Browse Activities

• Stop and GoTempoListeningThrough a movement activity in which students move while the music is playing and freeze when it stops, students practice maintaining a steady beat while sustaining focused listening.
• Doggie, Where is Your Bone?Intervals and ChordsSingingA singing and hidden-object guessing game in which students naturally experience and practice "sol–la–mi pitch patterns" through repeated singing.
• Music ScarfPitchMovementStudents move scarves up and down and fast and slow to translate what they hear into physical movement, representing differences in pitch and tempo.
• Rhythm Change-UpRhythmReadingRead a rhythm correctly, and the card-holders on stage swap places — a fast-paced game for mastering note values.
• YES or NONotes and RestsGame-BasedOnly "YES" or "NO" permitted — can you guess the musical mystery in three rounds of reasoning?
• Note Value PizzaNotes and RestsReadingStudents use pizza pieces to visualize, compare, and match whole, half, quarter, and eighth note values and their equivalent relationships.

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• Stop and GoTempoListeningThrough a movement activity in which students move while the music is playing and freeze when it stops, students practice maintaining a steady beat while sustaining focused listening.
• Doggie, Where is Your Bone?Intervals and ChordsSingingA singing and hidden-object guessing game in which students naturally experience and practice "sol–la–mi pitch patterns" through repeated singing.
• Music ScarfPitchMovementStudents move scarves up and down and fast and slow to translate what they hear into physical movement, representing differences in pitch and tempo.
• Rhythm Change-UpRhythmReadingRead a rhythm correctly, and the card-holders on stage swap places — a fast-paced game for mastering note values.
• YES or NONotes and RestsGame-BasedOnly "YES" or "NO" permitted — can you guess the musical mystery in three rounds of reasoning?
• Note Value PizzaNotes and RestsReadingStudents use pizza pieces to visualize, compare, and match whole, half, quarter, and eighth note values and their equivalent relationships.
• Build the MeasureNotes and RestsGame-BasedStudents work in teams to build, check, count, and clap complete measures with note and rest cards under a given time signature.
• Legato or Staccato?ArticulationSingingStudents sing a familiar song while responding to gesture cues to compare and switch between smooth, connected legato and short, detached staccato.
• Five-Finger Rhythm ImprovisationRhythmImprovisingStudents keep a fixed four-measure rhythm while improvising pitches within an assigned five-finger pattern, then transfer the same rhythmic framework to a new key.
• Draw the Musical LineMelodyListeningTrace the melody with the finger and feel the pitch.
• Build-a-Trombone: Exploring PitchPitchGame-BasedStudents build and play a simple homemade trombone to explore how changes in tube length affect pitch.
• Major Triad and Melodic CreationIntervals and ChordsSingingStudents explore the major triad through echo singing and create their own melodies using do–mi–sol (1–3–5).
• Listen to music and imagine a storyMelodyListeningStudents listen to traditional Chinese music, imagine characters and stories inspired by the music, and share their ideas with classmates.
• Compose an Eight-Measure Ensemble PieceRhythmComposingStudents compose and perform an eight-measure rhythm.
• Five-Beat Hopscotch: Experiencing Quintuple MeterMeterMovementExperience 5-beat meter through body movement in a "hopscotch"-style activity.
• Echo ValleyPitchSingingWhatever the teacher sings, the class throws back like an echoing valley — from 2 notes to 5, with rhythm twists.
• Rhythm Conveyor BeltRhythmMovementClap it, pass it — rhythm flows around the circle like a conveyor belt, layer upon layer.
• Sing on Green, Sing in Your Head on RedMeterSingingUsing teacher-held visual cues, students alternate between singing aloud, singing internally, and re-entering aloud to develop an internal sense of steady beat and strengthen musical memory.
• Land on the Last BeatMeterListeningStudents jump when they hear the fourth note of each group and land exactly on the beat.
• Fast and SlowTempoMovementStudents adjust their walking speed to match the music: they walk faster when the music is fast and slower when the music is slow, allowing their movement speed to follow the auditory signal directly.
• Scale CanonTexturePerformingPerform a scale using the polyphonic technique of the canon.
• Build the IntervalIntervals and ChordsGame-BasedStudents count from a starting note and build intervals through quick-response and partner challenges.
• Note Name LoopPitchGame-BasedStudents use a circle and paper bracelet to discover how the seven musical note names repeat in a continuous loop.
• Pass the Beat Around the RoomRhythmGame-BasedStudents pass a spoken phrase around a circle one beat at a time while keeping a steady beat and responding to a rest with movement.
• Mystery Note DetectivePitchGame-BasedStudents use black-key landmarks and mystery clues to find, play, and name notes on the keyboard.
• Perfect EarsIntervals and ChordsEar TrainingUse the Perfect Ear app for whole-class aural identification, then have students immediately play the interval, scale, or chord they heard on the piano.
• Performance PlaybackArticulationPerformingBy listening to or watching a recording of their own piano performance, students identify at least one strength and one area for improvement, then set a goal for their next practice session.
• Same Chord, Different SoundHarmonyComposingUsing the same chord progression, each group combines bass, melody, accompaniment texture, and contrasting timbres to collaboratively create a distinctive piece of 8-15 measures.
• Pizza MovementMeterMovementUsing the contrasting movements of the "Pizza" and "Pizza Hut" characters, students respond immediately to changes in the piano rhythm and experience duple and triple meters.
• Music SculptorPitchMovementHigh and low, loud and soft, fast and slow — the body becomes a living sculpture of the music you hear.
• Rhythm RelayRhythmGame-BasedEcho the last two beats, add two new ones — pass the rhythm chain on and on.
• Rhythm DetectiveRhythmGame-BasedListen closely — one note is wrong. Find the mistake, fix it, and play it back perfectly.
• Body Rhythm CodeListeningUse clapping/snapping/stomping/patting to design different rhythm for an A-B-C form piece.
• Draw a KeyboardIntervals and ChordsReadingDraw a one-octave keyboard and identify half steps and whole steps.
• Name IntroductionRhythmGame-BasedStudents take turns introducing themselves by saying their names in time with a continuous steady beat.
• Scale Fingering ChallengeScales and ArpeggiosGame-BasedStudents arrange note-name and fingering cards to build a scale and verify their answers by playing it on the keyboard.
• “V” and “W” in ScalesScales and ArpeggiosPerformingUse “V” and “W” black-key patterns to discover and practice the fingering of B major, D-flat major, and G-flat major scales.
• Word Rhythm GameRhythmEmbodied Music ActivityA rhythm-training activity that connects everyday words with rhythmic patterns. Students find words whose syllable count and rhythmic flow match each given rhythm. For example, a two-syllable word such as “apple” for two eighth notes, or a four-syllable word such as “watermelon” for four sixteenth notes.
• Near Means Loud, Far Means SoftDynamicsSingingA singing-and-listening game that uses changes in dynamics as cues. Students stand in a circle, while the guesser listens to changes in the group’s volume to determine the target student’s location and identify who the target is.
• Sing SlowlyTempoSingingSing a familiar song in slow motion, word by word, on your longest breath — and feel how tempo and breathing change.
• High and LowPitchMovementStudents walk upright (or raise their hands high) when they hear high notes, and they walk crouched when they hear low notes. Use your body to “draw” the rise and fall of pitch.
• Steady Beat BeanbagMeterMovementPass the beanbag to your neighbor on every steady beat — keep your hands the pulse steady
• Blow the Hot Soup, Blow Out the CandlesDynamicsSingingBlow the hot soup gently, blow out the candles with a puff — learn breath control through imagination.
• Animal BreathingArticulationSingingPant like a dog, breathe softly like a cat — discover correct singing breath through animal imitation.
• Building Two-Part Harmony Through Canon — *Frère Jacques*TextureSingingThis activity develops students’ independent singing, steady beat, and ensemble listening through progressive canon singing. Students practice staggered entrances, part independence, and peer feedback while focusing on intonation, tempo, and blend.
• Ear DetectivesRhythmEar TrainingCatch the sound clues: respond together, compete in teams, solve solo.
• Hear It InsideIntervals and ChordsEar TrainingKeep the tune sounding inside your head, then name the colour of each interval.
• Partner-Song StackingHarmonySingingLayer two familiar melodies into one self-accompanying harmony.
• Same Melody, Different AccompanimentTextureArrangingStudents arrange and perform one melody with I-IV-V harmony using different accompaniment textures, then compare how each version changes the musical character.
• Articulation Through Five-Finger PatternsArticulationPerformingStudents apply legato and staccato techniques to major five-finger patterns and transfer the same articulation pattern across keys.
• Weather Sound ChallengeTimbreGame-BasedStudents use the same melody and vary register, dynamics, articulation, pedal, and touch to portray different weather conditions and identify the resulting sound images through a guessing game.
• From Motif to Music with Suno AIMelodyComposingStudents create and record an original motif, use Suno AI to expand it, and then compare, revise, and reflect on the musical result.
• Musical Thanks and GoodbyeRhythmSingingThe teacher uses a fixed melody to express thanks to students one by one, and each student responds independently with a short melodic phrase while maintaining a steady beat. The activity provides singing practice while also creating a positive and meaningful closing ritual for the class.
• Collaborative SoundscapeTimbrePerformingStudents use vocal sounds, body percussion, or other sound materials, layering them one by one in response to conducting cues to collaboratively create a group soundscape.
• ConductorDynamicsPerformingStudents respond to conducting gestures by changing the dynamics, tempo, and starting or stopping of their singing, then take turns acting as the conductor to lead the class.
• Making Foley SoundTimbreListeningStudents create Foley sound effects using a variety of objects and synchronize the sounds precisely with an actor’s movements, exploring timbre, sound expression, and rhythmic coordination.
• Lyrics Out of PlaceMelodySingingKeep the melody unchanged but sing the lyrics out of place — move the last word to the front or start from the second word, and challenge your memory and coordination.
• Sing the Scale FingeringScales and ArpeggiosPerformingStudents sing the shared 1–2–3 | 1–2–3–4–5 fingering pattern of the RH ascending and LH descending while practicing C–G–D–A–E major scales.
• Drop, Lift, Turn, LandEmbodied Music ActivityDiscover a natural, relaxed piano hand position through four simple movements: Drop, Lift, Turn, Land.
• Shoulder Check-InEmbodied Music ActivityLift your shoulders, let them drop, and keep checking that they stay free as you play.
• Sight-Reading Preparation RoutineTonalityReadingAnalyze, audiate, ghost play, and play ahead to develop your eye–hand span.
• Body Melody LinePitchSingingDraw the melody in the air with your finger — and let your voice follow the line up and down.
• Sustain a Long NotePitchSingingExhale steadily through wu / si / zz for 5 seconds each, then sustain one pitch on oo - and challenge to 8, 10, 15 seconds!
• Fast and Slow TogetherTempoSingingSing the same song in two groups - one at original speed, one at half (or double) speed.
• Rhythm GridRhythmSingingPoint to each box of the 16-box grid - one clap per box, blanks are rests. Students can also take turns conducting!
• Find the Undercover SingerPitchSingingEveryone sings - but one secret undercover only mouths the words. Spot who is not actually singing.
• 3–3 Scale FingeringScales and ArpeggiosPerformingStudents use the “3–3 together” anchor—watching the right hand when ascending and the left hand when descending—to coordinate parallel-motion fingering in C, G, D, A, and E major scales.
• Body Solfège LadderPitchSingingStudents connect Do–Re–Mi–Fa–Sol–La–Ti–Do with body positions from feet to head while echoing and singing patterns to strengthen solfège order and pitch accuracy.
• From Body Solfège to the KeyboardPitchEar TrainingStudents transfer body-based solfège to the keyboard by listening, singing, and locating pitch patterns, progressing from Middle C as Do to movable Do.
• Melody PuzzleMelodyListeningStudents reconstruct an unfamiliar melody from shuffled fragments by listening for melodic direction, repetition, rhythmic patterns, and phrase endings.
• Register RelayPitchPerformingStudents pass a familiar keyboard pattern from player to player, keeping the pattern intact while changing its register, dynamics, tempo, and articulation in response to teacher cues.
• Instrument Family MarketTimbreListeningListen, sort, and trade — which family does this sound belong to?
• Timbre LabTimbreListeningSame tune, different color — describe what you hear.One melody, different colours — say what you hear.
• Form Map DetectiveListeningWalk the map of the music — when the music changes, so do you.
• Mood Color ConcertDynamicsMusic AppreciationChoose a color for the music and show its mood with your body.
• Phrase Painting for ChoirDynamicsSingingPaint each phrase with your breath — loud, soft, and everything in between.
• Blend and Balance BridgeHarmonySingingStudents build a bridge between two choral parts by tuning balance, listening across the ensemble, and sustaining a shared drone.
• Curwen Ladder ChoirPitchSingingThis activity develops students’ audiation, intonation, and part-singing skills through solfège and Curwen hand signs.
• Vowel Flower HouseTimbreSingingStudents shape and unify the five pure vowels inside an imaginary "flower house" of mouth shapes, building a warm, blended choral tone.
• Adapting a MusicalDynamicsSingingTurn a defining moment from a story into a short song by connecting character, drama, lyrics, and musical choices.
• Haunting Music: Listen, Imagine, and Create a StoryTimbreListeningListen for changes in the music and turn what you hear into characters, events, and a short imaginative story.
• Compose a Musical Phrase with the Fibonacci SequenceRhythmComposingUse Fibonacci numbers as compositional rules to create, perform, and revise an original musical phrase.
• Make a Rainstorm with SoundDynamicsListeningBuild a rainstorm from silence to a downpour and back again using body sounds, voices, and instruments.
• Grip into Glow OrchestraDynamicsPerformingCreate a layered sound orchestra that transforms from “gripe” to “glow” through repeating rhythms, movement, dynamics, and tempo changes.
• Finding C Across OctavesPitchPerformingUse black-key patterns and visual markers to find and play C across different octaves while maintaining natural hand–wrist–forearm alignment.
• Chord Shape RecognitionHarmonyReadingStudents recognize root-position, first-inversion, and second-inversion triad shapes by playing them from notation, showing them without notation, and responding in a quick-recognition game.
• Visualizing Chord ConnectionsIntervals and ChordsPerformingStudents use visual maps to recognize common tones and voice-leading movement, then play and transfer the resulting chord-connection patterns.
• Creating a Multi-Voice Piano PieceHarmonyComposingGroups co-create and revise a playable class piano piece by building different musical layers from one shared chord progression.
• From Lead Sheet to Spanish DanceIntervals and ChordsPerformingStudents turn the chord symbols Am–G–F–E into a Spanish dance-style rhythmic chord pattern by locating each chord’s notes on the keyboard.
• Breath RainbowDynamicsSingingBreathing Exercise: Using a steady, prolonged breath, draw a rainbow in the air.
• Staccato PopcornArticulationSingingVocal exercises:Make your voice pop like popcorn—short, light, and full of bounce.
• Rhythmic CakeNotes and RestsReadingPlace appropriate cake pieces into a complete four-beat cake pattern to create a full rhythmic sequence.
• Ping-Pong Variations: Spot the DisguiseListeningStudents hum the bouncing theme once, then race to spot which variation is playing.
• Scale RelayScales and ArpeggiosGame-BasedStudents take turns playing segments of a scale in relay format, practicing scale fingering, keyboard geography, and fluency through accurate transitions and key-change challenges.
• Paired Scale Warm-UpScales and ArpeggiosListeningStudents work in pairs to play, observe, and give feedback on scale performance, using peer listening and repeated attempts to improve accuracy and fluency.
• Scale-to-Improvisation RelayScales and ArpeggiosImprovisingStudents move from scale practice into an improvisation relay, using notes from the same key to create and connect short musical phrases.
• Where Did the Beat Go?RhythmMovementStudents feel a displaced rhythmic accent, represent its timing visually, and read and perform an eighth–quarter–eighth syncopated pattern.
• Twinkle TravelsTonalityPerformingStudents transpose “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” into new keys by moving every pitch by the same interval while keeping the melodic pattern intact.
• Feel the Off-BeatRhythmMovementStudents build from a steady beat to eighth-note subdivisions and gradually internalize the off-beat through coordinated clapping, counting, and foot tapping.
• Step, Skip, RepeatPitchReadingRead short melodies through repeat, step, and skip patterns instead of decoding every note one at a time.
• Landmark Note JumpPitchReadingUse seven landmark notes on the grand staff as reference points to identify nearby notes quickly.
• When to Find a Friend?HarmonyMovementDevelop harmonic hearing through movement and listening.
• Finger StaffPitchSingingTurn your hand into a staff, point and sing the scale and songs.
• Two Songs at Same TimeHarmonySingingSing two different songs with the same chord progression - at the same time!
• Song TransformationsMelodySingingOne song, endless changes! Swap strong beats, word endings, rests and notes - can you still finish together?
• Align with the Body, Not the KeysEmbodied Music ActivityStudents block black-key groups while coordinating the torso, arm, and hand to align with the body, not the keys.
• Long Fingers Find Black KeysScales and ArpeggiosPerformingStudents analyze scale fingerings to discover how longer fingers naturally relate to black keys and keyboard topography.
• Put Words to MusicMelodyArrangingStudents add short words to an instrumental phrase to make its musical meaning more concrete and guide expressive playing.
• Play Your BluesTonalityImprovisingStudents learn the C Blues Scale and apply it directly to improvisation while exploring swing rhythms.
• Mini Percussion QuartetTexturePerformingOne famous theme, four small instruments, five hints — hear how the music is built, then build it yourself.
• Clappers and Hand Signs: Four Ways to Level UpRhythmPerformingA tea-picking song is used as the musical material for four progressive challenges—clapping, playing clappers, responding to hand signals, and passing sounds around the group—to develop students’ musical coordination and ensemble responsiveness.
• Rhythm Hopscotch: Learning Notes with the Whole BodyNotes and RestsMovementThe path on the floor is the score — one step for ta, two small steps for ti-ti, freeze on the rest.
• Leaf Rhythm ScoreNotes and RestsGame-BasedNo paper, no pencils — the ground becomes the staff and the leaves become the notes.
• Build a Dotted NoteNotes and RestsGame-BasedBuild and break apart dotted-note values with proportional duration strips to see exactly how the dot changes the duration.
• Tie It TogetherNotes and RestsGame-BasedUse ties to connect same-pitch notes into one continuous sound without re-articulating the second note.
• Tie or Slur?ArticulationGame-BasedCompare ties and slurs through notation, listening, and error detection to understand how the same curved shape can represent different musical functions.
• Raise It, Lower ItPitchGame-BasedMove one half step higher or lower on the keyboard to experience how sharps and flats change pitch.
• Back to NaturalPitchGame-BasedUse the natural sign to cancel an accidental and return the note to its natural pitch.
• Same Key, Different NamePitchGame-BasedFind different note names that lead to the same piano key and discover how enharmonic equivalents work.
• What Makes Your Arm Move?ArticulationEmbodied Music ActivityExplore how different parts of the body work together to move the arm.
• Whole & Half Step Cross PuzzleIntervals and ChordsGame-BasedPractice whole and half steps through a simple cross puzzle.
• Major Five-Finger Pattern Cross PuzzlePitchGame-BasedPractice major five-finger patterns through a simple cross puzzle.
• Rhythm Cross PuzzleNotes and RestsGame-BasedSolve a rhythm cross puzzle by connecting note values, numbers, and arithmetic relationships.
• Staff HopscotchPitchMovementStudents listen for melodic steps and leaps and show what they hear by walking or jumping on a large floor staff.
• Using Our Voices to ImprovisePitchImprovisingStudents create and rearrange scat syllables along a familiar melodic contour, then sing the melody using their new vocal patterns.
• Exploring Long and Short Rhythmic PatternsArticulationMovementStudents hear, move, notate, and perform patterns made from long and short sounds.
• Improvising with Brazilian SambaPerformingStudents layer four samba-inspired percussion rhythms and alternate the ensemble groove with solo improvisations in rondo form.
• Find a Friend!HarmonySingingPick a note from the chord, sing it out, and find your friends who sing the same one!
• Melody GridMelodySingingOne cell, one beat. Point, sing and link the cells into a brand-new melody!
• The Vanishing BeatMeterGame-BasedEight beats, one by one they vanish into your mind - then clap beat one to check whether everyone is still together!
• The Vanishing NumbersMeterGame-BasedSing 1-8 on a steady pulse - when the teacher points at a number, let it vanish into your mind!
• Ice breaker activity: Zip Zap ZopTempoGame-BasedIce breaker: Zip — zap — zop: Three words are continuously passed along.
• Ice-breaking activity: Close your eyes and rediscover your teamTempoGame-BasedIce Breaker: Close your eyes, find your friend.
• Group WalkTempoGame-BasedNo leader, no words — the group walks, jogs, slows and stops as one body.
• Rhythm RaceRhythmGame-BasedPoint at a teammate, say the next letter — a to z, as fast and as calmly as you can.
• Picture KnockoutGame-BasedWalk, listen, team up, build the shape — slowest or wrong-sized group is out.
• Find the C Minor Blues ScaleIntervals and ChordsGame-BasedDiscover the C minor blues scale by identifying missing notes on the piano keyboard.
• Primary Chords Cross PuzzleIntervals and ChordsGame-BasedBuild the three primary chords through an intersecting-note puzzle, identify their harmonic functions, and discover their relationships by fifths.
• Triad Quality CrossIntervals and ChordsGame-BasedBuild and identify major and minor triads by solving a crossword-style puzzle with shared notes.
• Note-Name CrossNotes and RestsGame-BasedRead notes in both clefs, complete meaningful words, and use crossword intersections to check your answers.
• Exploring Rhythmic GroupingsRhythmEmbodied Music ActivityExplore rhythmic groupings through listening, clapping, and movement to experience changing accents and rhythmic patterns.
• Paper Plate PercussionistRhythmPerformingTwo paper plates, one cymbal feel - follow the music and play the rhythm!
• Paper Music ExplorationTimbreListeningOne sheet of paper - how many sounds can you make? Listen and explore!
• Circle MazeRhythmMovementFollow the circles through the grid - keep the beat and move your body!
• Cup PercussionRhythmMovementOne cup, one beat - make the rhythm visible!
• Five Ways to Play BoomwhackersRhythmPerformingFive ways to play, one rainbow of tubes!
• Theme and VariationListeningExplore theme and variation through a spoken-sentence game and guided listening to Mozart’s “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” variations.
• Listening for Contrasts in GenreTimbreListeningCompare two recordings of “Little Fugue” to identify how instrumentation, timbre, and other expressive qualities change the sound of the same musical work.
• Spaghetti!DynamicsGame-BasedExpress the single word through different emotions
• Kahoot IcebreakerGame-BasedThe teacher creates a Kahoot quiz about musical preferences, learning experiences, or music trivia. Students join using phones, tablets, or computers, earning points on trivia questions while getting to know one another in a relaxed, interactive setting.
• Rhythmic Roll CallMeterMovementKeep the beat going and follow the teacher's call: who is named, and how many times?

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