For instance: an elephant for the whole note, a giraffe for the half note, a pony for the quarter notes and little rabbits for the eighth notes. But if you feel that using the traditional family roles isnвЂ™t appropriate for you then you could easily substitute the characters with animals of varying size. IвЂ™ve always used this method because I find that children understand it easily and it works. They are so busy having fun, they donвЂ™t realise that you are testing them! The children can take it in turns to have a go on the tambourine and then you can call out the notes by name (Mummy Minim etc) to see if they can make the correct beat to match the notes. The concept of theВ note family applies quite easily to both. ThereвЂ™s an American version (with whole notes, half notes, quarter notes and eighth notes) and a European version (Semibreves, Minims, Crotchets and Quavers). Use the printable below to hold up and show how each note corresponds to an action.When theyвЂ™ve got the hang of each different note and the sound and action it makes, you can ask them to guess which one you are playing and trying to catch them out!.Trotting along with small steps for the Little Quaver Twins (Eighth Notes) which share 1/2 a beat together.Marching like a soldier for Big Brother Crotchet (Quarter Notes) which last 1 beat.Middle sizes steps for Mummy Minim (Half Notes) which last 2 beats.Slow beats like Daddy Semibreve(Whole Notes) to the count of 4 with giant steps.Introduce each note in turn by demonstrating the beat on the tambourine.Then tell them to rub the вЂmagicвЂ™ on their feet, and then theyвЂ™re ready to stamp around with gusto!

вЂBlowing some magicвЂ™ into the hands is a very good way to get everyone joining in and engaged.You need a tambourine or drum, and a bit of space.This game is ideal for music classes or played with a group of friends.A Fun Way To Teach Note Values : Magic Feet Follow The Beat It goes down so well with the kids that it becomes a regular activity and this makes it even more effective as a teaching tool. Magic Feet Follow the BeatВ is a brilliant way to have some fun and blow off a bit of steam while learning and practising the concept of note values. Kids love the characters and giving the notes identities like this makes the lesson much easier to grasp. When teaching note values, I introduce the notes as a family. Then the lesson becomes a fun activity, and kids will always learn more effectively when they are having fun! But this can be easily overcome this by making it fun through games and rhythm & movement activities.Д¬hildren always find it much easier to accept basic theory concepts by playing games. Sometimes music theory can be a bit scary, and it can have a reputation for being a bit boring and difficult.

Quaver class play