Laptime and Storytime: Rhythm Sticks

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Rhythm Sticks

Making Rhythm Sticks

I've cut 3/4" dowels into 12" lengths (8" is a nice size too) for rhythm sticks.

Sand the tops and bottoms, store'em in a drawstring bag and you're good to go!

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Introducing Rhythm Sticks to a Storytime

After handing out 2 sticks to each child
~they will immediately start clicking them together, no prompting is necessary
do this little rhythym stick game...

All right kids, you all sound great!
Everyone, let's see how good your listening ears are.
Can you all put your sticks on your shoulders until I tell you?

Now let's see if you can make your sticks sound fast and loud!
~ clickclickclickclickclickclick Great job.

Now, can you make them sound soft and quiet?
~ taptaptaptaptaptaptaptap

Oh, very good, I can tell you all have your listening ears on today

Now, put your hands together, sticks together too and move them in a big circle.
~vroomvroomvroomvroom

Excellent circle-making everyone! Sticks to shoulders again.

Are you ready? Let's do it again, can you keep up with me?
Listen closely, and go!

You can do this several times, try to trick them, play with it, let them really have some fun with the sticks, when it looks like everyone is under control, move into your story or song. At the end, have the kids put the sticks together, hold them up over thier heads and you can easily gather them up.

p.s. I can't take credit for these ideas alone - Thanks Kathe & Brenda for all the inspiration and help!
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Ideas for Rhythm Sticks

Songs:

Wheels on the Bus / Counting
Count to the tune of 'Wheels on the Bus'

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10
8 9 10

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10!

Horsey Horsey
This can be sung in a round if you've got older kids

Horsey horsey on your way
We've been together for many a day
So let your tail go swish
And your wheels go 'round
Giddy-up we're homeward bound

I like to take the horse and the buggy
As I go travling through the town
I like to hear old Dobbin's clip clop
As the wheels go 'round and 'round

Clickety Clack
Take turns moving sticks over your head, to the side, around and around

Clickety clickety clack
Clickety clickety clack
Clickety clickety
Clickety clickety
clickety clack

The Hammer Song
only hit sticks together when you say 'bang'. Put sticks on your shoulders in between

Bang bang bang bang
Watch me hammering

Bang bang bang bang
Pounding nails in

Bang bang bang bang
I try to pound them straight

Bang bang bang bang
Don't want to make mistakes

Bang bang bang bang
You know it feels so great

Bang bang bang bang
To make things out of wood

Bang bang bang bang
Watch me hammering

Bang bang bang bang

In the Jungle
- this is another song we learned in Let's Play Music - I highly recommend these preschool music classes. It's unbeatable for teaching pitch, rhythm, beginning music and it's FUN!

elephant - whole note
BOOM BOOM

lion -half note
PUH PUH PUH PUH

monkey -quarter note
EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE EEE

cicada -eighth note
CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA
...get your creative mind going, think horses, trains, and anything with a rhythmic sound you can use, I'm sure you can come up with way more ideas than you can shake a 'rythym' stick at

Let's Make Rain
~For Storytime and older have groups of kids (and the parents) create a rain and thunderstorm!

Start with snapping fingers
~this group snaps the entire time
Now add clapping
Then add slapping legs
Now add stomping feet
Finally add rythm sticks!

~the accumulated sound is really neat!

Okay, time to take it back down

Stop the rhythm sticks
Stop the stomping
Stop the slapping
Stop the clapping
Stop the snapping

~and the storm is gone :)

B I N G O
NIEHS midi music

There was a farmer had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
B-I-N-G-O!
B-I-N-G-O!
B-I-N-G-O!

And Bingo was his name-o!
There was a farmer had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(Clap)-I-N-G-O!
(Clap)-I-N-G-O!
(Clap)-I-N-G-O!

And Bingo was his name-o!

..and continue until it's all claps instead of the letters
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