Here’s a new music rhythm game that’s perfect for Easter time, and also so much fun you can use it anytime.
You can play this game with a single child or a small group. Either way you’re guaranteed that kids will have a ball learning about rhythm.
Easter Egg Rhythm Run
Purpose: Learn which notes can be used to fill a four beat measure.
Materials: Plastic Easter eggs; rhythm code cards; small pile of printed quarter, half, dotted half and whole notes; spoons
Teach and Review: Display a 4/4 time signature and teach or review that the 4 on top means that there are four beats in each measure. Review how many beats a quarter note, half note, etc get. Hold up a rhythm code card and have students figure out how many beats are missing to complete the measure in 4/4 time. Ask students which one note they could add to complete the measure. Do more examples if needed.
Set Up: Give each student a spoon and a plastic egg and have them line up side by side at the other end of the room. Place rhythm code cards at the other end of the room, one for each child. Make sure each child knows which code card is hers. Place a pile of paper notes next to each child.
How to Play: When teacher says go, students quickly search through the pile of notes to find the one note that will complete their measure. When they’ve found it, they stuff it into their plastic egg. Students close the egg and then place it on their spoon. Students must now quickly and carefully walk to their rhythm code card without dropping their egg.
When the student reaches his code card, he opens the egg, and places the note in the measure. The first student to correctly complete his rhythm code card gets a point.
Play again by displaying a new rhythm code card for each student and repeating the game.
Print the rhythm code cards and notes for free by clicking the buttons below. I recommend printing the rhythm code cards on colored card stock and the notes on plain white paper.