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Kindergarten and Preschool body percussion activities for music class. Ideas to use body percussion to teach steady beat, transition activity and with your favorite songs. Body percussion is a wonderful way to integrate movement into your music lessons. Get the tips in this post and the Free Resources.
Watch the video on the Sing Play Create Teaching Tips Channel. Be sure to SUBSCRIBE!
Body percussion involves clapping, stomping, patting, or snapping, which engages students physically. This physical movement helps students internalize the beat, as they directly feel the rhythm in their bodies, making the steady beat more tangible and easier to grasp.
By combining auditory (hearing the beat) and kinesthetic (feeling the beat through movement) elements, body percussion reinforces the concept of steady beat. The multi-sensory approach caters to different learning styles and strengthens the student’s ability to sense and maintain a steady beat.
Body percussion allows students to immediately hear and feel if they are in sync with the beat. This instant feedback helps them correct themselves and stay on track, fostering a deeper understanding and consistency in maintaining the steady beat.
Here’s a list of short reasons why body percussion activities are beneficial for children:
1. Enhances coordination and motor skills.
2. Boosts listening and focus abilities.
3. Encourages creativity and self-expression.
4. Improves rhythm and timing.
5. Strengthens memory and recall.
6. Builds awareness of body movement.
7. Supports social interaction and teamwork.
8. Develops a sense of musicality.
9. Fosters confidence in physical movement. 10. Promotes a fun, active learning environment.
CLAP
TAP HEAD
TAP SHOULDERS
PAT KNEES
STOMP
RUBBING HANDS TOGETHER
CROSS ARMS PAT
SHAKE YOUR HIPS
This is the Way We Say Hello! Preschool and Kindergarten welcome to class song.
TPT STORE
PRACTICE EACH ACTION 20-30 SECONDS with background tracks or a hand drum.
(BE SURE TO GIVE ABOUT 8-16 BEATS OF TRANSITION TIME)
CROSS ARMS PAT-happy song
PAT KNEES-floating along
STOMP- marching along
CLAP-pop me up and down
TAP SHOULDERS-syncopate the beat
RUBBING HANDS TOGETHER-to the shore
HIP SWAY-flyin free
TAP HEAD- tapping lightly
CHOOSE YOUR FAVORITE ACTION- crazy moves
SING IF YOU’RE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT AND USE EACH OF THESE WORDS AS A VERSE
THAT’S WHY I CREATED FREEZE DANCES USING THESE ACTIONS.
HERE’S SOME SAMPLES YOU CAN FIND ON THE SING PLAY CREATE KIDS MUSIC CHANNEL
THESE MAKE A GREAT TRANSITION ACTIVITY.
PRESS PLAY AND AS THE KIDS WALK IN HAVE THEM GO TO THEIR SPOTS AND FREEZE DANCE UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO BEGIN CLASS.
BODY PERCUSSION CAN HELP STUDENTS FEEL THE STEADY BEAT IN THE MUSIC LESSON.
AS STUDENTS LISTEN TO THE SONG, USE A VARIETY OF ACTIONS TO HELP THEM FEEL THE BEAT.
DURING CLASS #1 HAVE THEM PAT THE BEAT ON THEIR KNEES
CLASS #2 YOU CAN HAVE THEM MARCH IN A CIRCLE ON THE BEAT AS THEY SING THE SONG
CLASS #3 HAVE THEM FOLLOW YOU AS YOU CHANGE ACTIONS EVERY 8 BEATS. SING THE SONG 3 TIMES.
Be sure to check out all the body percussion activities on the Sing Play Create Kids Music Channel.
And, you’ll want to check out the movement activity resource links in the description section. (BODY PERCUSSION RESOURCES)
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Hi there! I’m Sandra, one of the authors behind Sing Play Create. My goal is to provide teachers with interactive resources and activities to improve the effectiveness of their teaching and enhance student learning.
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