It all started when I was writing a lesson plan for a 2nd-grade student. She’s in her second month of lessons.

I was planning to introduce a new piece and I thought we'd start by exploring the rhythm since three of the four patterns were the same in this particular piece. Let me preface this by saying these were rhythm patterns the student had experienced aurally in previous weeks through imitation and clapbacks. I was looking for a way this week to introduce the written notation.

My first thought was to write each rhythm pattern on a Post-It Note so we could discover together the ones that are the same. Then I would ask my student to put them in the order they appear in the new piece by listening to me play it a few times.

But then I remembered a creative teaching idea I hadn't used in a while that would be perfect for exploring the rhythm of this piece: a scavenger hunt.

There are a few key benefits to using an activity like this in your music teaching and that's what I'm going to share with you today.

For show notes + a full transcript, click here.

Resources Mentioned

*Disclosure: I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear Rhythmic Chant

Hazel Cobb’s Pie Game (out of print)

Tried-and-True Rhythm Games for Children’s Choir (including the Pie Game)

Free Rhythm Pattern Card Set

Resource Library

Tonal & Rhythm Pattern Card Set: Younger Elementary

Tonal & Rhythm Pattern Card Set: Older Elementary

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