Engaging Games!

By Tim Wiegand
1. Zombie Tag (using fun to your advantage!)
a. Students will listen to the pulse played by the teacher on the electric keyboard and
march through the space (use a D minor/ C major vamping pattern)
b. If pulse accelerates or decelerates students will adjust their movement
c. Next teacher holds down the keyboard and removes the pulse (D minor chord)
d. When there is NO pulse students take fast “Baby Steps” no bigger than the size of
their own shoe
e. Clear a space in your room where students who are out of the game can go (call
this the “Hospital”)
f. If students are off the steady beat they’re OUT
g. If students are taking steps that are two big they’re OUT. (Students step size ONLY
matters when there is NO pulse and the teacher is holding the D minor chord!)
h. Take two Native American (wearable) wrist shakers and give them to a trusted
student
i. This student now becomes “Infected” or a “Zombie” in the game. He/she then
begins to move with the rest of the students to the beat following the same rules
and taps the other students on the shoulder as they are all moving
j. If the “Infected Zombie” doesn’t follow the rules of moving they are instantly
cured and the teacher will pick a new student
k. Students who are tapped must report to the Hospital for the cure (or the OUT
area)
l. The only way a student can return to the game is to stand in the Hospital area and
take the “Steady Beat Vitamins”. Students will stand in their spots in the Hospital
(NON-Locomotor) and march to the pulse. Teacher then selects a student who is
amazing at the steady beat to be cured and return to the game. Do this to reenforce how important it is to be right on the beat with their feet and body
m. As the game progresses add more” Zombies” or “Infected” students to make it
more difficult to stay in the game
n. Once there is one student left, turn the game around. That student becomes the
“Hero”. Change your chord pattern from minor to Major and have the lone
surviving now tags the “Infected Zombies”. Once all the “Zombies” are caught
they are cured and the “Hero” releases everyone from the “Hospital” and the
game starts all over again
o. Feel free to change the labels of the students if you feel theme of “Zombies” is too
edgy. For example play the game on St. Patrick ’s Day and make them
“Leprechauns”, or use the game at Christmas time and make them “Elves”
All materials used may not be duplicated without permission. ©Copyright 2015 by Viegansong Press
p. Present a Tempo visual with the two Italian musical commands “Accelerando” and
“Ritardando”. Discuss the two terms and have a student point to one or the other
while the class moves (add keyboard accompaniment)
Consider the following visual:
2. Mixed Signals: (Keyboard Ear Training Game)
a. Use electric keyboard’s percussion sounds as signals
b. Consider introducing one sound at a time until students are comfortable
recognizing each signal
c. Start by mixing together marching and clapping
d. Consider adding as many as three different signals at the same time
e. Create simple rhythmic patterns that repeat
f. Once students master the game add a boomwhacker to replace the sound of
clapping
*bass drum = March
*snare drum = Clap
*triangle = Hop and Turn
*vibraslap = All Students Face Teacher
*cow bell = Bend Knees
All materials used may not be duplicated without permission. ©Copyright 2015 by Viegansong Press
3. Tubano Wars
(Students recognize timbre of instruments and move accordingly)
Materials: 3 Blindfolds, 6 Instruments w/ different timbres, 3 Hula Hoops, 3 Labeled Tubanos,
a. Separate class into 3 teams
(each team will have two lines an A line and a B line)
b. Create three stations of instruments (each station should have
two unpitched instruments, each with a different timbre)
c. Give each team a colored tubano and a matching Hula Hoop
(Red, Blue, Yellow)
d. Assign the signals for movement for each team and review
*Instrument One=March Forward (locomotor Movement)
*Instrument Two=Rotate Right (non-locomotor movement)
(For example a cowbell is march forward and a ratchet is turn/rotate to your right)
e. Student A will use the two instruments and becomes the “Controller” for his/her team.
Student A plays the instrument to move student B through the space to retrieve their team’s
tubano
f. Student B will be blindfolded and becomes the “Robot” for his/her team. This student
responds by moving through the space listening for his/her instruments (one to turn, the
other to march forward.) Give a 10 second penalty to “Robots” that don’t follow their signals
g. Student B needs to keep his/her hands out in front and low, so that he/she can feel the
tubano and pick it up. Team members signal the Robot to put the tubano down into the hula
hoop by shouting their team number
h. The first team to get his or her tubano back into their home base hoop gets the point! Add
obstacles when students have mastered the game! Keep score, the first to four wins!
4. Down the Road (A unique way to teach rhythmic dictation)
a. Review and read rhythms by using rhythm cards
b. After teaching students modified version of “Down the Road” (see attached score)
students play rhythmic dictation game
All materials used may not be duplicated without permission. ©Copyright 2015 by Viegansong Press
c. Students sit in lines, while first child looks at rhythm card he/she taps the rhythm
on the back of the second student in the line. The first student is the only one
allowed to see the card
d. Students pass the rhythm all the way down the row, and the child at the end
dictates the rhythm using Rhythm Notation Sticks (popsicle sticks)
e. The First team to ring the bell is the winner
5. The Wars Star
(Getting older students to move to the pulse)
All materials used may not be duplicated without permission. ©Copyright 2015 by Viegansong Press
6. Card Sharks
Play/perform rhythmic patterns with values (quarter note, two eighth
notes, and half notes) from notation on pitched percussion instruments.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Sight read some basic rhythmic patterns
Echo melody by phrase
Add claps during the numbers (have students turn hands sideways like a shark’s jaws)
Introduce the concept of “rolling” on barred instruments
Encourage students to play fast back and forth as lightly as they can
Add the following game as a B section:
a. Choose one student to be the game show contestant
b. Place five giant playing cards in front of the class
c. Flip over the first card
d. Give the contestant the option of swapping the card out for a new
one (they only get one swap per round)
e. Ask the class if they think the next card is higher or lower
f. If they vote for higher they will “roll” on high E
g. If they vote lower they will “roll” on low E
h. Then the contestant makes his/her choice
i. If correct, move to the next card
j. If incorrect, sing the song again and choose a new contestant
Welcome to Card Sharks!
Card #1
Card #2
Card #3
Card #4
Card #5
All materials used may not be duplicated without permission. ©Copyright 2015 by Viegansong Press
A
Card Sharks
B
I would like to thank West Music for sponsoring this session. Be sure to
check out the West Music booth here at the FMEA conference!
Thank you so much for attending this session to contact Tim Wiegand go to:
www.viegansong.com
Or email him at:
Viegansong@cox.net
All materials used may not be duplicated without permission. ©Copyright 2015 by Viegansong Press