"Play that Tune" is one of the activities I use on our R and R Day, the reward day at the end of the month. The cards that come with the game are small, and have 2 songs per card. Many of the songs are tunes my kids don't know, so I made my own cards on index cards. That way I could just put one song on a card, and make the numbers bigger. I mostly stick to children's songs like "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "London Bridges."
First, I bought the Twister Dance console, available at Target and WalMart. To make Twister Dance into a class project, I cut out 4 circles (one of each color in the console for each student in a class: red, yellow, blue and green) out of shelf liner. It was just tacky enough that it was resistant to moving on the carpet (it did move a bit when the kids stepped across it sometimes.) I don't have more than 25 students in a class, so I cut out a little more than 100 circles. It was good to have some extras, because some did rip.
When the panels on the console light up on the right or left side, then the kids put their right or left feet on the corresponding color circles. If both sides light up with the same color, I told them to pick a foot. The console comes pre-loaded with songs, but it was not enough for a 45 minute class period. Plus, I was not crazy about all the song choices. So I plugged in my iPhone (it shows an iPod) with a playlist I had already set up and used that instead. The colors change pretty quickly, and the kids needed to stop and cool down after every couple of songs. I used this on a reward day at the end of the month.
When the panels on the console light up on the right or left side, then the kids put their right or left feet on the corresponding color circles. If both sides light up with the same color, I told them to pick a foot. The console comes pre-loaded with songs, but it was not enough for a 45 minute class period. Plus, I was not crazy about all the song choices. So I plugged in my iPhone (it shows an iPod) with a playlist I had already set up and used that instead. The colors change pretty quickly, and the kids needed to stop and cool down after every couple of songs. I used this on a reward day at the end of the month.
Musical Zap
This is an idea I got from Pinterest. I made 2 sets of cards. I just bought cards that look like tickets from my local Teacher store. One set goes in the pockets- on the back of the cards, write/print "consequences" like "Give the other team 2 points," "Both teams keep the same score," "Add 5 points to your team's score," etc. I only had room for 20 pockets, but I average 24 kids in a class. So when we run out of tickets, I just put them back in the pockets randomly & keep going. I did laminate this set.
The other set of cards are the questions, and I just tailored them to the topics I always cover in class. For instance, in 2nd grade, I always talk about the Sousaphone and Marching Bands in the Instrument Family unit. I also cover why the Saxophone is in the Woodwind Family & not the Brass. So those are 2 questions I ask about in the game. I also ask about length of notes and rests, dynamics, & other musical markings we've covered. I have the kids draw notes on the chalkboard. And I ask about anything else I think they ought to know!
So I start the game with the first person in the first row. I ask a question. If they get it right, the class gets a point, and the student draws any card out of a pocket on the poster board. If the student doesn't answer the question correctly, no one gets any points. (I don't get points if they don't know the answer- I explain the answer.) I usually have the students play against me (I'm the "other team.") If they start talking, I instruct the score keeper to erase points from the class & award them to me. I also get points when students draw cards that say "Give the other team "x" number of points." I play this game with 2nd - 5th graders. They like the element of chance with the card drawing, and I do let them "ask a friend" if they don't know the answer to their question. However, I insist they stay quiet when the students choose a card, because everyone has an opinion on which number should be chosen. ("Pick number 7!" "No, number 12!") This can become a problem if the outcome is not favorable. You might want to make your game pockets without numbers, as there is really no reason why you need them. That's just how the example I saw was done.
The other set of cards are the questions, and I just tailored them to the topics I always cover in class. For instance, in 2nd grade, I always talk about the Sousaphone and Marching Bands in the Instrument Family unit. I also cover why the Saxophone is in the Woodwind Family & not the Brass. So those are 2 questions I ask about in the game. I also ask about length of notes and rests, dynamics, & other musical markings we've covered. I have the kids draw notes on the chalkboard. And I ask about anything else I think they ought to know!
So I start the game with the first person in the first row. I ask a question. If they get it right, the class gets a point, and the student draws any card out of a pocket on the poster board. If the student doesn't answer the question correctly, no one gets any points. (I don't get points if they don't know the answer- I explain the answer.) I usually have the students play against me (I'm the "other team.") If they start talking, I instruct the score keeper to erase points from the class & award them to me. I also get points when students draw cards that say "Give the other team "x" number of points." I play this game with 2nd - 5th graders. They like the element of chance with the card drawing, and I do let them "ask a friend" if they don't know the answer to their question. However, I insist they stay quiet when the students choose a card, because everyone has an opinion on which number should be chosen. ("Pick number 7!" "No, number 12!") This can become a problem if the outcome is not favorable. You might want to make your game pockets without numbers, as there is really no reason why you need them. That's just how the example I saw was done.
Freeze Dance
On our reward day at the end of the month (if classes have earned it), I usually let Kindergarten and 1st grades and very rarely, upper grades, do the freeze dance. I use music from Hampster Dance and Crazy Frog CDs for this. Here are my rules, which I review at the beginning of every freeze dance day:
1. You must stay in your space.
2. No talking, whether you are dancing or sitting out. (Not everyone chooses to dance, and that's ok with me. Talking is not.)
3. You have to stand up at the beginning of the round (song)- no waiting until half way through.
4. No standing like a statue- if you are going to do the freeze dance, you have to be moving something until the music stops.
5. No dancing on the floor (i.e.- breakdancing. I once had a student lean over & put his hands on the floor, kick his feet up, & they landed on another student's face. After that, no hands on the floor. You must stand up.)
6. Finally, no arguing with the teacher. This includes pointing to other students you saw "moving," or saying "I saw you move," "Sally was moving," etc. I am the sole judge.
1. You must stay in your space.
2. No talking, whether you are dancing or sitting out. (Not everyone chooses to dance, and that's ok with me. Talking is not.)
3. You have to stand up at the beginning of the round (song)- no waiting until half way through.
4. No standing like a statue- if you are going to do the freeze dance, you have to be moving something until the music stops.
5. No dancing on the floor (i.e.- breakdancing. I once had a student lean over & put his hands on the floor, kick his feet up, & they landed on another student's face. After that, no hands on the floor. You must stand up.)
6. Finally, no arguing with the teacher. This includes pointing to other students you saw "moving," or saying "I saw you move," "Sally was moving," etc. I am the sole judge.
EGBDF Buzz
Thank you to Martha Stanley on the Plank Road Publishing Mail List for a game idea to review the lines of the Treble Clef. The kids will tell you it's like "Sparkle." The class stands in a circle. The first student says "E," the 2nd says "G," the third says "B," the fourth says "D," the fifth says "F" and the sixth says "buzz." Anyone who says "buzz" or who says the wrong letter has to sit down. Continue on in this fashion until only one student is left standing. Their reward? A post-it note with the word "winner" written on it! (The kids did point out it is recyclable.)
