The 2020-2021 school year will bring musical challenges many have never faced before. Students deserve a bountiful music education whether a virtual, hybrid, or face to face teaching format. In all learning environments touching and sharing materials is impossible or highly discouraged. We are creative and will discover new teaching strategies to enhance whatever our current teaching situation may be. Below are some singing games with suggestions on how to make them work with your students in any learning environment.
Instead of singing, students can perform the movements while chanting the words or listening to recordings as there is uncertainty to our capability to sing during class at this time.
- Bate, Bate
- In person: Students can turn and face someone in the class to be their partner, while maintaining distance. Without touching students can perform the movements while still visually engaging with their partner.
- Virtual: Students can select a partner from the students visible on their screen or the teacher can be everyone's partner simultaneously.
- Charlie Over the Ocean
- Select one student to be the leader, but rather than skipping around a circle the students remain in their seats. The leader can skip in place or remain seated. The student can select a new leader or the teacher can randomly select someone. The teacher may choose to use a puppet to assist in singing the song or in selecting students to increase engagement.
- Doggie, Doggie
- In person: If desired, "the dog" can still stand in front of the other students with eyes closed. The student who stole the bone can be selected to sing the response, "I stole your bone," but without actually holding anything, so materials are not shared.
- Virtual: Select a student to be "the dog" then have that student close their eyes. The teacher will mute and unmute a random student to signal that they are the one who stole the bone without having to say the students name. After the response "I stole your bone" has been sung, "the dog" can open their eyes to guess who was singing.
- El Floron
- In person: Rather than passing a flower around a circle students can use an object that you have a class set of or a combination of items such as: scarfs, rhythm sticks, egg shakers, bean bags, etc... The objects can be used to create a class pattern that can increase in difficulty or students can create their own pattern to match the beat or form of the song. The students can share their created pattern with the class, then all can try it.
- Virtual: Encourage students to find an object at home to use or explain different types of body percussion that can be utilized. As mentioned for in person format, the objects or body percussion can be used to create a class pattern that can increase in difficulty or students can create their own pattern to match the beat or form of the song.
- Oliver Twist
- In person: Students maintain distance while taking turns being the leader. All students copy the movements of the leader. The student can spin in their space to pick a new leader or a randomized strategy can be used.
- Virtual: One student can be put on spotlight/made to be seen by all students on the screen. That student will be the leader. All students follow the movements of the leader. To randomly select a new student all students can be assigned a secret number that only the teacher knows. The leader can tell the teacher a number and the student who corresponds with the selected number will be the new leader.
- Sei, Sei, Sei
- In person: Similarly to Bate Bate, students can turn and face someone in the class to be their partner, while maintaining distance. Without touching, students can perform the rock, paper, scissor game with their partner. All students can continue playing until a designated time or just the students who win can turn their bodies to face a new partner until their is one class winner.
- Virtual: Similarly to Bate Bate, Students can select a partner from the students visible on their screen or the teacher can be everyone's partner simultaneously. All students can play multiple times or depending on which students can see each other, play can continue until their is one class winner.
- Shoo Turkey
- Instead of following a leader around the room, students can stay in their personal space while performing the movements to shoo the turkeys away.
- We Are Dancing in the Forest
- In person: The "wolf" can close their eyes during their turn. The rest of the class can dance in place rather than moving around the room. Instead of having the "wolf" tag someone to be the new "wolf," the student can spin in place with an arm out to point to someone or a randomized strategy can be used.
- Virtual: Students can dance in their space, while the "wolf" gives responses. Similarly to Oliver Twist, to determine a new "wolf" the student can select a secret number and the student who corresponds with the selected number will be the new "wolf."
Instead of singing, students can perform the movements while chanting the words or listening to recordings as there is uncertainty to our capability to sing during class at this time.