You may even want to add in five different instruments like the song would suggest. Whether you do this one fast or slow, kids will have a blast.Īdd instruments – Add the beat on non-pitched or pitched percussion (on a tonic drone) for another exciting way to do the song.
It’s always fun to see what tools they know about, and this helps to get a little more boy buy-in too.Ĭhange the tempo – When you start talking about tempo, it’s helpful to demonstrate songs at different speeds. The motions the kids come up with are so creative.Ĭhange the tools – Instead of working with hammers all the time, students may pick different tools to use. Here are some of my favorites.Ĭreate your own motions – Have students think of different ways to use a hammer adding up to 5. With each verse you add a move like this:īy itself, this is fun and more than enough, but there are a ton of extensions you may want to do with this song. It reinforces the steady beat with its fun adding movement game. This is one of the songs I do on the very first day. Johnny Works With One Hammer is one of the most iconic activities you’ll see in Kindergarten. I covered this topic to a lesser extent in video form as well here. This collection is invaluable as a resource. The Book of Simple Songs and Circles – Sometimes you just need more songs and games appropriate for the age. The Music Effect – My pedagogy teacher for my Kodaly Levels I and II wrote these books, and they’re so easy to use (these are specific for Kindergarten). Check them out by clicking the link below. Though these activities aren’t pulled from these two books, I love these as great Kindergarten resources. While these activities don’t work out to take up your whole lesson time, each of these fun music activities (check out these online ones) are staples in my Kindergarten classroom. Conclusion 9 Kindergarten Music Lessons Activities.#6 “Worker” Game, Also Called The “Computer” Game.9 Kindergarten Music Lessons Activities."The Road to Oregon: The History Behind the Trail." (Feb. "Prep for the SATs with iPad and iPhone Video Game." Mashable. "Educational Video Games Mix Cool With Purpose." The New York Times. "An Introduction to Educational Video Games." The University of Arizona. "The Instructional Power of Digital Games Social Networking Simulations and How Teachers Can Leverage Them." Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Klopfer, Eric Osterwell, Scot Groff, Jennifer Haas, Jason."Carmen Sandiego Brings Math Capers to Wii." USA Today. "The Oregon Trail Out Now." The Portable Gamer.
While younger children are sure to enjoy the basic version of the game, older kids might want to take advantage of the deluxe version, which allows players to design and share custom levels using an online interactive playground.
Children learn by doing, and because there's no right way to complete each level, kids are encouraged to experiment and be as creative as they want. If your kid draws a series of stairs, for example, the ball will hop down them realistically, it's momentum dependent on their height and angle. As objects are drawn, they act on the ball according to the principles of physics, teaching kids about motion, energy and gravity as they play. A mouse, trackball or stylus (for those with touch screen computers) can be used to draw tools to help guide the ball in the right direction. In this deceptively simple-looking game, players must rely on the principles of physics to navigate a ball around obstacles that seem as though they were drawn by a child.