Rhythm Blocks

Recently I was asked to come up with a musical idea using Duplo Blocks inspired by Filth Wizardry.  


I decided to start with Rhythm Blocks.  Using printing labels from Avery Template 8160, size 1 x 2 5/8 I put rhythms on the labels and then cut them to fit on the block.  


I put four different time signatures on each side of the duplo block.  Then I put different rhythms on each side of the other blocks.


I attached blocks that made one complete measure.  Then by turning the blocks up or down the time signature changes.  The student would have to adjust the number of beats to make the rhythm correct for the time signature change. 

A possible game would be to have the students each choose 10 blocks and build measures.  They would play a block only if it would fit in the measure.  If they could not play they would have to pick one block.  If that block played then they could play that block, if not their turn was over.  Play would continue until the winner played his or her last block.

Now, I have put a sticker on each side, but for this game, you could put one sticker on only one side.  For beginner students I like the idea of showing how a half note takes up two quarter notes by adding an extra blank block to represent the beat.  

Here are the Rhythm Labels for Level One.  I still want to tweak the other rhythms before I post them.  I have a lot of more ideas so keep checking back.  I am so excited about this Lego Project!

Google Docs: Rhythm Stickers: Level One

For more rhythm fun check out Rhythm Blocks Level Two

Check out these resources!

Duplo Blocks

A reader saw this wonderful site: Filth Wizardy, a wonderful craft site for kids and parents, and asked me to come up with a game using Duplo Blocks.  The folks at Filth Wizardy have already laid the ground work for this great idea by putting stickers on the blocks.  Well, my wheels are already turning on the great ideas I could do with musical concepts!  Check out there site and maybe get inspired yourself.  Check back soon for some ideas with duplos!

Music Camp: Day Five

Today we finished our Persian March from Fun with Composers.  It has been a lot of fun for the kids and easy to get them involved.  I loved discovering the body movement with the drum stimulus.  The dancing, singing and instruments made this a great way to have fun with a classical piece.  The kids have really enjoyed pretending to be pirates.  Tonight we are performing it in front of the parents.  I have had four classes each day ranging from 1st grade until 5th grade.  Tonight they will all perform the piece together with instruments!  It should be fun!

I also finished a sound story for Noah's Ark today.  We read a story about Noah's Ark and added some instruments sounds to different parts of the story to bring it alive.  So when it rained, drip, drop, drip we added a triangle or a agogo bell.  The children got to pick whatever instrument they thought went with the sound.  If we need a animal roaring or flapping its wings they chose another instrument.  By the end we had a great story with a lot of sound!

It has been a great week and the children have learned so much!

Music Camp: Day Four

On Day Four we focused on memory.

Today's Bible Point was "God Remembers Noah" and our verse was "The Lord your God goes with you.  He will never leave you" Deuteronomy 31:6

I tested the children on what the remembered from the previous days, including the names of notes and musical expressions.

We clapped through some rhythm cards, but this time I had the students clap the card from memory.  I would show the rhythm card and have them think about the card then put the card down and see if they could clap the card from memory.  They did a great job!

We also did a fun song to test their memory.  Here is the song:

Noah's Zoo Sung to "I bought me a cat"
The animals came in two by two
It turned into Noah's Zoo
The rooster goes cock-a-doodle-doo

Then I added another animal

The animals came in two by two

It turned into Noah's Zoo

The pig goes oink, oink

The rooster goes cock-a-doodle-doo

I kept adding animals and would see if the students could remember the order.  For younger students I used the cards below.  I would display the cards in order and then turn over some to see if the student remembered what was next.

Google Docs: Noah's Zoo

Music Camp: Day Three

Today we added dynamics to our music map and created a rain storm.  I reviewed the rhythm we have been learning and had the children play the rhythms with instruments today.  I had four rhythm cards in a row and I had the students say the rhythm, then clap the rhythm and then we played them with the instruments.

I also introduced the concept of accent and staccato.  I wrote four quarter notes on the board and put an accent underneath one of the notes and we said the rhythm, accenting the note.  We did the same for the staccato.

Our theme for today was "The Great Flood"and our bible verse was "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" Proverbs 3:4-6.

I demonstrated how to use a rain stick and then we used body percussion to make a rain storm.  I would start on one side of the room stand in front of the students, showing them a motion.  Then as I moved to the other side the students in front of me would copy me.  To create a human rain storm I used the following motions:

Rub hands together
Snap fingers
Clap hands
Pat legs
Stomp feet
Pat legs
Clap hands
Snap fingers
Rub hands together

It was a really fun experience!  At the end we added dynamics, accents and staccatos to our music map.  The "Fun with Composers" series has a music map for each piece.  I copied it onto poster board so it could be seen by the students.  I put some dynamic markings, accents and staccatos on some post it notes.  I had the students decide which dynamic matches the piece as we listened to it.

Music Camp: Day Two

On Day Two I focused on rhythm, music vocabulary and dynamics.  I am using some fun words to teach rhythm to the children that correspond with Noah's Ark as seen below.  It has been great using the rhythm cards found at Layton Music.  The kids have really caught on to reading rhythm pretty well.

I also have been introducing the dynamics and having students tell me which dynamic I am using in various songs.  We have been speaking the words with the appropriate level of voice.  So piano is whispered and forte is with a very loud voice.  They like being able to be loud!

Today we played a fun game with Zoo Pal plates.  Zoo Pals are plates with animals on them.  I matched up the plates so that there were two of each animal, just like on Noah's Ark.  On the back I asked a question like what note has four beats?  The answer would be on the matching plate.  Students would come to the front with their plate and turn the plate with the question around.  Then I would see if any student knew the answer.  Next, I would have the other student with the matching plate turn over their plate to see if the answer was right. 

Another way to play would be to have all the plates scattered on the floor and see if the students could match up the question and answers.  They would know they were right if the animal matched.

Music Camp: Day One

Fun with Composers was a big hit!  I played the music for the students and asked for ideas of what it might sound like.  I am using Persian March by Johann Strauss.  Without knowing the title, one boy said it sounded like marching off to battle.  Other great answers were: "sounds like a circus", "sounds like a fair", "sounds like dancing."

We used the suggested drum beat to get students to feel the movement.  She suggests tapping the drum in different patterns and making those patterns match a movement.  So a simple beat tapped on the head of the drum was marching and taping on the rim was hopping.  When you tap the drum three times fast the kids had to freeze.  It was a lot of fun and very easy.   We added percussion instruments and every child seemed to be engaged in the activity.

Along with that activity, I introduced the quarter note and eighth notes.  We clapped some rhythm cards.  I added words to the rhythms to go along with the theme of the camp, which is Noah's Ark.  Quarter notes are "Zoo" and a pair of eighth notes are "Monkey."



We played a game called find the monkey.  I would clap a four beat rhythm of quarter notes and insert a pair of eighth notes on one of the four beats.  Students had to tell me which beat the monkey was on.  For older students I added two monkey rhythms.

Fun With Composers

I am currently preparing to teach at a music camp and I am using a series called Fun with Composers by Deborah Ziolkoski.  The series teaches classical music through stories, songs and instruments.  It comes with a Teacher's Guide, a DVD that shows you how to implement the lessons and a CD of the recordings.  


I have enjoyed learning the story and dances that go with the music.  I think this will be a fun way to interact with a piece of music that the children are not familiar with.  I am using the Persian March by Johann Strauss.  In the book it has been turned into a fun pirate story.  A music map outlines the form of the piece and reminds the students of some movements.  Instruments are added last to compliment some of the story line.  


I think the series could deal more with the musical aspects of the piece.  It does include some music notation of the piece, but no real analysis of pitch or rhythm.  You could use this book if you had no music knowledge, which I guess could be a positive.  However, I like to talk about the music and how it was put together, analyzing pitch, rhythm, instruments, articulation, dynamics, etc. . 


This series is geared toward 3rd-7th grade, mainly because of the dancing.  I think it could be adapted for a younger audience.  


One obvious problem is the association of words and story to a piece of music.  The student might come to believe that the composer intended Persian March to be a pirate story.  Throughout our culture classical music has been used in various media to portray many things.  It is one of purest forms of music which lends itself to different interpretations.  ART!  So we need to be careful when assigning themes and ideas to music.  


I am going to try and address this by playing the music first and getting ideas of what the students are thinking about when they hear the music.  


I ultimately think the benefits of learning a piece in such a creative way outweighs the limitations it may create in the listening process.  As I go through this week I will update you on our progress and mention a few other things I have the children working on.  See more my review in the Music Camp posts

Buckets of Fun

Here is a fun summertime game to promote note naming. 

I place the "Buckets of Fun" board on a table or piano lid.  Students take turns trying to throw a bingo chip or penny on to the board.  If any part of the chip lands on the bucket they are to draw the note on my
Staff Board.

Students take turns trying to land their chip on a bucket.  Whoever gets all of the letters first wins.

You can make this even more challenging by not letting the students use the same note on the staff twice.  For instance if they land on C and someone has already drawn middle C, they have to draw a different C.

If you don't have a magnetic staff board you can print one out through this link to use in this game.
Staff Board
You can choose from the large Staff or the smaller staff that fits on one page.  Student can just write the note on the staff.

*Tip if you put your staff board in a page protector you can write on it with dry erase markers and use it again and again

Google Docs: Buckets of Fun

Staff Board

Here are two different size staff boards for use in games.

If you need a big staff for bingo chips or other manipulatives, you can print out the Big Staff and cut and paste it together on card stock.

The One Page Staff is best used by putting it in a sheet protector.  This not only makes your materials last longer, but you can use dry erase makers on the sheet protector and the markings wipe off.

One great thing I like to do before I give my students their new piece for the week is write some of the melody on a staff and have the student analyze and sight read the section.  This improves focus and sometimes we can work a trouble spot that I know will frustrate the student.

Some of my students see a whole piece of music and want to jump right in, but isolating a section helps them concentrate on just that part. Sometimes I have the student write the passage on the staff, promoting note recognition.

Google Docs: One Page Staff

Google Docs: Big Staff

Summer Songs

Swimming in the sea  
Sung to: "Doo-wa diddy diddy"

There I was just swimming in the sea

Singing Dooo wah diddy diddy dum diddy doo

All the sudden there's a dolphin next to me

Singing doo wah diddy diddy dum diddy doo

She swam fast she swam fast

she dove deep she dove deep

she swam fast dove deep

Hey this dolphin's pretty neat!!

Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy doo

Other verses:

Dolphin-swimming

Crab-pinching

Whale - breaching

Shark swimming

Mermaids plug nose and shimmy down

Teaching Ideas:

1. Use pictures to show students the different animals in the ocean

2. Do the hand jive: Pat Pat, clap, clap, hand over hand 2x, hand under hand 2x, fist pound 2x, switch hand on top for 2 more fist pounds, right thumb over shoulder, left thumb over shoulder.

Google Docs: Ocean Creatures 1

Google Docs: Ocean Creatures 2

Five Little Fishies in the Sea

Five little fishies in the sea  teasing Mr. sharky

You can't catch me  you can't catch me

Well along came Mr. sharky (softly) as quiet as can be 

He snapped! a fish up right out of the sea. 

Count down to 0

Teaching Ideas:

1. Have children pretend to be the fishes and one be Mr. Sharky and act out the song.  Other children can pretend to be the waves or other fish or sharks

2. Use a higher number and subtract two or three fishies each time for a math lesson

Google Docs: Five Little Fishes

Sea Gull song Sung to: "Frere Jacques"

I see sea gulls I see sea gulls,
At the beach, At the beach,

Soaring, diving, fishing,
Soaring, diving, fishing,
At the beach, At the beach.

Other verses:
I hear the ocean, I hear the ocean,
At the beach, At the beach,

Crashing, splashing, foaming
Crashing, splashing, foaming,
At the beach, At the beach.

I feel the breeze, I feel the breeze

At the beach, at the beach

Windy, blowing, blustry

Windy, blowing, blustry

At the beach, At the beach

Teaching Ideas:

1. Think of other things you can see, hear and feel at the beach.

2. Add actions to the words.  You can clap on "at the beach" or act out the describing words

Slippery Fish

Thumb and forefinger close and open for this small fish

Slippery fish, slippery fish

swimming in the water

A slippery fish, a slippery fish

Gulp, gulp

OH NO! He's been eaten by a

Hand opens and closes

Jellyfish, a jelly fish

swimming in the water

A jelly fish, a jelly fish

gulp, gulp

OH NO! He's been eaten by a

Both hands joined at the palm open and close

Tuna fish, a tuna fish

swimming in the water

A tuna fish, a tuna fish

gulp, gulp

OH NO! He's been eaten by a

Both arms joined at the elbow open and close

Great White Shark, a great white shark

swimming in the water

A great white shark, a great white shark

gulp, gulp, gulp

OH NO! He's been eaten by an

Both arms make a big open and close

Enormous Whale, an enormous whale

Spouting in the water

Enormous Whale, enormous whale

Gulp, gulp, BURP!

Excuse ME!

Teaching Idea:

1. Before you sing see if the students can put the fishes in order from smallest to biggest

2. Act out the song with students pretending to be the fish.

Google Docs: Slippery Fish

Sunny Primer Notes

For my younger students I wanted to include a game that drilled the introductory notes from Bass C-Treble G.  For the notes they have not learned we either take turns or figure out what the unknown note's name is.

Students draw cards and match them to the correct note.  You can use bingo chips to cover the notes they get right.  I also went around the sun and had the students play the note on the piano.

Google Docs: Sunny Primer Notes

Sunny Enharmonic Bright Spots

Here is a matching game to reinforce Enharmonic Notes along the same lines as my Sunny Circle of Fifths.  Students pick from the pile of cards and match the card to the correct note on the sun.

There are other ways to use this resource

• Flip the cards over in a grid pattern and play a memory game.  Try to pick the two cards that match.  F# - Gb
• Pick a card and play the note on the piano
• Players pick a color to represent their player (red bingo chips, pennies, candy, etc.) Take turns picking a card and placing a token on the correct key.  If you get two tokens on the same note, then you win that note.  Whoever has the most notes at the end wins the game.  You will need a lot of matching tokens, so I use bingo chips on a paper keyboard to play this version.

By the way, I have had bingo chips and pennies get stuck in my piano.  I had to call the tuner for a pennectomy, as he called it.  I now use paper keyboards when games call for tokens and things that can get stuck.  I've learned my lesson! 

Sunny Games on TPT

Goggle Docs: Sunny Enharmonics

Sunny Circle of Fifths UPDATED 5-15-2011

Here is a game to reinforce the Circle of Fifths.  You simple match the sunglasses to the correct key on the sun.  You could simple use the sun part and have students write the key.  As always, for a worksheet that will last and last you can laminate it or put it in a page protector.

This new version adds a back to the cards and sunglasses that only have one key on them.  You could just focus on minor keys or major keys.  The cards could also be used a lone for a matching game.

Google Docs: Sunny Circle of 5ths

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Songs

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle is a classic book for children.  It has beautiful pictures and a presentation of the story that is engaging.  You can use this book to teach many different things: Life cycle of the butterfly, days of the week, food categories, healthy eating habits, counting and many more.

Click on the picture for a copy of these songs

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Songs

Hello Sunshine Sung to "Goodnight Ladies"

Hello Sunshine

Hello Sunshine

Hello Sunshine

I'm glad that you are here

Children pretend they were just born and are seeing things in the world for the first time.  Children take turns naming things to say hello to.

I'm a little egg Sung to "Pop Goes the Weasel"

A little egg lay on a leaf

In the light of the moon

It wiggled and wiggled 

What will it be? 

Pop! A caterpillar

Think of other animals that are born from eggs and put them in the story.  Change the leaf to nest, sand, grass, etc...:  A baby bluebird, A baby turtle, A baby chick, A baby snake, A baby duck, A baby Ostrich

Recommended Reading:

1. Chicks Aren't the Only Ones by Ruth Heller

2. Guess What is Growing Inside This Eggs by Mia Posada

Today is Monday

Today is Monday, Today is Monday

Monday one apple

Hungry caterpillar, come and eat it up

Today is Tuesday, Today is Tuesday

Tuesday two pears

Monday one apple

Hungry caterpillar, come and eat it up

Today is Wednesday, Today is Wednesday

Wednesday three plums

Tuesday two pears

Monday one apple

Hungry caterpillar, come and eat it up!

Today is Thursday, Today is Thursday

Thursday four strawberries

Wednesday three plums

Tuesday two pears

Monday one apple

Hungry caterpillar, come and eat it up!

Today is Friday, Today if Friday

Friday five oranges

Thursday four strawberries

Wednesday three plums

Tuesday two pears

Monday one apple

Hungry caterpillar, come and eat it up!

Today is Saturday, Today is Saturday

Saturday too much food

Friday five oranges

Thursday four strawberries

Wednesday three plums

Tuesday two pears

Monday one apple

Hungry caterpillar, come and eat it up!

Today is Sunday, Today is Sunday

Sunday one green leaf

Saturday too much food

Friday five oranges

Thursday four strawberries

Wednesday three plums

Tuesday two pears

Monday one apple

Hungry caterpillar, come and eat it up!

Link to food clip art

Fruits are Very Good For Me Sung to "Old Mac Donald"

Fruits are very good for me

EE- I- EE - I - OOOH

And so I eat them happily

EE- I- EE - I - OOOH

With an apple here, and an apple there

Here an apple, there and apple, everywhere an apple, apple

Fruits are very good for me

EE- I- EE - I - OOOH

Substitute other fruits in the song.

Recommended Reading

1. Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert

2. A Fruit is a Suitcase for Seeds by Jean Richards

The Caterpillar is Growing Sung to "If you're happy and you know it"

I'm a tiny caterpillar just for you (munch, munch)

I'm a tiny caterpillar just for you (munch, munch)

I am tiny and I'm small watch me crawl on the wall

I'm a tiny caterpillar just for you (munch, munch)

I'm a medium caterpillar just for you (munch, munch)

I'm a medium caterpillar just for you (munch, munch)

I'm not to big and I'm not to small

I'm a medium caterpillar just for you (munch, munch)

I'm a big caterpillar just for you (munch, munch)

I'm a big caterpillar just for you (munch, munch)

I ate too much food, now I have to make a cocoon

I'm a big caterpillar just for you (munch, munch)

Teaching Ideas:
1. Have a green ribbon or string represent the caterpillar.  Shorten and lengthen it according to the size.  Give each student one to practice with.  You can tie a red bead to the end of the string for the caterpillar's head.
2. Use your voice to change from a teeny tiny caterpillar to a big fat caterpillar.  The children love using a high squeaky voice and a big, low voice.

Caterpillar/ Butterfly Song Sung to "The Wheels on the Bus"
The caterpillars are wiggling around
Wiggling around, wiggling around
The caterpillars are wiggling around
All around the yard

The caterpillars are munching and a crunching
Munching and a crunching
The caterpillars are munching and a crunching
All around the yard

The caterpillars are building a cocoon
Building a cocoon, Building a cocoon
The caterpillars are building a cocoon
All around the yard

The butterflies are flying around
Flying around, flying around
The butterflies are flying around
All around the yard.

Teaching Idea:
1. Have a scarf for each student and use that in the song.  Wiggle it around, cover yourself in a cocoon and flap it up down for the butterfly.

The Life Of A Butterfly  Sung to: "Skip to My Lou"
I'm a caterpillar, wiggle with me,
I'm a caterpillar, wiggle with me,
I'm a caterpillar, wiggle with me,
What'll I be, my darlin'?

A chrysalis, now sleep like me.....
What'll I be, my darlin'?

A butterfly, come fly with me...
Come fly with me my darlin'.

Now all together, lets do all three.
A caterpillar, a chrysalis, a butterfly -- three.
Move your body like this with me.
The life of a butterfly, darlin'.

Check out these Great Resources!

Sunny Circle of Fifths UPDATED 5-13-2011

Here is a game to reinforce the Circle of Fifths.  You simple match the sunglasses to the correct key on the sun.  You could simple use the sun part and have students write the key.  As always, for a worksheet that will last and last you can laminate it or put it in a page protector.

Google Docs: Sunny Circle of 5ths
Sunny Games on TPT

Farm Songs

"Down on Grandpa's farm." 

We're on our way, we're on our way, 
On the way to Grandpa's farm. 

We're on our way, we're on our way, 
On the way to Grandpa's farm. 

Down on Grandpa's farm there is a black and white cow. 

Down on Grandpa's farm there is a black and white cow. 

The cow she calls her baby calf: Moo, Moo

The cow she calls her baby calf: Moo, Moo

Additional Verses:  
1. Crazy, gray goat.  The goat she calls her baby kid: Maa, Maa
2. Fluffy, white sheep.  The sheep she calls her baby lamb: Baa, Baa
3. Big, brown horse.  The horse she calls her baby colt: Neigh, Neigh
4. Fat, pink pig.  The pig she calls her baby piglet: Oink, Oink

HERE WE GO ROUND THE BIG RED BARN 
(Tune of "Round the Mulberry Bush") 

Here we go round the big red barn, 
The big red barn, the big red barn 

Here we go round the big red barn so early in the morning. 

This is the way we milk the cows, milk the cows, milk the cows 

This is the way we milk the cows so early in the morning. 

This is the way we feed the chickens, 
Feed the chickens, feed the chickens 

This is the way we feed the chickens so early in the morning. 

Teaching Ideas:
1. Continue with other farm chores (chop wood, mow hay, slop pigs, plant corn, etc., ask children for ideas and have them act out the verses as you sing) 
2. You can make a big circle and choose students to act out the motion in the middle.

The Cows On The Farm  (Sung to The Wheels On The Bus) 

The cows on the farm go mooo, mooo, mooo 

Mooo, mooo, mooo Mooo, mooo, mooo 

The cows on the farm go mooo, mooo, mooo  All night long! 

For additional verses, ask the children to name their favorite farm animal and what sound it makes. 


End with this verse: 

The farmer on the farm yells "Go to sleep!" 

"Go to sleep!" "Go to sleep!" 

The farmer on the farm yells "Go to sleep!" 

So I can get my beauty rest (snore!) 


If I Were a Farmer Sung to: "Did you ever see a lassie?"

Oh, if I were a farmer, a farmer, a farmer
Oh, if I were a farmer, what would I do?
I would milk the cows each morning
Each morning, each morning
I would milk the cows each morning, that's what I'd do.


Additional Verses: I would feed the baby chickens, I would gather eggs for breakfast 


Over In The Barnyard Sung to: "Down By The Station"

Over in the barnyard Early in the morning,
See the yellow chickies Standing in a row.
See the busy farmer Giving them breakfast.
Cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep. Off they go.


Additional Verses: Spotted cows, Brown horses, Proud roosters, White sheep,  Pink pigs


Teaching Idea:
1. Have students line up across from each other.  Have pairs of students come down the aisle pretending to be the animals.  The teacher or a student could be the farmer giving them the breakfast.  On "off they go" they would go to the front of the line.  Then the back pair would come down the aisle as the next animal.


Farm Chores Sung to “Here we go round the Mulberry Bush”

This is the way we ______
This is the way we ______
So early in the morning.


Other actions: mow the hay, feeding the chicks, sow the seeds, pull the weeds, hoe the field, etc. 


Farm beat

Down on the farm with the beat in your feet

Tell me the animal that you’d like to meet

A cow, a cow, he wants to meet a cow.


Teaching Ideas:
1. March to the beat having students name animals they want to meet.

Baseball Game

One of my studio's favorite games is the Baseball Game.  I use a printable baseball field as the game board, though you could just put post its to represent Home Plate, 1st, 2nd and 3rd base.  Next I have my student choose four players.  I have an assortment of erasers they choose from, but you could use any tokens, coins, candy, etc. . .  The student lines up his players and puts the first token (player) on home plate.

Then using any kind of flashcards you want, you have the student identify the concept.  It could be staff notes, chords, keys, musical vocabulary, rhythm, etc. .   Teachers could even use spelling words, addition problems, the possibilities are endless.  If the student fails to identify the concept correctly, they get "Strike One".  The student gets two more chances "Strike Two" and then "Strike Three, YOUR OUT!"

If the student correctly identifies the flashcard then they pick a baseball card.  The baseball card tells them if they hit a single, double, triple, home run or foul ball.

Single: Advance one base
Double: Advance two bases
Triple: Advance three bases
Home Run: Every token (player) goes home and scores                                
Foul Ball: Player must identify another card

Play progresses and you can make the game stop when the player hits a certain score or when you have finished the flashcards.

Helpful Tip:  I review Staff Notes frequently with this game, so to save time I wrote  S, D, T, HR, FB on the back of the flashcards.  Students identify the note and then turn the card over to see what they got a S (Single), D (Double), T (Triple), HR (Home Run) or FB (Foul Ball).  Now Play Ball!

Reader Suggestion:  One of my readers, Jacki, had a great idea to make the single, double, triples and home runs into rhythms.  So on the back of her cards she wrote a quarter note (single), half note (double), dotted half note (triple) and whole note (Home Run).  You could also use rest or rhythm addition.  Thanks for the great idea!
Baseball Game on TPT

Google Docs: Baseball Game


Google Docs: Baseball Cards

Old McDonald Rhymes

Here is a fun song with a take off of Old McDonald.  I have included a visual aid sing-a-long sheet and some cards for practice with rhyming.  You could print the cards front to back and just turn the card to show the rhyme.  You could challenge your students to come up with other rhymes or animals as well.

Google Docs: 

Old McDonald Sing a Long Chart

Google Docs: Old McDonald Cards

Train Game

To play this fun game, print out the train and put it together to make one long train.  Then use staff cards or the Suitcase Staff Cards provided to match the note to the correct train car.  

Game idea: Take turns placing the notes on the train.  Whoever gets the last card on the train wins that pile.  Whoever has the most piles wins!  I made extra suitcases so you can have at least five of each note.  You can also make extra copies to have the number of presents you need

Alphabet Train Game on TPT

Google Docs: Alphabet Train

Google Docs: Suitcase Notes

New UNO Game: Flower Version

The UNO Game last fall has been one my most popular games. 



I decided to put a new spring background to the game with flowers.  Of course the game is played the same as the normal UNO game.  Directions for UNO can be found here.  Students are given 7 cards and must match the color or note to play.  They must say the note name to play.  Whoever is out of cards first wins.  Have Fun!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1q1ate5tkHtPPPkTnCD9XD2MQiUid3Id84A/view?usp=sharing