What can you do with egg cartons, rhythm sticks, and jingle bells that the children love?
Rhythm Band!
Younger Children
Put a poster like this at the front of the room. Don’t put the names of the instruments on it for the younger children.
Demonstrate the first line of the rhythm for the children by tapping on your lap (called a patsch). (Note: Lift your hands far up off of your thighs on the rest to show dramatically you are not tapping. You can say Ta, ti ti, Ta, Sh as you are tapping. You are only doing the first line, not the second.) Ask the children to patsch (tapping on their thighs with the palms of their hands) the rhythm with you as you point on the beat and patsch with the other hand.
Continue patsching the rhythm pattern and begin to sing the song. “The Lord commanded Nephi…” After the word “plates,” call out “Freeze!” As the children if their hands are just like your hands. Continue the song as you patsch the pattern. After the word “gates,” again call out “Freeze!” Wait for a second, then continue sing the song and patsching the pattern. (The freeze is to help the children to catch themselves and see if they are doing the same pattern as you. The youngest children really need this time to adjust, and it is fun for the 6 and 7 year olds.)
Once you have finished singing and moving to the song, ask adults in the room to help you pass out instruments (egg cartons with a rhythm stick to rub along the bottom, jingle bells, and a pair of rhythm sticks – you could also use two paper plates as cymbals.)
Call out “Freeze!” and tell the children you are going to practice doing the rhythm we practiced with our instruments. “Ready?” “Ta, ti ti, ta, sh…” Repeat this a couple of times and call out Freeze once again. “Let’s do this rhythm with our instruments while I sing the song.”
Sing the song and play the rhythm on their instrument. When you finish, ask the children to trade instruments with someone else. Sing and Play the rhythm once again.
Older Children
Demonstrate the first line of the rhythm for the children by tapping on your lap (called a patsch). (Note: Lift your hands far up off of your thighs on the rest to show dramatically you are not tapping. You can say Ta, ti ti, Ta, Sh as you are tapping. You are only doing the first line, not the second.) Ask the children to patsch (tapping on their thighs with the palms of their hands) the rhythm with you as you point on the beat and patsch with the other hand.
Use an instrument and do the rhythm. Ask the adults to pass out an instrument to each child.
Ask all of the egg cartons to play once. Now ask all of the rhythm sticks to play once. Ask all of the jingle bells to play. Tell the children you will sing while they play the pattern on the poster above. Sing the verse as they play the pattern. Call out “Freeze!” Tell them you are switching to the second line for the chorus. Ti ti, ta, ta, ta. Have them practice, only playing their instrument when it is marked. Sing the chorus and play the pattern.
Tell the children you will be singing the whole song as they do the rhythm. Remind them to switch lines at the chorus. Sing the song, pointing to the pattern as you sing and the children play.
As an extension, ask the children to switch instruments. Sing and play the song once again.
The children are challenged, active, engaged, and hearing this song over and over again in a fun way. The words go automatically into the back door of the brain’s memory.
Lynn Slocum
I’m a little confused on the beat pattern with the words. Can you explain a little more which beat above goes with what words in first phrase?
Lynn Slocum
Ok, I now get the younger instructions using only the first card, but I am confused on the older instructions when singing the chorus with the second card. Can you possible show what words with the pattern? I have “I will go ” with the ti ti ta and “I will do” ta but then there’s still one more ta in the pattern and that is not fitting for me.
Lynn Slocum
Ok I practiced it without thinking so much and I think I have it….
I (ti) will (ti) go (ta) I (ta) do(ta) Whew!
Sharla Dance
Dear Lynn, The patterns on the poster board each start on the first beat of the measure so the words actually fall like this:
beat 1 – ti ti, beat 2 – ta, beat 3 – ta, beat 4 – ta
I will (pick up notes so don’t start the pattern yet)
ti ti beat 1 – Go
ta beat 2 – I (will)
ta beat 3 – do
ta beat 4 – (holding out do, then) the
ti ti beat 1 – things (the)
ta beat 2 – Lord (com-)
ta beat 3 – -mands
ta beat 4 – (holding out -mands, then) I
ti ti beat 1 – know (the)
ta beat 2 – Lord (pro-)
ta beat 3 – vides (a)
ta beat 4 – way (He)
I’m so impressed with your commitment to learn new things and to do whatever you need to do to help the children. Thanks for reaching out!
Lynn Slocum
I am assuming that the cards with instrument and notes are for teaching the whole song to the older and that they don’t start out like the younger playing all notes together but only play their instrument when it is assigned. I can see this as tough even for the older kids and wonder if it would be helpful to have an adult for each instrument at the front of room to be the leader or older child?
Sharla Dance
Yes, the older children do the whole rhythm with you on their lap or clapping first, then they only play when their instrument comes. I point each beat so they don’t get lost while I’m singing.
And yes, it is helpful to call for a volunteer to come up and play that instrument as the leader.
Thanks for asking!
Lynn
Sharla, with the younger are you pointing to the pattern the whole time or do you pick an instrument and do it with them ?
Sharla Dance
I usually pick rhythm sticks and point and do the rhythm at the same time. (I have to practice a bit before I go before the children)
Donna Howard
This and other activities are going to happen in my class today at BYU-I! Thanks for all of the info, and thanks again for coming up here!
Donna
Sharla Dance
It was fun!
Norma
This looks like fun. I can’t wait to use it!
Bonnie Whitehurst
Can you demonstrate this in a video?
Sharla Dance
The 2020 video that the editor just finished has a rhythm band activity with Nephi’s Courage. I will try to be more clear in future posts!!! (Sharla looking chagrined)
Terri Martinez
I have both younger and older at the same time. Most of my kiddos are pretty easily distracted most of the time, so we are going to stick with the younger version and just use our hands to do the patsch movements. It will challenge the older ones enough to stay engaged but will not be too hard for the youngers to learn. Thank you so much!
Katrina Parry
I spoke with my primary presidency, and they are letting us split the primary (Yay!) but waiting until March, so for the next couple of weeks we are still together. I want to do the rhythm band… this one is a little different than the one you did in the workshop video. That one seems a little more complex, should I stick to this pattern to keep it more simplified for the junior primary aged kids or go ahead and try the pattern from the video?
Sharla Dance
Definitely keep it more simple if you will have the younger children with you. Thanks for asking!