put hands behind their backs...I drop the notes into their hands and then sing the song "Who has the whole note?...." kids respond with their singing voices "I have the whole note..." but identify the notes without looking at it...just feeling it. I find it really helps them put the picture in their head. I put the item in their hands (everyone has their eyes shut). They do not show the item when they sing, because everyone's eyes are closed. After all three have sung, everyone opens their eyes and I can on individuals to identify the singers. Also, I do not play this in a circle; I spread the kids around the room. I sure there are many different ways to do this!
    ----------------------------
    IDENTIFY BINGO/rhythm & solfeggio
    This game requires boards (or dittoes) with appropriate symbols (rhythm on one side and solfeggio (on staff with 'do' clef) on the other side of board, a free space in middle, game pieces and a call set of cards with every pattern.
    RHYTHM
    The rhythms are without note heads for the quarters, eighths, triplets, and rests. The meters are 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, and 6/8 each in different columns. For instance: the first column (vertically: "M" ) might contain:
    l l l l
    l Z l l
    l Z l Z
    l l l Z
    l l Z l
    (use whatever notation the students understand)
    The next column ("U") adding the concept of eighth notes, might contain:
    // // Z //
    l l // l
    l l // // etc., The rest of the rows (S, I, C) I add half notes, triplets, & sixteenths.

    GAME BOARD
    The "board" for each student is approximately 11" square made from poster-board. It has a row at the top (1") with the letters M, U, S, I, C labeling the columns and 25 square (2") spaces for rhythm or solfeggio patterns with a free space in the middle. In the real game of bingo, there are about 19 possible numbers for each column of 5 squares. I use about 10 different patterns per column (of 5 squares) & change their positions on the board so that not everyone will have the same sequence of patterns. Put a one-measure pattern in each square (don't forget meter signature)
    GAME PIECES (square covers)
    These can be made from paper, stones, buttons or I use poker chips.
    CALLER CARDS
    Make complete set of cards each having one of the patterns you are going to use. (Be sure to keep a master copy for replacements.
    HOW TO PLAY
    The game is played with each student having own card and pieces. The caller plays the rhythm with rhythm instrument (2x) and then someone "Identifies" the rhythm by reciting it using words to describe the pattern: tah, ti-ti, tah, tah, or quarter, quarter, eighth-eighth, quarter or whatever. If the person identifies it correctly. the caller shows that pattern card to the class (to make sure they mark the correct square on their card with a game piece.) If not is not identified correctly, it is performed again and someone else guesses. (Be sure to stress the positive: "Good try" but let's try again!" The person with the right answer is the next caller. (The caller will have to ask someone to tend his/her board during his/her turn to call.)
    ----------------------------
    RHYTHM BOX GAME
    A posterboard, some magic markers and rhythm flash cards. Directions: 1.Draw three rectangular boxes on the poster board side by side. 2.Over the first box, draw a star and make it look "fancy". This box is where the rhythms that are clapped correctly the first time go. I call it the "All-Star" box. Each flash card placed here gets "100" points. 3.Over the second box, draw a lemon or a lime. This box is where the rhythm card that was clapped correctly on the second try goes. I call this box, "A little bit sour". :-) Each flash card placed here gets "10" points. 4.Over the third box, draw a bear's head with an "X" for a mouth. This box is where the rhythm card goes if it wasn't clapped 100% correct the first two times. I call this box, "The Bad News Bear Box". This box only awards "1" point. Note: This is also a good way to reinforce the math concept of 1's, 10's and 100's columns.
    ----------------------------
    PERCUSSION GAME
    Sit is a circle.Each person has a small percussion instrument. One that makes short sounds is best. After the signal to begin each person tries to play notes on his instrument when no one else is playing. If two or more people play at the same time, they are on their honor to drop out. If the teacher notices a student who is not playing at all in order to become the winner, the teacher can call that person out. Continue until only a few players are left as the winners. This only takes a few minutes.
    ----------------------------
    CHINESE RHYTHMS
    This game is based on the same principle as Chinese Whispers. The students are arranged in a line or semicircle. Each student puts both hands on the shoulder of the next student and closes the eyes. The student at the end of the line or semicircle taps a rhythm on the shoulders of the next child, who in turn relays the rhythm to the next child. This continues until the rhythm reaches the last child. The aim is to end up with the same rhythm.
    ----------------------------
    MAKE A MEASURE
    The apparatus is the same as for TIT FOR TAT, except that two dice are needed. Divide the class into two teams, with each team getting a die. Here, the idea is to fill up four measures with four beats in each measure, by writing on the board whichever rhythm was rolled on top. As each person on the team rolls, then writes, he orshe moves to the back of the line, so others can have a turn. At first it's easy, but players have to count, or they'll end up with too many beats in a measure! It's hard, too, when you're stuck with three-and-a-half beats and can't roll an eighth not to save your soul! The kids love to write on the board; that's enough to hook them.
    ----------------------------
    RHYTHM MEMORY
    Get four children to improvise one measure of rhythm each. Have the students write the rhythms on the blackboard, or write the rhythms yourself. After repeating the procedure for each of the four students, you should have a four-measure phrase. Make sure that the whole class can clap and say each measure of rhythm as it goes up on the board. Get them to perform it from beginning to end several times without stopping. After a few of these repetitions, rub out one measure on each repetition. When the entire phrase is erased, the class will be performing the entire four-measure phrase by memory. Now ask the class to write the four measures by memory. Ask for a volunteer to write the four measures on the blackboard.
    ----------------------------
    RHYTHM BALL PASSING GAME
    I also do a ball passing game where the ball is passed around the circle on each beat. We use the following chant that I composed (you can always make up your own, or collaborate with students to make one up):

    Snickers, Snickers (Ta Ta Ta Ta)
    Milkyway, Milkyway (TiTi Ta TiTi Ta)
    Hershey's Hershey's etc.,
    M & Ms, M & Ms
    Heathbar Heathbar
    Butterscotch butterscotch
    Reese's Reese's
    Peanutbutter cup! (TiTi TiTi Ta Z)

    Whoever catches the ball on "cup" is out. Whoever passes the ball too early or late is out. Whoever drops the ball or forces someone else to drop it is out. It's not a race, so the "cup" person is always pre-determined.

    These kids probably can't stay on the steady beat, and may need simpler words, or just fewer words, but they'll have fun seeing who gets out each time.

    There are also many things to do with lummi sticks....lots of movements (click sticks over head, under legs, around the clock) can be used, and lots of music. "More Simplified Lummi Stick Activities for Kids" is a great tape----it has a routine to "FAME" on it that is just too much.
    ----------------------------
    RHYTHM CHARADES
    For every 4 or 5 children in the class, you need these materials:

    1 sheet of construction paper or poster board, 3"x12", hitherto called a "measuring strip"
    a supply of 3"x3" 1-beat cards (4 quarter notes, 4 quarter rests, 4 pairs of eighth-note couplets, and 4 sets of sixteenth-note quadruplets)
    a supply of 3"x6" 2-beat cards (2 half note and 2 eighth-quarter-eighth syncopations)

    Divide the class into groups of 4-5. Each group gets one of the above packets. Each group creates a rhythm by choosing 1-beat and 2-beat cards and laying them on the measuring strip so that they fit exactly. Next, they need to decide on a body movement for each pattern they use. For instance, the half notes could be a rainbow arc with their arms over their heads, or the syncopation could be done with a hip movement. Give the groups 10-15 minutes to decide on their phrase and practice their movements. When time is up, each group goes up in front of the rest of the class and acts out their "rhythm charade". The class has to guess, in the right order, the rhythm patterns used.

    "My kids have a blast with this, but it does take a whole class period. This is best for Grades 5-6." Of course, you can simplify this game. I tried a simplified version using a deck of cards consisting of all 16 possible 4/4 rhythms using quarter notes and eighth-note couplets. I gave each child one of those cards and asking that child to clap the rhythm for the rest of the class.

    To make this a competitive game, you could have the child who just clapped give the card to the successful guesser. At the end of the game, you can declare the winner as the player as the player who accumulates the most cards. Or, you could have the successful guesser clap the next rhythm. However, I found that the game went just fine by giving each child a turn and letting the children reward themselves with self-satisfaction.
    -----------------------------
    RHYTHMIC DICTATION
    After children become familiar with basic rhythm reading, you can devise a game that challenges students to arrange rhythm manipulatives into measures. In a large class, it is better and easier if children are divided into small teams of 3 or 4.
    MATERIALS: •white posterboard •colored posterboard (3-5 different colors) •fat black permanent marker •scissors •ruler •velcro tape
    PREPARATION: Create a chart on posterboard with two "measures" complete with a time signature. Put one measure each on two lines (don't forget the time sig).
    Divide each measure into 2" square boxes, one box for each beat. Create a smaller version of your chart on 8.5" x 11" paper to duplicate and hand out.
    Using colored posterboard, cut out 2" squares, at least one for each "beat" on your chart of each color.
    On one color of the posterboard squares, draw quarter notes (ta) On another color, draw a beamed pair of eighth notes (ti ti)
    On a third color, draw four sixteenth notes beamed together (ti ri ti ri)
    Make enough 1" square pieces to give to your class for the handout.
    Laminate the poster board chart and all the colored "beat squares."
    In the center of each "beat box" on your chart stich a small piece of velcro tape, the fuzzy part.
    On the back of each "beat square" put a small piece of the sticky part of velcro tape.

    Perform a simple two-bar rhythmic pattern on a percussion instrument, and ask students to arrange the 1" "beat squares" into measures on the handout chart. Challenge the first team to stick the correct pattern on the large velcro chart in the front of the room, while the other teams try to piece it together on the handout charts. If the first team gets it correct, award 5 points or tokens and the round is over. If the first team gets it incorrect, survey the other teams' work and award one point for a correct pattern. Call up the next team and repeat above allowing each team to have a chance at the five points.

    For variation, or for more advanced classes, make "beat squares" of quarter note rests, up-beat eighth notes with eighth note rests, or other 1 beat rhythms such as tiri ti or ti tiri. Also, you can make half-notes or syncopations by cutting the poster board into 2"x4" and 1"x 2" rectangles (thus covering two "beat boxes"). You can create as many variations as your materials and patience allow.
    -----------------------------
    MUSICAL SQUARES
    Materials:-Paper Squares (I use scrap paper) -Recordings of Various Styles of Music -Stereo, Jam Box, whatever you have available *I use my remote controlled stereo*

    Objectives: Listening to different styles of music. Free movement to different styles of music. Moving carefully in "shared space". This game is my version of "musical chairs". I began playing it years ago when a young child got his fingers pinched in between the chairs during the game. This game alleviates that problem.

    Basic game play is: while the music plays, the students move around the space without stepping on squares; when the music stops, each child steps on a square. As students enter the music room I hand them the square and they go find a place on the floor for their square placing it so that they can see where I will be sitting. ((This eliminates having squares behinds tables, pianos, etc.)

    Usually I will start a game by playing a couple rounds where each student will find a square. Then I take out 2 squares, which results in 2 children sitting out when the music stops. I take out another 2 squares and the next 2 children to sit out rotate with those already out. This way only 2 are "out" (I say 'taking a break') while the rest of the class plays.

    Rules:
    1. No running, pushing, etc.
    2. No stepping on squares until the music stops.
    3. No movements with partners.
    4. If 2 children end up on the same square, THEY (not the class or the teacher) must decide who will sit out. ((Looking for a good sport here)) I help limit their decision by counting to 10 silently to myself. If a decision isn't made by that time then both students go out and the other child who should have gone out stays in.

    **With Kindergarten children I may not start removing squares during a game until about the middle of the year.
    **Sometimes with the older children, at the end of a music period, I will have an elimination round where each child stays out (forming a line at the door). I will only play down to 2 or 3 children so that there is no 1 winner and these 2 or 3 get to lead the class ((which is already lined up at the door))from the room.
    **If you have a die-cutter available, cut the paper squares into appropriate shapes for holidays/seasons.
    -----------------------------
    UNSCRAMBLE THE RHYTHM
    Create a chart on posterboard with 2 measures complete with a time signature. Put one measure each on 2 lines (don't forget the time sig.) Divide each measure into 2" square boxes, one box for each beat. Create a smaller version of your chart on 8" x 11" paper duplicate and hand out. Using colored posterboard, cut out 2"squares, at least one for each beat. On one color of the posterboard squares, draw quarter notes (ta) On another color, draw a beamed pair of eighth noters (ti ti) Ona third color, draw 4 sixteenth notes beamed together (ti ki ti ki) Make enough 1" square pieces to give to your class for the handout. Laminate the poster board chart and all the colored "beat squares" In the center of each "beat box" on your chart stitch a small piece of velcro tape, the fuzzy part. On the back of each "beat square" put a small piece of sticky part of velcro tape.

    Perform a simple 2 bar rhythmic pattern on a percussion instruments, and ask students to arrange the 1" beat squares" into measures on the handout chart. Challenge the first team to stick the correct pattern on the large velcro chart in the front of the room, while the other teams try to piece it together on the handout charts. If the first team gets it correct, award 5 points or tokens and the round is over. If the first team gets it incorrect, survey the other teams' work and award one point for a correct pattern. Call up the next team and repeat above allowing each team to have a chance at the 5 points.
    For variation, or for more advanced classes, make "beat squares" of quarter note rests, up-beat eighth notes with eighth note rests or other 1 beat rhythms such as ti ti-di etc., Also, you can make half-notes or syncopations by cutting the poster board into 2"x 4" and 1" x 2" rectangles (thus covering 2 "beat boxes") You can create as many variations as your materials and patience allow.
    The large chart is also a great visual tool for teaching rhythms and measures to the class. Use your imagination!
    -----------------------------
    RHYTHM ROUND ROBIN
    1. You take a study piece of posterboard and cut it into the size of 3x5 cards
    2. Each card has 2-4 beat rhythms. One rhythm at the top that has an A: written before it. The other rhythm should have a Q.
    3. Between the top and the bottom in the direct center of the card, write the words, "Who has"
    4. The teacher starts the game. Start out with the first card and say, "Who has" and play (on R. instr.) the bottom (Q) rhythm.
    5. The rhythms are passed around the room until the last rhythm has been read.
    6. When you create the game, start with the "Starters" card and write in the bottom the (Q) rhythm. This way, you'll know you have an answer for each question.
    -----------------------------
    ARMY ROLL CALL
    It's good for Grades 4 through 6. She made up rhythming phrases to the Army marching cadence song. She uses a different stanza each month. The kids echo each line. Here's the stanza for September:
    We like Fifth Street, it's the best.
    (We like Fifth Street, it's the best.)
    But please don't give us any tests.
    (But please don't give us any tests.)
    Then she gives each student a starting line, and the student has to answer in rhyme:
    "Joe, Joe, answer me. (Teacher, teacher, got stung by a bee.)"
    "You're the best" and "way to go" are other starting lines which she uses. The first couple of tries can be very slow, so she puts up rhyming- word posters. This activity not only serves the purposes of calling roll and learning to rhyme, but matching pitches.
    -----------------------------
    DICE GAME
    Here are several games I've used with my older kids over the years: I made two dice out of poster board, 7 inches on a side, filled with styrofoam so they don't get crushed when the land. Each side of the cube has one of these: quarter note, half note, quarter rest, eighth note, two eighths, four sixteenths.
    -----------------------------
    TIT FOR TAT
    To play with one die, divide the class into three or four teams. Only the front person in each team can answer. The players rotate by moving to the back of the line after answering. I roll the die for Team One. Whichever rhythm is on top, the front person tells me the name of the note. If that answer is right, the person gets a bonus question: How many beats does that note get? So, if both answers are right, that team just got 2 points. If the first answer is wrong, they don't get to try the second question.
    -----------------------------
    MAKE A MEASURE
    To play with two dice, divide the class into two teams, with each team getting a die. Here, the idea is to fill up four measures with four beats in each measure, by writing on the board whichever rhythm was rolled on top. As each person on the team rolls, then writes, he or she moves to the back of the line, so others can have a turn. At first it's easy; but players have to count, or they'll end up with too many beats in a measure! It's hard, too, when you're stuck with three and a half beats and can't roll an eighth not to save your soul! The kids love to write on the board; that's enough to hook them. In each of these games, the winning team gets a music stamp from a stamp pad. I have a "wheelie" stamp that I roll right up their arm. (I use washable ink.)
    -----------------------------
    FORBIDDEN RHYTHM
    Forbidden Rhythm is fun, and takes no setting up. I just say, "Here is the Forbidden Rhythm." Then I clap it. The class claps it back, to prove they know what it is. Then they aren't allowed to clap it anymore. I clap rhythms and they echo. But if I clap the Forbidden Rhythm, they had better not clap it. (If they do, they have to sit out the rest of the game.) There are always those who think that the best way to avoid the "Forbidden Rhythm" is not to clap at all; so, if I see that someone is never clapping, they also have to sit out. Every so often, I change the "Forbidden Rhythm," just for variety.
    -----------------------------
    BEE, BEE, BUMBLEBEE
    Bee, bee, a bumblebee
    Stung a man upon his knee.
    Stung a pig upon his snout...
    Goodness me, if you're not out!

    It is a traditional elimination game which can be used as a rhythmic activity...The way I've done it is to have kids seated on the floor, cross-legged, and passing a ball ...but they had to do it on the beat (not hot potato!). I did it first by clapping or patsching on every beat (microbeat) then every other beat (macrobeat). Then I knew they'd be ready for the ball. Different variations I've read about is tohave the child could choose to have the ball go in the opposite direction when it comes to them. And yet another way is to say the rhyme silently while passing the ball rhythmically. I like Sue Hanks use of the game to line up kids. They pass a ball to the beat. Must pass it to the next person and not throw it across the room. Whoever has it on out lines up with a sticker or grape smelling hand stamp. That there are no losers and no tears.
    -----------------------------
    ELIMINATION GAME
    Kids sit in circle cross legged with knees touching. Ball (yarn ball or nurff ball) is passed to neighbors lap on the beat. (Takes some time to make the kids stay with the beat and not rush. Nobody likes to be out.) No one can miss their lap or miss anyone in the circle. Everyone keeps the beat by clapping as the ball goes around in the circle.

    Variation I: When the ball comes to you, you may decide to send the ball the other direction. When the ball is in your lap, you decide the direction it must take.

    Variation II: The rhyme is silent. The kids must say the rhyme in their heads (internal hearing)

    Variation III: Each child in possession of the ball CAN hold the ball for two beats, but must show the two beats by lifting the ball on the two beats before passing the ball on.
    -----------------------------
    FOUR CORNERS
    I have the 4 corners as different rhythms (one measure)

    I randomly play one of the 4 rhythms and whoever is in that corner must sit down. Now, here's the hard part. With the older kids, they can use an insurance card. Let's suppose that I play ta ta ti-ti ta. After I play that rhythm, I say "eyes closed and raise your hand if you want to use your insurance card". If a person is in the ta ta ti-ti ta corner and they have their hand up, they are not out. You can only use your insurance card once. To make it even harder use more complicated rhythms after playing 'their rhythm.' (such as ta ta ti-ti ta) ask them to identify a more complex rhythm.
    -----------------------------
    STONE GAMES
    If you're interested in comparative anthropology, then Terry Kluytmans, hostess of , really has something for you: she has three singing games, borrowed from "Sharon, Lois & Bram Elephant Jam: Songs to Play and Games to Sing," that are from three unrelated cultures but with almost identical instructions for the actions. For all of these games, sit in a circle, cross-legged, and put two stones on the floor in front of you. Terry Kluytmans suggests first rehearsing the song while patting your knees on each beat. Next, she suggests rehearsing the song with these motions:
    beat 1--pat your own knees
    beat 2--pat your left neighbor's knee with your left hand and your own left knee with your right hand
    beat 3--pat your own knees again

    The following symbols are given for the motions:
    o: pick up your right-hand neighbor's stone with the right hand and pick up your own stone with your left hand
    x: give the stone in your left hand to your left-hand neighbor and place the other stone in front of you with your right hand tap: tap both stones on the floor
    cross: cross hands and tap both stones on the floor

    AL CITRON - Latin America

    o x o x o x o x
    e e e e e e e e e e e e e e q
    G G C D E D C C G' G' C C G G C
    Al citron de un fandango sango sango sabare,

    o x o x o tap cross tap
    e e e e e e e e e e e e e e q
    G G C D E D C C G G C G C E C
    Sabare de la randela con su triki triki tron.

    (The song is in 4/4 meter with an up-beat.) I tried to translate the lyrics, but I can't find all the words in the Spanish dictionary. If anyone can understand the words, please write back.
    -----------------------------
    OBWISANA - Ghana.
    The words mean, "Oh, Grandma, I just hurt my finger on a rock."

    x o x o
    e e e e e e q e e e e h
    E G G G A G F E G D D E
    Ob-wi-sa-na sa-na-na, Ob-wi-sa-na sa.

    x o x o
    e e e e e e q e e e e h
    E G G E A G F E G D G C
    Ob-wi-sa-na sa-na-na, Ob-wi-sa-na sa.
    -----------------------------
    ME STONE - Trinidad and Tobago

    x o x o
    (rest) q q e e q q q q
    (rest) B D B D E E C E
    Me stone is me stone, Miss Mary.

    x o x o
    (rest) q q e e q q q q
    (rest) A C B A G G E G
    Me stone is me stone, Miss Mary.

    x o x o
    (rest) q q e e q q q q
    (rest) E G F E D D B D
    Me stone is me stone, Miss Mary.

    x o x o
    q q q e e q q q q
    G G G G F E E D C
    Pass 'em down is me stone, Miss Mary.
    -----------------------------
    SINGING GAME FROM GHANA
    The song is from Ghana, but the words are nonsense syllables.
    The leader in the center of the circle puts hands on head and sings:

    q q q q
    E E D E
    Kye kye ko-le.

    The group repeats. The leader puts hands on shoulders and sings:

    e q e q q
    E E C E D
    Kye kye ko-fi-sa.

    The group repeats. The leader puts hands on waist and sings:
    e q e q q
    A, C A, C C
    Ko-fi-sa-lan-ga.

    The group repeats. The leader puts hands on knees and sings:
    e q e q q
    C C E C C
    Ca-ca-shi-lan-ga.

    The group repeats. (You'd better change this line if there are any Hispanic children in your class!) The leader puts hands on ankles and sings:
    q. e q q
    C A, G, A
    Kum-ma-dye-day.

    The group repeats. In some versions, there is an exclamatory "Hey!" at the end. The leader lies down, whereupon the group does likewise. The group members cannot get up until after the leader does. The leader gets up without warning, chases the group members, and the group member who is tagged becomes the next leader.
    (The song is in 4/4, and the range is a major sixth from C to A.)

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    DRY ERASE BOARDS

    05/21 WWW.dryeraseboard.com and
    WWW.flex-a-chart.com
    Both offer many sizes of music staff dry erase boards
    ---
    05/21 I got mine this year. Source: LYONS (www.4lyons.com ) Ph. 1-800-292-4955. I got the 3 X 4 reversible portable music staff board. 4 staves on one side and plain on the other. wooden frame with casters It was 250.00 plus freight ($70.00) There is a 4 X 5 with 5 staves for $285. I really like it, but it is not magnetic, but hooks go into the top rail real easily for charts etc. It come is white dry erase or green chalk. There are wall mounted ones for under $150.00

    02/02 MAGNETIC STAFF BOARD

    I buy sheets of large "smiley face" stickers, which come in a multi-colored pack. I stick them on the magnetized business card backing, cut around the circle shape and have lots of "noteheads." The kids remember the term, because they are real "heads." I have found the stickers are also great for making visuals, because the colors can illustrate the form. When I taught first and second endings, they immediately "got" the idea of the yellow and blue endings. It's also a lot faster than drawing notes.
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    8/01 Basic Theory Test, Composer Trivia, Fun Brain (Academic Games onlin), Puzzlemaker, Families of Instruments Test: http://www.geocities.com/klukow/music.html
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    NOTATION
    I introduce melodic dictation by giving each student a page with a staff printed on it and a small yogurt or margarine tub that has pennies in it. The staff is sized so that the pennies can be noteheads. When we first begin, each tub has three or four pennies. As the kids improve, I put six or eight or ten pennies in. The pennies are always recycled for the next class. However, in the class before Christmas, Valentine's Day, or Halloween, I substitute Hershey's Kisses for the pennies.
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    INTERVALS: RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT
    In a game much like red light, green light, have the teacher sing a step, skip or same note and students can take:

    1 step for an interval step
    2 steps for an interval skip
    0 steps for same notes
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    WHICH INTERVAL
    "I make two shakers (each has two plastic cups taped together on their top rims, with bells inside) and place them on a music stand that has been pushed down and laid flat. A student from each team stands on either side of the stand with their hands around the shakers.

    "I show a card with two notes on a staff which show an interval. Since these are sixth graders it would be too hard to ask them to identify whether it is major or minor so they have to tell me if it is a third, fourth, unison, or octave.

    "When the student has identified the interval, s/he shakes the shaker. The first to shake gets to answer, and must answer IMMEDIATELY. If the answer is correct that student's team gets a point. If it is wrong the other team's student gets to answer, (again - immediately) and if this student answers correctly, his/her team gets a point.

    "I make sure all the students can see each card I hold up so they can practice and be able to do it when it is their turn. The two contestants cannot get help from the rest of their team. If a member of the team forgets him/herself and shouts out help, that team's contestant cannot answer."

    If a student moves when they aren't supposed to, or if they step too many times, they are sent to the back of the room. The first student to make it to the teacher wins.
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    STAFF GAME
    A game for 4th and 5th graders that I and they like is a staff game. A large treble or bass clef staff taped on the floor, or drawn on a large piece of cardboard, and a few 4-letter staff words, like 'edge', 'fade', 'cage', and all the others you can think of, is all you need. A stopwatch is handy too, if you want a little added frenzy to the activity. Break kids into groups of 4, and each group assigns themselves a letter of the word--1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th. At their turn they line up at the bottom of the staff in order, 1,2,3, and 4. Then show them the word, say 'go!' start your stopwatch, if you are using one. The kids step directly forward onto their line or space so they spell the word correctly when all four are in the right spot. When the word is spelled correctly, stop your watch, announce the time and invite the next group to beat it. It is an excellent way to evaluate each child's understanding of the staff. And, if you treat it with the right amount of competition mixed with levity, it's a lot of fun. I can usually do two quick rounds in a 1/2 hour. With younger grades, 3 letter words work fine. Good luck!

    (With staff taped to floor) Another game for learning note names is to split to class into two teams. Two at a time, the students compete against each other to first get on the line or space called out by the teacher.

    Another variation for younger children is to split the class into two teams and have two members of each team throw a bean bag (or whatever object you choose) onto the correct line or space. They get two turns. Correct on the first try is two points.
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    FLOOR STAFF GAME
    (Could use shoe polish to mark the staff)
    This is a relay style game. Divide your students into teams. (Maybe four to six teams, depending upon the size of the floor staff.) Using ribbon or string, divide the staff into measures so that each student will stay within his team's "measure". Prior to class cut out animal pictures that begin with the note names you are wanting to teach. Use different animals for different teams. That way they can't look next door and copy. Ex. E-Elephant, G-Goat, B-Bear, D-Dog, F-Fish, etc. Make as many sets of these pictures as you have teams. Give the first person in each team the set of animals (food or whatever objects you choose to use.) Say "Get ready, set, compose". The students of each team then puts the animal on the proper line/space. After the last student is finished, everyone in the class checks to see which team member got them all right. Continue on until all the team members get to place the notes on their measure of the staff.
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    Years ago I drew a giant staff on a white cloth shower curtain - in fact, I made two of them out of one curtain. These fold up very easily - nothing is stuck on the floor. Although, thanks to your ideas, List, I may put velcro on each corner to hold them in place even more securely. I use margarine lids to throw onto the staff. These are just the right size for notes. I wonder if this setup would work for the twister game. So far, I have used these staves for a relay race, boys against girls. Each time a student names the note-lid location s/he has thrown to, correctly, his or her team gets a point. I have used inexpensive shower curtain to make both a staff and twister games. I used gym tape to make the lines for the staff. Masking tape will work--I have one that I made many years ago that is still OK. Just cut the tape to the proper length and tape it down. I used tape to make the treble clef also--be careful not to stretch it or it will cause the shower curtain to "bunch up". Magic marker could also be used to make the lines/staff.

    I used extra large permanent markers in different colors to make the various concepts for the twister games. The markers come in different colors. You can get them at Wal-Mart and various office stores.

    I fold the curtains up to store them. At one school, I hang them in the coat closet.
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    STAFF BALL
    Place a basketball goal, which you can get at the Dollar Store, on the blackboard. On the floor in front of the blackboard, put a large staff and treble clef, using masking tape. In a bucket, put different notes which appear on the treble staff. Each student draws from the bucket, stands on the appropriate line or space, and shoots the ball. Each student makes one point for each basket.

    My class plays baseball using flashcards of terms, notes, and rests. I have two players from different teams stand in front of me. We have decided previously which team is batting. I show a flashcard. The one that answers first correctly either goes to base or gets one out.
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    GRAND STAFF
    This game is played on a Grand Staff. I use a large piece of cardboard with a grand staff drawn on it. The person who originated this game uses felt with the notes made out of felt too. Each person gets a note to play with cut out of cardboard or cardboard covered with felt. Each person rolls a die and then counts up the grand staff for that amount starting from the very bottom. The first person to reach the top of the treble clef wins. However, he/she has to roll the exact number to get to the very top. If a person rolls one then he/she just picks up the note and puts it back down again (a repeated note). Also, to make it even more interesting each person has to say where he/she is in relation to the landmark notes (i.e., a third above middle C, or a second below bass F or treble G).

    "Another variation is for the teacher to put several notes on the grand staff and ask the student to play them by saying, play first note, then down a second, down a second, etc. You can make up a story that all of the notes are coins in a bank. Include two gold notes and say there is a bank robber who will come to steal the money out of the bank. The robber takes both gold coins, so then the student has to play the notes left and skip a few."

    This teacher took clear plastic sheeting (polyurethane, I believe), and black electrical tape and created this huge floor staff that can be used for MANY activities. I went out and bought the materials--the total came to $8.37. And the smallest quantity I could find will make at least six of these. So easy, and great for those of us that can't use tape on our floors, etc. I plan on making a large floor keyboard as well! Alicia PS-The materials can be found at any home improvement store.

    My kids play Jump the lines and spaces. 5 students line up at the bottom of the staff. I call out a line or space name and the first student that lands on it correctly gets a point. They go back and start again. The first person who gets 3 points is the winner of that group. I let the entire class play in groups of 5. Next, we have a championship game with all the winners. They must get 5 points to win. The winner gets a sticker or small prize. The kids learn their note names real fast when you throw in a little competition. I also use the floor staff to show step, skip and stay the same note concepts. I use black plastic plates as notes to put on the staff.
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    MUSICAL TWISTER
    First: Tape a large staff on the floor using black electrical tape. The size is up to you.
    Second: Tape a treble or bass clef sign on the staff ...very easy with electrical tape.
    Third: Either make...or have available...note flash cards. Make body part flash cards including...Right foot, Left foot, Right hand, Left hand, and Bottom if you so choose.

    To Play:
    *Divide the class into two or more teams. One child from each team will be on the the staff at a time.

    *Draw a note flash card. *Draw a body part flash card. *The students put that body part on that line or space and leave it there. Now... *Draw another note flash card...and *Draw another body part flash card. The students continue until someone falls or gets the wrong part on the wrong line or space. Whoever doesn't fall or make a mistake, gets a point for their team.

    *I also play this as a race...2 students, the first one there correctly wins...gets a point.
    *Sometimes, each student is given a word and they have 10 seconds to try to spell it with their body.
    *Sometimes I have 5-10 students on the staff at a time and it gets very funny!
    I have a large area. My staff is probably 6 feet tall by 15 feet wide.
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    STAFF RELAY RACE
    Make circles to use as notes. Put a note name on each circle. Make two sets...using two different colors. Split the class into two teams. The first team to correctly place all their notes on the staff wins. I usually make this a silent relay race. I give 5 bonus points to the team that does it the quietest. Of course, if both teams are quiet, they both get the points. You can then give them 1 point for each correct answer and 5 bonus points for being first....or whatever.
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    MORE STAFF IDEAS
    This is a real "hands on" or should I say "feet on" aid ! A couple of ideas : bean bag play - name the note; have the children spell out "music words" that you know ahead of time - see if they can tell the word; then have kids create their own music words; create scales using the kids as the notes; build chords with the kids standing in the spaces or on the line - for this and also the scale activity, you could have them each holding a resonator bell so the class can not only see but hear; I know there is more but this is just off the top of my head! Have fun!
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    I loved my duct tape floor staff, but the caretaker didn't - especially when the duct tape left marks forever on the rug. I bought about 30 feet of carpet runner at Walmart - the clear stuff that you put over the carpet to protect it. It has little spiky bits on the bottom, so when kids jump around on this it doesn't slip.I cut it in half, and taped together the two 15 foot lengths. This piece of tape creates the middle line of the music staff. I added 2 more lines, treble clef and double bar line at the end.

    1. Use floor staff to teach lines and spaces. Half the class stands on line 1, and we jump from line to line. The other half of the class jumps from space to space.

    Elimination game: Call a line or space # - the last child to get there is out.

    Transfer the learning from floor staff to felt staff and have children manipulate felt notes to the correct line# or space #. Where this really helps is with children who literally put notes 'on the line' - they'll set the note on top of a line. After jumping on the floor staff, I can tell them that they put the note where their feet went - around the line.

    2. Use floor staff to teach solfa - sm songs are easy to notate on the floor staff.

    3. Note names - I introduce absolute note names in grade 4, so out comes the floor staff again and we jump the letter names of lines and spaces.

    Elimination game: Call a note name - the last child to get there is out.
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    NOTE RELAY: Divide into teams.Using ribbon or string, divide the staff into measures so that each student will stay within his team's "measure". Prior to class cut out circles of different colors for each team with the letter names you want them to learn. Say "Get ready, set, compose". The students of each team then puts their circle on the proper line/space. After the last student is finished, everyone in the class checks to see which team member got them all right. Continue on until all the team members get to place the notes on their measure of the staff.
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    NOTE FRISBEE Make a floor staff. I saved six large margarine lids to use as frisbees. "The students form two teams and each team lines up by one of the staves, with the first child in line standing behind a strip of masking tape about 10 feet away from the staff. Each team gets three frisbees. "The first student in each line throws a frisbee onto the staff (which is facing him/ her). If the student's frisbee misses the staff, s/he can throw the second (then, the third, if needed). Once a frisbee lands on the staff the student stops throwing. S/he passes any additional frisbees to the next teammate in line, who holds on to them until his/her turn. "If none of the frisbees lands on the staff, the student's turn is over and the next person in his/her team comes up to the line to throw. If the student has thown a frisbee onto the staff, s/he has to tell me which line or space it is on, and the letter name of that note. A correct answer gets a point for that student's team. Again, any helping by team mates voids the point the frisbee-thrower might have made.
    ---------------------------
    "The student must count the lines from the bottom up. S/he must tell me which line or space the frisbee is on because sometimes it is not clear whether it is in the space or on the line. If the frisbee looks like it could be either (for example) on G or in A, when the student calls 'second line' or 'second space' s/he must identify the note in that location. "Both teams can throw at the same time, each to their own staff. Frisbees landing on the other team's staff don't count. Or, both teams can take turns throwing to one staff."
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    NOTE SPELL
    A game for 5th and 6th graders that I and they like is a staff game. Materials: Floor Staff, and a few 4-letter staff words, like 'edge', 'fade', 'cage', and all the others you can think of, is all you need. A stopwatch is handy too, if you want a little added frenzy to the activity. Directions: Break kids into groups of 4, and each group assigns themselves a letter of the word--1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th. At their turn they line up at the bottom of the staff in order, 1,2,3, and 4. Then show them the , say 'go!' start your stopwatch, if you are using one. The kids step directly forward onto their line or space so they spell the word correctly when all four are in the right spot. When the word is spelled correctly, stop your watch, announce the time and invite the next group to beat it. It is an excellent way to evaluate each child's understanding of the staff. And, if you treat it with the right amount of competition mixed with levity, it's a lot of fun. I can usually do two quick rounds in a 1/2 hour. With younger grades, 3 letter words work fine.

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    FLOOR STAFFS

    04/02 Consider velcro (hook side) 2 inches wide! It makes fabulous staff and lasts for several years with vacuuming and cleaning. I have been using velcro for marking the floor circle and making a floor staff for 12 years in my room. Let me know if you need more information. It doesn't leave any marks and sticks really tight to the carpet. Mid-year, I add ledger lines every year. I pull it up in the summer and put it down in the fall. (OK, I know I have mentioned this before, but velcro works so well it bears repeating in case you missed it!)
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    04/02 I bought a small, room-size carpet chunk at Home Depot. it's about 6' x 9' and was less than $40. I marked off the five lines with masking tape - making the lines about an inch wide - and painted them with black latex paint. It took about a quart of paint! I also made black circles the size of the spaces in the staff and had them laminated for notes. I also found some clear plastic sold by the yard at a fabric store. I used a piece to draw a treble clef and a bass clef sign with permanent marker. The kids love the activities we do with the rug and it is easily rolled up and stored in a corner if it gets in the way.
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    04/02 I really wanted the velcro to mark off the floor for line dancing. It will take about 60 yards just to do horizontal lines and I'd also like to mark vertical. I've solved the floor staff quandry with a roll of blanket binding someone was throwing away. I cut 5 strips, each about 15 feet long and the kids can get the 5 "lines" stretched out on the floor in no time at all. I tape the ends down with duck tape.
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    04/02 I have put a staff on the floor using Green Painters tape. It does last a long time and when it starts to rip I just tear off the section and put a new section down. The tape is about an inch wide, but comes in various wideths. It cost me 3.00 at Walmart. If you are going to use paint, I would recommend fabric paint. I have painted a mat before and bought the fabric paint in the craft store.
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    02/02 I usually make a large staff on the floor using electrical tape. It goes down rather quickly and the tape is rather inexpensive at stores like Wal-Mart. I also make a large clef sign using the tape-but I must admit the clef itself is rather geometrical looking rather than nice and rounded. The students then stand on the lines or spaces themselves. You can even start with young ones with lines and spaces, transfer to the letter names on the staff and even work on melodic motion. It's a great lesson.
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    Mine are about a foot apart also. I have used 2 inch wide velcro on carpet for 12 years. I have replaced it once. I have some round bean bags I made. For the "visual learners", I have a couple of pictures on my snapshot page. http://www.asd.wednet.edu/EagleCreek/Engell/snapshots.htm Scroll down to the third graders practicing the names of the notes. My clef sign is made from several sheets of tag board, laminated and taped together so I can fold it. I can whip it out pretty fast to have it in place for a game. The other clef things I tried early on (like felt) took too long to arrange. If I didn't have carpet, I think I would try a large remnant and use the velcro.
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    01/02 I made a pretty durable floorstaff. I purchased one of those carpet protector things that you put down in a high traffic area. It is about 6feet long and 2feet wide. I used a back sharpie and drew on the lines about l inch thick. The little claw things on the bottom that grip the carpet make a good grid to follow and draw the lines. You could also paint the lines on, but I think the permanent marker works best.
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    01/02 I have one that has served me well, made out of a white shower curtain liner, with electrical tape for the lines and a magic-markered treble clef. We use it for "Twister", beanbag toss, paper plate frisbie, human words, lots of fun. I can even take it outside in nice weather.
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    Years ago I drew a giant staff on a white cloth shower curtain - in fact, I made two of them out of one curtain. These fold up very easily - nothing is stuck on the floor. Although, thanks to your ideas, List, I may put velcro on each corner to hold them in place even more securely. I use margarine lids to throw onto the staff. I fold the curtains up to store them. At one school, I hang them in the coat closet.
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    Tape a large staff on the floor using black electrical tape. The size is up to you.
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    Use old blinds/permanent marker to make a staff
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    I loved my duct tape floor staff, but the caretaker didn't - especially when the duct tape left marks forever on the rug. I bought about 30 feet of carpet runner at Walmart - the clear stuff that you put over the carpet to protect it. It has little spiky bits on the bottom, so when kids jump around on this it doesn't slip.I cut it in half, and taped together the two 15 foot lengths. This piece of tape creates the middle line of the music staff. I added 2 more lines, treble clef and double bar line at the end.

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    MUSICAL SYMBOLS

    9/01 IDENTIFY SYMBOLS

    I do a similar game only I use big plastic squares that I found at a garage sale several years ago. They hook together if you wanted to and its a game called "Scatterscotch." I've used a permanent marker to draw quarter notes, half notes and two-eighths on them. Then when the music stops a student pulls out a card and the people standing in that square are "out." There's always enough squares for everyone so there's no fighting. And later in the year, when they know what the notes are, the only way the students in the squares are knocked is if the student who pulled the card can identify the note.
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    9/01 IDENTIFY SYMBOLS

    I have each of the students draw out a number which determines the order in which they play the game. A scorekeeper, a timekeeper, and student judges are needed. (The negative aspects of the game are not included - voting out competitors, sarcastic remarks, etc.) I have seven students play at a time. They are asked two rounds of questions by me. Anyone who misses both questions is out and the next student(s) (#8, #9, etc.) in line moves into the game. Again a round of two questions is asked, until there are only two remaining students who face off. I ask questions back and forth between them until a winner is determined. The questions in each round are similar. For example, if one person is asked to recognize notes on the treble staff, all of the competitors are asked to recognize notes on the treble staff. Types of questions asked are treble and bass staff notes, leger notes, rhythmn, musical symbols such as dynamic signs, musical math, composers, and other areas which we have covered. It's a terrific review and gives me a better picture of our strengths and weaknesses. I hope this makes sense; it is difficult to put games into words. 8/01 SWAT THE SYMBOL

    Basically what you do is cut out circles on your die-cut machine. Inside each circle you write a note or musical symbol. Then, glue each circle on a large piece of construction paper and laminate. Get 2 fly-swatters and cut circles in them with the die-cut machine. (You don't really have to do this, but I do because the kids think its neat and I can also see their answers.)
    Have the kids line up in 2 teams. Say, "Swat the quarter note..," or "Swat the D...," and the first one to swat the correct answer wins that round. They get to stay. The other person gives his swatter to the next team member. We like to keep track of the most consecutive swats in a row and have a school record (our current record is 27 swats). I have about 6 swat boards with all different things on them. I have symbols, notes, instruments, signs (like repeat signs and D.C. signs), Peter and the Wolf, and Nutcracker boards. Its really fun and the kids love it. You can do it for 20 minutes or 5 minutes - whatever you have time for.
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    It was a beautiful day and I didn't want to go back inside. I had my class out on our school patio playing some music games. However, I really needed to drill my class on musical symbols so I came up with this simple game that actually seems fairly good at drilling music symbols.

    Materials: chalk, flash cards with notes and symbols on them or have them written on a paper, something to make music with ie-drum, voice, recorder, cd . . .

    *I wrote music symbols & notes in boxes on the blacktop with my sidewalk chalk.
    *The kids moved around to the beat till I stopped playing.
    *While I played music I choose a symbol
    *when the music stops, kids had to move to the nearest symbol box and stop.
    *I would call out the note or symbol I had chosen.
    *Any student standing on that symbol was out.
    *When the kids were out they would choose the next symbol and scout out the kids who were on that symbol and didn't realize it.

    This is very easy and can be done with anyone. My students told me that they knew their notes better after playing the game.

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