Hooray! It’s May!
In every single class last week, my students asked me their favorite spring question; “Can we please go outside?” I also adore going outside, but I like to keep our outdoor activities musical when possible. Here are some of my “go-tos” for when I take my music students outside!
1. Rhythm Dictation; Chalk Style!
Our school has a wide blacktop that gives us plenty of space to dictate rhythms, and luckily my students love any opportunity to use chalk outside. With my littlest students, I do informal “notational awareness” style writing. (For example, this is what printed music looks like, can you copy it?) With my older classes we practice dictating duple and triple meter patterns. In my oldest classes (5th and up,) we will even dictate entire chants using rhythms and words. When I do dictation outside I’ve always stuck with rhythm, but I bet tonal dictation would work as well!
2. Music Games That Involve Running and/or Tossing
I am so fortunate to have a big music room, in which running and throwing games are possible. However, if you have larger classes and less space, these games are much better played outside. Some fun music games that involve running and/or throwing are “Charlie Over The Ocean,” “Our Old Sow,” and “Ye Toop Derom.” When the covid restrictions were in effect, these movement-based games were life-savers because I could only teach outside.
3. Parachute
Parachutes are colorful, loud, and movement-based, making them the perfect outside prop for music class. Find songs and activities that allow students to move the parachute in unison up and down, left and right, in waves, and in circles. There are also some great parachute activities that involve students going under and on top of the parachute. A quick YouTube search of “parachute activities – music class” will get you several options to do with your class outside.
4. Ukuleles
Something about playing the ukulele outside makes me feel like I’m on an island somewhere instead of on an elementary school playground. In my opinion, ukuleles might be the perfect instrument to take outside. They are light enough that your students can carry their own with them, durable enough that they can withstand little drops and accidents, and fun enough to be a great “special” activity. Even your little students can learn how to strum and pluck the strings!
5. Bucket Drums
Bucket drums might be fun, but they are definitely the LOUDEST of the classroom instruments (at least in my room.) I can pretty much only use these outside if we want to use the drum sticks, but they can also be used inside as hand drums. These are a little bit bulkier to carry outside than ukuleles, BUT at least students can carry their drumsticks and any other music class materials inside of the drum! With the bucket drums, your students can play the beat to a song, read rhythms, or copy rhythm patterns.
BTW: In case you are wondering “what are bucket drums?” They are the utility buckets that are all around hardware stores such as Home Depot or Lowes. A tip – our school was able to have these donated and they have lasted for years! Thanks Home Depot!
Thanks For Reading!
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