Are you ready for the back to school craziness? Whether you are or not, you’ll find some ideas here as I’m sharing my favorite back to school activities with you today to help you have the BEST back to school experience ever!  Music class back to school activities are something I tend to change or modify almost every year. Actually, I rotate the activities about every 4 years. There are many things I keep the same, like name games, hello songs and my classroom rules.

I do like to use new games for get to know you activities.  Be sure to use a different game for each grade so that the students don’t play the same games every year.  I feel it’s important to keep a core set of songs and procedures.  But, changing the games or activities can add some new life to the curriculum.

Keep reading to learn about my favorite back to school activities.

I get it! August or (September for some of you) rolls around and all of a sudden you are back in the teaching mode. You’ve had the summer off (hopefully) and now you are supposed to be back on a rigid schedule, adapt to new students, schedule changes, personnel changes, location changes…

MY FAVORITE BACK TO SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

SET THE TONE

I want to share some easy ways to survive the first few weeks of school because those first few weeks will set the tone and the level of success you’ll have for the rest of the year.

There’s tons of things to consider, figure out and get organized. Relationships, attitude, teamwork, expectations, goals, procedures, are all established in those first few weeks and so a great game or activity can help you with all of these important aspects of your music classroom.

You’ll be able to get tons of free resources and ideas in this and many other blog posts I’ve written about how to succeed the back to school craziness.

After all, my goal is to help you be ready for for back to school success!

Did you catch my “Music Class First Day Activities” post? 

Did you get the FREE GAME PLANNER?

NO?

You NEED to read this and download the free lesson planner. It’s a game changer! And it’s FREE! 

FAVORITE BACK TO SCHOOL ACTIVITY #1

Here’s what you get in this fun packed learning resource:

“Apple Tree” is an original song and game that will help you teach, review and assess so-mi-la, sixteenth note rhythms and review quarter and eighth notes. Students love the easy to play Orff arrangement and exciting game as well as the practice worksheets and flash cards. The game is perfect for Back to School activities to help students learn the names of their classmates or to play throughout the year. Perfect for grades 3-5

*Please note that this resource is NOT the same as K-3 Version.

HOW TO USE THIS BACK TO SCHOOL ACTIVITY.

Use this resource in you back to school lessons to review rhythms and notes and get to know all of your student names.  Use this resource throughout the year by playing the song and game as review and assessment of skills.  Use the “Interactive/Smart Board” graphics and pages for whole class or station activities.

RESOURCE INCLUDES:

• 54 pages, 19 Graphics, 2 Mp3 files
• 7 Lesson Procedures
• Teaching pages for rhythm, solfege, Ostinato
• Sheet Music -“Apple Tree” Song –Note Names, Orff Accompaniment, Solfege
• Mp3 Practice Track
• 2-Worksheets-Create a Melody, Create a Rhythm
• FLASHCARDS-Color and Black/White apples and rhythmic notation
• 6 I CAN STATEMENTS for each learning goal
• 2- BLANK FRAMED SHEETS and 15 Apple Rhythm Smart Notebook Graphics

RESOURCE CONTENTS:

• Teaching Procedures.
• Learning Goals.
• Mp3 Practice Accompaniment Track
• Rhythmic Review for quarter, quarter rest, sixteenth, eighth notes.
• Sheet Music -“Apple Tree”-so-mi-la sight singing/playing, Orff Accompaniment and Ostinato, note names melody and bass
• 2 -PRACTICE SHEETS Create a so mi la Melody. Create a Rhythmic pattern.
• FLASHCARDS-Color & B/W apples & rhythms
• I CAN STATEMENTS – I Can Sing so-mi-la, I Can Play so-mi-la, I Can Play Rhythms, I Can Play Rhythm Patterns, I can Play Melody Patterns, I Can Create Rhythm Patterns, I Can Create Melody Patterns.
• Smartboard Activity -write the Rhythm or Melody- Set of Apple Note graphics to use in a smartnotebook or other interactive white board. Images are png files .
• Graphics in (picture) png files to use with interactive whiteboards.
• Printable Sheet music with solfege
• Printable Sheet music with note names
• Printable Sheet music with Orff Arrangement
• Printable Sheet music for Teacher

MUSIC CONCEPTS:

• Students will learn the symbols and be able to use these rhythms
• Read Notation (so-mi-la)
• Write Notation
• Perform by singing and playing instruments
• Create a Rhythm Pattern
• Create a Melody Pattern

MUSIC I CAN STATEMENTS:

• I Can Sing so-mi-la patterns
• I Can Play so-mi-la patterns
• I Can Play Rhythms
• I Can Play Rhythm Patterns
• I Can Create a Rhythm Pattern
• I Can Create a Melody Pattern

Wow!  Did you notice the new feature that includes Smart Graphics?  That means you can use them on your interactive boards.

Keep reading to get all the FREE RESOURCES including FREE REWARD TICKETS!

FAVORITE BACK TO SCHOOL ACTIVITY #2

This one is perfect for my Kinder through Second Graders.

Sing and Play Game song “Apple Tree” an original song with Kodaly and Orff Activities. Play the game to learn student names. Learn skills with the rhythm practice pages.  Perfect for K-3 students.

*Please note that this resource is NOT the same as the Upper Elementary Version.

Use this Music Class Activity Favorite:

Use this resource in you back to school lessons to review rhythms and notes and get to know all of your student names.  Use this resource throughout the year by playing the song and game as review and assessment of skills.  Use the “Interactive/Smart Board” graphics and pages for whole class or station activities.

RESOURCE INCLUDES:

• Total of 86 Teaching pages in PDF and Power Point files, & 12 graphics
• Mp3 Practice Tracks
• 5 Lesson Plans to learn so-mi and ta & ti-ti
• 10 -Apple shape Rhythm Patterns
• 10- note shape Rhythm patterns
• Sheet Music -“Apple Tree” Song –Note Names, Orff Accompaniment, Solfege
• 5-Worksheets

              Complete 4 beats, Write the Rhythms, Write the Melody, Create a Melody, Color Ta and ti-ti

• FLASHCARDS: Color and Black/White apples and rhythmic notation
• I CAN STATEMENTS for each learning goal
• 2- BLANK FRAMED SHEETS-for smartboard activity

CONTENTS

• Teaching Procedures.
• Learning Goals.
• Lesson Plan for Ta and ti-ti
• 10 -Apple shape Rhythm Patterns
• 10- note shape Rhythm patterns
• Sheet Music -“Apple Tree” Song to Sing, Play and Move
• Sol-Mi sight singing/playing
• Orff Accompaniment to play
• 3 -PRINTABLE PRACTICE SHEETS-Complete 4 beats. Write the Rhythms. Write the Melody
• FLASHCARDS
• Colored- B/W-apples-Rhythms
• -I CAN STATEMENTS –
• Smartboard Activity-write the Rhythm or Melody- Set of Apple Note graphics to use in a smartnotebook or other interactive white board. Images are png files with ta and ti-ti, and note values.
• Tree Graphic in png file to use with interactive whiteboards.
• Scenery background to use with interactive whiteboards.
• Printable Sheet music with solfege
• Printable Sheet music with note names
• Printable Sheet music with Orff Arrangement
• Printable Sheet music for Teacher

CONCEPTS

• Students will aurally and visually understand one sound on a beat named “ta” and two sounds on a beat named “ti-ti”.
• Students will learn the symbol [ta] and [ti-ti] and be able to use these rhythms to:
• Read Notation
• Write Notation
• Perform by singing and playing instruments
• Create a Rhythm Pattern, Create a Melody Pattern

I CAN STATEMENTS

• I Can Sing so-mi patterns
• I Can Play so-mi patterns
• I Can Play Rhythms
• I Can Play Ta and ti-ti
• I Can Play Rhythm Patterns
• I Can Create a Rhythm Pattern
• I can Create a Melody Pattern

WHY THIS WILL BE YOUR FAVORITE BACK TO SCHOOL ACTIVITY

Fun!

Teaches!

Builds Community!

The best thing about this resource is that you will have some great tools to use throughout the school year. You’ll have the rhythm teaching pages, the song lesson, the rhythm worksheets, the game and a great vision of what works in music class.

Where can you purchase these resources? At the Sing Play Create Teachers Pay Teachers Store.

Free Music Class Back to School Activities:

Here’s some more tips for a successful back to school experience.

MORE BACK TO SCHOOL TIPS

“Five Tips for an Amazing Back to School”

“Quick and Easy Music Class Transitions”

You’ll want to catch this post and Freebie: “Music Class First Day Activities”

Looking for more Music Class Activities and Games?

The Music Teacher Basic Essentials is the ONE RESOURCE that gives you everything you need to get your music class set up and organized. Songs, Games, Chants, Decor, Planner, Teaching tips – perfect for the elementary music teacher. This resource includes all of the basics plus 7 Music Class resources. You’ll have games, songs, and decor for the entire year.

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