‘Chosen Actions on Chosen Beats’

I had to share this activity because it never fails to work brilliantly! It is fantastic for both Key Stages 1 and 2 as it has many skill levels.

Count to 8 repeatedly to a steady pulse while clapping. Ask the children to choose which beats they’d like to clap on –  E.g. clap only on beats 2 and 7.  Then, continue to count out loud to 8 each time but clap ONLY on beats 2 and 7. This requires concentration!  Try it, it’s really fun!  You can then change the numbers to clap to.  Extend this activity by changing clapping into actions E.g. tap knees on beat 3 and click fingers on beat 8. The possibilties are endless!

This game can be further extended by asking the children to use their ‘thinking voices’. By that I mean counting in their heads and still doing the required actions on the specified beats. It can be taken further still by using instruments instead of clapping or actions. Fun!

GROUPS: This is a great game for children to work on in small groups once they have played it as a whole class.  It’s also a great assessment task to see who can keep a pulse, and internalise patterns.

(This game can be watched on the KS 1 Instrumental DVD and the KS 2 Rhythm and Pulse DVD of Active Music Lesson Plans)

‘Teachers who are not even specialists are saying to me ‘We can do this!‘ It’s simple, usable, effective and the children love it. It’s absolutely genuinely true. This is just what we need and we know where to go next because it’s in front of us – thank you so much…’

Rachel Kendal – Dept Head, Thomas-A-Becket First School, Worthing

Do you spend too much time wondering what you should be teaching in music?

Would you like to be given heaps of ideas to choose from and even be able to watch them before you teach them?

Would you like to have all these ideas incorporated into music lesson plans given to you in a clear, easy-to-follow format? All this is available with the new ACTIVE MUSIC LESSON PLANS!  On this blog I am going to give you heaps of ideas to try out on your children! Here’s hoping you and they enjoy them…