“Five Little Pumpkins” Music Lesson

Let’s take a favorite Halloween chant a make it a music lesson!  “Five Little Pumpkins” is a fun Halloween chant that we can help students learn beat, rhythm and call and response form while singing and playing instruments. In this post I’m sharing the “Five Little Pumpkins” Music Lesson.

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FIVE LITTLE PUMPKINS MUSIC LESSON ACTIVITIES

I give step by step directions and demonstrate how to do this activity with your children and students.

In this tutorial I show how to use this song as a music lesson activity.

The learning goals are Beat and Rhythm, Ostinato, Call and Response.

I think this activity can be adapted for preschool through 3^rd grades.

Here are the basic lesson steps from the video.

LYRICS

FIVE LITTLE PUMPKINS SITTING ON A GATE

THE FIRST ONE SAID; “OH MY IT’S GETTING LATE.”

THE SECOND ONE SAID; “THERE’S WITCHES IN THE AIR.”

THE THIRD ONE SAID; “WE DON’T CARE.”

THE FOURTH ONE SAID; “LET’S RUN AND RUN AND RUN.”

THE FIFTH ONE SAID; “LET’S HAVE SOME FUN!”

WHOOSH WENT THE WIND, AND OUT WENT THE LIGHTS.

AND THE FIVE LITTLE PUMPKINS ROLLED OUT OF SIGHT.

You can find the song on your favorite music service:

CLICK HERE FOR MUSIC LINKS

PLAY THE BEAT

First, I’ll have the students listen to the song and pat the beat. Sometimes I will have the students move freely to the music first.  It depends on how much time I have for this lesson.

RHYTHM OF THE WORDS

Then I’ll have them echo chant the rhythm of the words.  We’ll clap the sounds of the words.

Then we’ll sing along with the recording.  I’ll have them be the echo voice and clap as they sing.

The song is available on all your favorite music services.

PRACTICE PARTS

Students love to play instruments and so now I’ll have them play the beat on the drum and the rhythms on rhythm sticks.

Then we can divide the class into two groups.  Group A will play the beat and call, or be the first singers, and Group B will be the response, or the second singers.

Then they can switch parts.

PLAY AN OSTINATO

After we have the beat and the rhythm down, we’ll add in a third part! An ostinato.

I’m using an egg shaker to play a simple ta ta titi ta rhythm during the entire song except when we get to “whoosh went the wind, and out went the lights”.  During that part, students can shake their shakers to sound like the wind.

Everyone will practice the ostinato at the same time.

Then we can divide our class into 3 groups.  Beat, Rhythm, and Ostinato.

I’ve found that children love these kinds of activities because they get to do so many different things.

They are singing, playing a variety of instruments, and making music together.

After students sing and play instruments, it’s time for a scarf movement activity.

Scarf movement is a good transition activity and I can choose songs that will get students calm before leaving class.

Try this Scarf Movement video in your class today.

If you need more activities, you may want to try this Halloween Freeze Dance.

Or this “Skeleton Dance”

RESOURCES THAT WORK WITH THIS LESSON

If you like this Halloween music lesson, please subscribe to the Sing Play Create Teaching Tips YouTube Channel.

Don’t forget to get the FREE RESOURCE with the lesson steps and visuals to use to teach these activities.

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8 Scarf Music and Movement Activities for Elementary Music Class

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Let’s move and learn with music!

Let’s Move and Learn with Music

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