Spring is here, and the kids are getting antsy. And if you’re like me, you’re getting antsy, too; summer is getting closer! It’s time to get movin’ and groovin’. If you’re looking for Spring movement activities, I hope these three ideas for lower elementary will help! And if you’re interested in upper elementary, click here to learn more about “Old Mister Rabbit.”
Busy Buzzy Busy Bee
Have you ever used this cute song and game? I found it in The Music Effect Volume 2 many years ago, and it is still a favorite of my Kindergarteners and first graders. I use this song for discussing rhythm and quarter and eighth notes. But you could also bring it back for so-mi-la practice if you isolate the first measures. If you do this, students can shake their finger to the rhythm during the last measure.
How to play
Students spread out around the room and stay still as trees while they sing the song. One child is the bee, and they tiptoe around the “trees” to the rhythm of the song. On the last word, “me,” the bee should tap the shoulder of whatever tree is closest to them. This turns the student from a tree to a fellow bee. Now there are two bees, and the game continues. Each bee picks another tree at the end of the song, so the number of bees doubles every time the song repeats. You can incorporate a little math by asking students how many bees there will be for the next round. And kids love tiptoeing and flapping their arms like wings while they go around their friends. 🙂
Social Distancing Tips:
If you can’t sing indoors, you can do what I’ve been doing and take the kids outside for this game. Another option is to have the students hum the melody rather than sing it. And rather than tapping someone on the shoulder, the bee can point at and say the name of the tree they want to turn into a bee. I’ve found this works well with my own students.
Music and Movement Cards
My K-2 students are very familiar with music and movement cards, as we use them for every season and fun theme. This past week, we put on some springy music and did creative movement in our bubble space using the Spring Music and Movement Cards. Kids pretended to roller skate (pictured below), jump in puddles, water flowers, and much more while keeping social distance.
As you can see in the picture, I project the PDF of the cards right on my Smart Board, but I’ve also printed out a set on cardstock for those times when technology isn’t working or a sub needs to use them. One thing that I’ve started doing recently is putting together Spotify playlists for each of my Music and Movement Cards sets, so that the music can match the theme of the movements. You can use the Spring/Summer playlist I’ve created by clicking here.
Scarves or Ribbons
Another great and easy way to incorporate more spring movement is with scarves or ribbons. Once each student has a scarf, turn on “The Aviary” from Saint-Saens’ Carnival of the Animals, and the students can move their scarves like birds. Along the same lines, scarves can be bees while listening to Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Flight of the Bumblebee.” Scarves can be flowers, butterflies, or even kites if you’d like them to be; children love using their imagination.
Social Distancing Tip:
If you can’t use individual scarves or ribbon wands because of germs right now, you could always use gift wrapping ribbon, which can be single use. Simply cut a two foot long piece for every child, and they can keep it or toss it at the end.
Whether you have 7 more weeks of school left or 17, I hope your students enjoy these spring movement activities. What other things do you do with your music classes in the spring? Comment below.
Happy teaching!
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