Tag Archives: musical games

Summer Camp: So far…

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We’re halfway through the summer break here so I thought I’d take a break from posting new activities this week to give us time to play around more with some of the ideas we’ve already tried.

If you’re looking for a quick musical activity, please do take a look at what we’ve been up to so far…

Singing/Playing

Crafts/Games/Theory

Listening/Watching

It’s been a fun few weeks! Hope to see you back here for more next week…

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Summer Camp Week One: Follow-up Friday

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Here we are at the end of our first week of summer camp. Just being accountable for prioritising a musical activity each day has been such a positive thing for our family and I’m so excited to share these ideas with… well, whoever might be reading.

On Monday we collected together our instruments and just made some noise! I’m delighted to say that the ‘Family and Friends Music Club’ was created in this session and continues to jam together regularly. Just keeping the instruments together and easily accessible has made an instant difference to the amount of music-making going on in our house. Follow up activities so far have included crafting band posters and sign-up sheets. Maybe we’ll sell some tickets next…

Tuesday was turn-taking day. When I originally wrote the post I included the Pete Seeger version of Let Everyone Clap Hands Like Me – partly because I enjoy it, and partly in case anyone wasn’t familiar with the melody. However, as we already knew the song, I only played that version to my kids a day or so later when I was showing them what I’d been up to with the blog. They loved it! We’ll follow up that activity with a visit to the library for more Pete Seeger CDs for sure!

Wednesday was a day for talking about working musicians and what they do. We continue to discuss that as we listen to music and consider how it was produced. On a personal note, the kids are enthused about helping me set up my music studio; they are busy making plans for teaching younger siblings while I’m working!

Yesterday we made a rhythm chooser, and there have already been requests to follow that up with many more choosers/fortune tellers for everything from jumping-jack challenges to gaining control of the TV remote.

Did you join in with any of the activities this week? If so, did they lead you in any interesting directions? Please let me know in the comments.

I’m not planning to blog at the weekends on the whole, but I might have a bonus post for tomorrow if I get time…

Summer Camp Week One: Make Some Noise Monday

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So, day number one and we’re already off course.  I had scheduled some shaker-making for today, but the kids had other ideas.

I spent last night setting up a mini keyboard studio in our basement (I’m offering free piano lessons to friends and neighbours over the summer) and when the kids saw the small semi-circle of keyboards they couldn’t resist having a go.  So, the three of them set the agenda experimenting with loud and soft (mostly loud!), turn-taking (hotly contested!) and many of the other functions of the various keyboards.  Then, as I disappeared upstairs to make the lunch (and escape the noise), I heard them making their own music for musical statues (aka ‘freeze-dance’ here in Canada).

You might not have a keyboard in your house, but why not round up whatever musical instruments you can find and just embrace the noise for a while – even if it’s just a very short while?

I took the kids on a hunt around the house and we found quite a collection of maracas, drums, recorders etc. thrown into various toy boxes (and hidden out of the children’s reach!).  The children were delighted to see them all and quickly put together a band – that classic combo of vocals, toy keyboard and maracas.

Today’s suggestion then, in a nutshell, grab some instruments and let those little noise-makers do their thing.

Here’s some noisy Disney fun for your little trolls. See you tomorrow… 🙂