Hopping Intervals Level Three and Four

Hopping Intervals have been a big hit in my studio this week.  Here are two more levels that expand the game to whole steps/half steps and 6ths.

To play you need some type of token to represent each player.  I love using erasers and collect all kinds for this very purpose. 

You can start your player on Middle C.

Then I get seven Easter eggs, one for each note on the piano.  I then put an alphabet letter in each egg. I just write the letter on a note card or post it (no printing required).  You can open the egg to see the surprise letter at the beginning of the game, but I have found it is fun to be surprised at the end of the game.


Now for flat and sharp you can add more eggs or an easier way is to pick a card out of a hat that has a sharp or flat on it.  
Now you are going to need a place to record what notes you land on.  I use my ever handy white board, but you can use a simple piece of paper. You want to record how many times you land on a certain note.

Start by drawing an interval card and follow the instructions.  Record the letter you land on.  Keep playing through the cards as many times as you like.

Then at the end open your Easter egg and see what the secret note was. Whoever has landed on that note the most wins!  You can reward the student with jellybeans or a sticker.


Google Docs: Hopping Intervals Level Three: Whole Step/Half Step





Google Docs: Hopping Intervals Level Four: 2nd-6th
Hopping Intervals Level Four

Hopping Intervals: Updated with Staff Notation

I recently have been teaching intervals in Faber and Faber Level 1 Piano Adventures and wanted to review the 2nd, 3rd and 4th concept with my student.  I have used cards to move across the keyboard before, but this time I inspired by our Easter season with "Hopping Intervals."

To play you need some type of token to represent each player.  I love using erasers and collect all kinds for this very purpose.

You can start your player on Middle C.

Then I get seven Easter eggs, one for each note on the piano.  I then put an alphabet letter in each egg. I just write the letter on a note card or post it (no printing required).  You can open the egg to see the surprise letter at the beginning of the game, but I have found it is fun to be surprised at the end of the game.

Now you are going to need a place to record what notes you land on.  I use my ever handy white board, but you can use a simple piece of paper.  You want to record how many times you land on a certain note.

Start by drawing an interval card and follow the instructions.  Record the letter you land on.  Keep playing through the cards as many times as you like.

Then at the end open your Easter egg and see what the secret note was.  Whoever has landed on that note the most wins!  You can reward the student with jellybeans or a sticker.

Google Docs: Hopping Intervals Level One Steps and Skips
Hopping Intervals Level One

Google Docs: Hopping Intervals Level Two 2nd-5th
Hopping Intervals Level Two

Swag Bucks

I have loved using the swagbucks search engine to earn free prizes.  I just recently earned enough points to get a $50.00 gift certificate to Amazon.  All I do is use swagbucks to search. You can also answer daily polls, play games, watch videos and complete tasks to earn swagbucks.  It is an easy way to earn free money.  I do still use my google search engine for things I really need to find, but mainly I use swagbucks to search and get a few swagbucks here and there.  One things I do is instead of using my bookmark to visit a page like facebook, I search swagbucks for it and click on the link.  It is an extra step, but only takes 5 seconds and I sometimes will get 5 or 10 swagbucks for the search.  Click and try it out!

Animal Songs

Habitat Song Sung to “Skip to My Lou”

Who are the animals that live in the rainforest?

Who are the animals that live in the rainforest?

Who are the animals that live in the rainforest?

Name an animals that lives in the rainforest

Monkeys live in the rainforest

Monkeys live in the rainforest

Monkeys live in the rainforest

Monkeys live in the rainforest

Other verses: Who is the animal that lives in a nest? hive? cave?

Teaching Idea:

1. Have the students list different animals that live in the jungle and sing about them.  Act out any motions the animal makes for fun.

2. Use a different habitat "Who are the animals that live on a farm?"

Habitat Song Sung to “London Bridges”

Zebras and Giraffes live in the Grasslands

In the grasslands, in the grass lands

Zebras and Giraffes live in the Grasslands

In the Grasslands

Other Verses: Elephants and Lions live in the Grasslands

Frogs and Crocodiles live in the Rainforest

Teaching Idea:

1. Have students list the animals that live in different habitats and sing about them.

Mama and Baby: Sung to "Muffin Man"

Mama Cow calls baby cow

Moo, moo, moo, moo, moo, moo, moo

Mama Cow calls baby cow, 

Moo, moo, moo, moo, moo, moo

Other animals: Horse/foal, Dog/puppy, Cat/kitten, Hen/chick, Goat/kid, Pig/piglet, Sheep/lamb, 

Mommy and Babies

Mama tiger, mama tiger

What do you see?

I see a baby cub looking at me.

Sing with other animals

The Animals Go  . .  Sung to "The Wheels on the Bus"

The lions at the zoo go roar, roar, roar

Roar, roar, roar

Roar, roar, roar

The lions at the zoo go roar, roar, roar

All day long

Other verses: monkey go ooh, ahh, ooh, hyenas go ha, ha, parrot in the rainforest, the pig on the farm, snakes in the desert go hiss, 

If I were Sung to "The Mulberry Bush"

Oh, if I were a tiny snake

Tiny snake, tiny snake

If I were a tiny snake I'd slither around the desert

Oh if I were an elephant,

Elephant, elephant

If I were an elephant

I'd march around the grasslands

Oh if I were a kangaroo

Kangaroo, Kangaroo

If I were a kangaroo

I'd hop around the zoo

Teaching Ideas:

1. Come up with other animals and movements for the song.

Check out these resources!

Easter Egg Rhythm Worksheet

This is a Easter Egg Worksheet is just like my Pot of Gold Game.  I got a request to make different themed worksheet that would go with my Rhythm Addition Cards.  I made some different colors so that you could play this in a group game as well or just choose you favorite color.

To play you fill up the easter egg with tokens: bingo chips, pennies, M&M's or Jellybeans.

You use the Rhythm Addition Cards and add up the correct amount of tokens to place in the Easter Egg.  I have different levels of cards to fit most students.  The first one to fill up their egg wins!

I also used this in a regular classroom setting for math concepts.  For Kindergartners I just had them simply recognize the number in different forms: 3, three,  * * *.  For older students you could do math addition or subtraction flashcards.

Google Docs: Easter Egg Rhythm Game Green, Pink, Yellow, Blue

Easter Egg Rhythm Game Green

Easter Egg Rhythm Game Yellow

Easter Egg Rhythm Game Blue

Easter Egg Rhythm Game Pink

New Chord Cards

I created some Chord Cards to go with just about any game that use note names.  Students identify can identify the chord's root and say the quality of the chord: Major or Minor.  The cards include all major and minor chords on the white keys.  There are some blank cards if you would like to make your own version.

Google Docs: Chord Cards

Chord Cards

Spring Songs

It is that time of year again.  You can hear the birds sing and the see the flowers blooming.  It is a great time of new beginnings.  Enjoy the nicer weather and these fun songs.

Spring is All Around Me (The Wheels on the Bus)
Above my head I see the sun, see the sun, see the sun.
Above my head I see the sun. Spring is all around me. 

Below my feet I see the grass...
Above my head I see a bird...
Below my feet I see a bug....
Above my head I see a cloud...
Below my feet I see a worm....

Teaching Ideas:

1. Brainstorm with the kids about what things you see in spring that would be above your head and below your feet.  

2. Ask the children to use their hands to point to where you see these signs of spring.  A bird (the children would point up) The grass (The children would point down)

Spring Time Sung to: "Did you Ever see a Lassie?"

My- eyes can see it's spring-time, it's spring-time, it's spring-time.
my- eyes can see it's spring-time, the grass is so green!
The green grass, the flowers, the sunshine and showers
My- eyes can see it's spring-time and I am so glad.

My-ears can hear it's spring time, it's spring time, it's spring time.
My- ears can hear it's spring-time, the birds sweetly sing.
The birds sing, the lambs bleat, the frogs croak, the bees buzz.
My- ears can hear it's spring time, and I am so glad.

My-body can feel's it's spring time, it's spring time, it's spring time.
My-body can feel its spring time, the air is so warm.
The warm air, the breez-es, no frost and no freez-es.
My- body can feel it's spring time, and I am so glad! 

My nose can smell it's spring time, it's spring time, it's spring time.

My nose can smell it's spring time, the flowers smell sweet

The green grass, the flowers, the barnyard, the showers

My nose can smell it's spring time, the flowers smell so sweet.

Teaching Ideas:

1. Discuss the five senses 

2. Name things you can see, hear, touch, taste and smell in springtime.

Marching into Spring

March into spring one step at a time

March into spring with words that rhyme

Clap your hands together up high in the air

Look our for raindrops that land in your hair

Jump over puddles, Skip over ground

Walk back in your house and quietly sit down

Teaching Ideas:

1. Act out the poem.

2. Come up with words that rhyme with signs of spring: flower, bee, green

Daffodils fingerplay 

One little daffodil had nothing much to do,
Out popped another one, then there were two.
Two little daffodils were smiling at a bee,
Out popped another one, then there were three.
Three little daffodils were growing by the door,
Out popped another one, then there were four.
Four little daffodils were glad to be alive,
Out popped another one, then there were five.
Five little daffodils were wearing golden crowns,

They danced in the breeze in green satin gowns.

Teaching Idea:

1. Have the children pretend to be the flowers, popping up

2. Talk about what flowers need to grow.

Daffodils fingerplay Alternative Addition Version                  

One little daffodil smiling at a bee
Out popped two more and then there were three.
Three little daffodils were glad to be alive
Out popped another two more and  then there were five.
Five little daffodils looking up toward heaven
Out popped another two more and then there were seven
Seven little daffodils growing in a line                                                                    
Out popped another two more and then there were nine.
Nine little daffodils blowing in the wind

Pick them up and take them home and they can be your friends.

Version 2

Two little daffodil were growing by the door
Out popped two more and then there were four.
Four little daffodils were playing lots of tricks
Out popped another two more and  then there were six.
Six little daffodils standing up straight
Out popped another two more and then there were eight
Eight little daffodils blowing in the wind
Out popped another two more and then there were ten.
Ten little daffodils blowing in the wind

Pick them up and take them home and they can be your friends.

Recommended Reading

1. It's Spring by Linda Glasser

2. Splish Splash Spring by Dorothy Donohue

3. Mouse's First Spring by Lauren Thompson