I love movement props for my preschool and kindergarten music groups. One of my favorite movement props? Hands down, the Stretchy Band . The stretchy band is exactly that, a big band that is flexible, stretchy and made with elastic and a soft, colorful fabric. The Stretchy Band is machine was

I love movement props for my preschool and kindergarten music groups. One of my favorite movement props? Hands down, the Stretchy Band . The stretchy band is exactly that, a big band that is flexible, stretchy and made with elastic and a soft, colorful fabric. The Stretchy Band is machine was

DIY Song Cubes to help children learn music "old favorites" and practice finding and keeping the beat; for preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten.

Move, move, move, that's what kids need- right? It seems to be a growing trend in education. How can I get my kids to settle down and do their work? I'll be giving some of my ideas about what kids need to learn in this blog post using movement props and activities for music class.

Start Using Stretchy Bands for Creative Movement & Music Enrichment Today Music therapists are in on the secret. They know how much fun it is to use

On Thursday afternoon I was in the school office and the secretary said, "This came in the mail for you... I have no clue what it is." It was the stretchy band I ordered!!! Needless to say, I was super excited and tried it out with almost all of my classes on Friday! Two kinder classes, two first grades, and two second grades, and two third grades. In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have done it all on one day because using it can get exhausting, but I was just so eager to share this new learning tool with my students. And they LOVED it! I started planning by collecting activities to try on my Pinterest. I couldn't find too much on there; I've heard great things about Artie Almeida's Parachutes book and I think I might order it soon to try some of those. If you have experience with this book or have other stretchy band activities you like, please let me know! Here's some of the things we did yesterday: Third grade was learning Liza Jane on solfege, so as a class we decided where the stretchy band should be for each pitch. In the primary grades we showed high and low sounds by holding the stretchy band over our head and in our lap. We practiced bouncing the band to a steady beat and counting measures in groups of four beats. In first grade, we listened to Elgar's piece, "Faeries and Giants." I asked the students to make a prediction about what the faeries would sound like and they voted by holding the band high or low. I also told my students about my favorite part of using the stretchy band: putting it away! We counted down "3-2-1-GO!" and all let go of the band at the same time so that it snaps into the middle of the circle. What fun. Have a great weekend!

5 Ways to teach the steady beat in elementary music class. At the beginning of the school year. I start with Steady Beat activities.

Since 2000, Bear Paw Creek's bestselling stretchy band has been a music and movement prop must have. Order yours today and join this creative learning activity! PRODUCT OPTIONS BELOW.

As we stared out the window at the blanket of dust covering Mahboula and wondered what to do with the last bit of our day today, I realized that we’d have to come up with something fun to do indoors. Selfishly, I wanted it to be something that was fairly quick and easy to pull…

15 Stretchy Band Music and Movement Favorites from Bear Paw Creek Customers Back in December I had fun in our Bear Paw Creek Facebook Group showing

All the Little Ducks Go Upside Down is an action song that encourages singing, movement and a lot of giggles! YouTube clip and free sheet music.

Here’s 10 ways to use a parachute in the music classroom. Activities will help students learn and practice music concepts. Parachutes can be used for so many fun activities in the music room. I’ve discovered that they are especially helpful during the latter part of the school year when students are more “squiggly” than ever! […]

11 Circle Songs for Stretchy Band Music and Movement Activities A little over a year ago I was privileged to witness Harry Becket, MT-BC faciliate a group

Today I am linking up with Aileen Miracle at Mrs. Miracle's Music Room for "My Music Room Set-up." I have been sooooo excited to reveal my classroom that I have spent hours and hours updating over the summer! Thank you Aileen for hosting. I have been looking forward to this type of blog post all summer. I am going to warn you now...there will be lots and lots of pictures!!! Most of you know that I teach at four schools! I will just be showing one of my classrooms, which happens to be at my largest school. This room is also the school I spend the most time in. My other classrooms are either extremely tiny, a combined art and music room, or a room that is under construction :) I am excited to be getting a new room at one of my schools, but we are going to cross our fingers that it will be ready by next Tuesday! Eek! I had plans to do a lot of blogging this summer; however, I ended up spending more time in my classroom than I thought. Here are pictures of my classroom before I added my personal touch. These photos were actually taken two years ago, but I really didn't change much during my first two years of teaching. I knew it was time for an extreme makeover, the Jena way! So after many, many hours and lots of helping hands from my hubs and my teacher BFF, Lindsey, here is the NEW and IMPROVED music room!!!! I am very lucky to work in a supportive school district! They allowed us to paint our classrooms this year, and the school has totally transformed! I first got rid of the 20 year old wallpaper and added a splash of paint! Ok...maybe a little more than a splash...I painted my front wall a sky blue, while the side and back walls are painted a light green. It has definitely brightened up my dingy room and created a cheery learning and creating musical environment. In my classroom, I have a songbird theme. My students are referred to as songbirds in our newsletters and social media outlets! They love it :) My bestie, Lindsey, also incorporated a bird theme in her classroom this year. As a result, we created the silhouette birds to 'fly' around our classrooms and tissue poms to serve as clouds. She also inspired me to purchase and incorporate the School Girl Style silhouettes around my classroom. The package came with a swinging girl that fit perfectly with my corner tree that my mother-in-law painted. Check out the silhouettes and all the other adorableness in Lindsey's kindergarten classroom. This adorable boy silhouette was created to hold balloons, but what better way to incorporate a musical theme with a recorder in hand! I think it worked out perfectly and is placed by my door as my students say goodbye in music class. After searching on Pinterest, I found this silhouette girl with recorder balloons and knew I HAD to incorporate it into my music classroom! I found some old records, which happened to be kid themed, and placed the beauty on a large empty wall! I am in LOVE with the way it turned out! Here is another view of the balloon girl! I also painted my doors and windowsills, then added some cute curtains! On my other LARGE blank and boring wall, I added a display of Boomwhackers, practical and pretty! I simply added a strip of velcro to the wall and a small piece on the tube. Now, students can quickly grab the Boomwhacker they need instead of me digging through a laundry basket! On my last wall, I cut out letters for the above picture on my Cricut machine! It is in the perfect view spot in my room for my administrators and other teachers to see the cross curricular connections of music! I wanted a tree in my classroom to enhance my classroom theme, but also to give the students a whimsical atmosphere. So I added the tissue poms for leaves and created an instrument paradise :) All of my Orff instruments are placed in this corner. I also added an updated bookcase with labeled containers for smaller percussion instruments. I painted the bookshelf and added contact paper to the back. All my other instruments are stored in a closet. Underneath my dry erase board, I placed recorder fingering posters. This placement is easy for students to see and provide a quick reference if need be. I also made seat crates that are stored underneath my dry erase board. I created labels to attach with binder rings. For these crates, I stored movement props, such as parachutes and scarves, puppets, and masks. By having them in the front of the room, they are easy to access. Not only are my items neatly organized, but I can pull these crates out for a quick spot to sit for story telling or role playing. Next to my board, I have a set of Solfege hand signs and my classroom rules! These are easy to see from any angle in the classroom, especially for those little troublemakers. To create more room for movement, I got rid of my big, hunk of metal desk and computer table. I was thrilled to get rid of my desktop and the table with it! After getting rid of both, I then had a minor freak out moment of "Where will I put all the little things?" As a result, I found an adorable table/desk at Office Depot that solved my problems. I moved my desk to a corner of my room, and viola, here is my small, but perfect, workspace! I gave my filing cabinets a makeover, added a homey lamp, and reupholstered my desk chair (mother-in-law to the rescue again!). Added some Washi tape to take this plain desk organizer to a cute desk organizer! I also added a touch of Washi tape to the edge of my desk for some cohesion :) For all the 'tiny' things, I made a Teacher Toolbox on top of my bookcase! You can also see some more Washi tape ;) Want these labels?! There are editable ones on my TPT store here. Here is my new corner! Still need to add a cork board above my desk and finish that bulletin board :) I also have two bulletin boards completed: one is in the hallway and one is used for our class rewards system. Found out more about them here! Thanks for taking a step into my classroom! I think my music classroom is now set-up and ready to go for the first day of school! Check out other music classroom set-ups on Aileen's blog!

Movement activities are one of the easiest and most productive types of activities you can do at the end of the school year! Right? It’s down to the wire and the kids are so excited for summer, as well as teachers! That’s why I am sharing this blog post about Stretchy Band activities and a […]

Dance Scarves are one of my favorite manipulatives to bring into Primary as they bring purposeful movement and have such a wide range of actions you can do

Explore dance and movement with sensory props, imaginative prompts and fun music with Molly Flanagan. In this 1.5 hour w...

Favorite props for the music room: Ideas for ribbons, tennis balls, and more, for your music lessons!

Here are some fun ways to use stretchy bands in music class, along with links to resources for activities and songs that incorporate stretchy bands.

Resources, tips, and materials to help you, help children with autism

I got the idea for this craft from Kara’s Creative Place blog (thanks for the brilliant idea, Kara!). Ribbon Rings (Kara’s example is pictured at right) are a fun prop for movement activities with young students during group lessons, camps, or early childhood music classes. Kids love fluttering the ribbons of these props while they… Continue reading DIY: Ribbon Rings for Music & Movement Activities

Streamers and Scarves Movement Songs Do you use scarves or streamers to teach and facilitate movement? They are a great prop to have in your toolkit and

Here's a list of fun activities you can do with preschool and kindergarten using rhythm sticks!

It happens at every level, at every school I’ve ever taught in. A student asks, “can we play freeze dance today?” I’m always torn. I want my students to have fun and …

I'm on spring break right now...aka I'm bored! We just finished our 4th/5th grade musical before break and even though my husband and I spent tons of time at school rearranging my room and switching out a bulletin board, I was still itching for a project. I've always wanted a stretchy band, but could never force myself to spend the money for one thinking it would only be used a few times in the year. I had some fabric from the musical left over and decided to make one for myself! Final price: $19.06 The big question: WHAT'S INSIDE???? I asked some other music teachers on facebook and the consensus was something stretchy! Here were the possibilities: 1: 2" elastic 2: bungee cord 3: surgical tubing 4: fitness resistance tubing Elastic sounded too easy to me so I asked my sewing expert mother who agreed it wouldn't be the sturdiest choice. So off to the hardware store I went hoping to buy bungee cord by the foot. Alas, I can only dream. It didn't seem right to link the bungees together so I went back to the drawing board. After researching medical supply stores in my area, I learned that I could buy surgical tubing at the hardware store! Aisle 7 to be exact! I bought 10 feet, which is just a little too small for my classes of 15-20 students. I can use this test stretchy band for my small preschool class of only 5-6 students. So here are my DIY instructions! Supplies Surgical Tubing (10ft per 8-10 students) Cotton Fabric (multiple colors) 3 Zip Ties Directions 1. Cut fabric stripes into 20"x5" strips. In order to get the "scrunch" you will need approximately 2.5x casing per tubing. (example: 10ft. tubing = 25ft. casing) 2. Sew short ends together to form one long piece. Remember "right sides together" and keep all your seams on the same side. I also made a point to back stitch the ends for durability. Kids will be pulling and stretching! 3. Fold in half and sew down long side. Remember, "right sides together!" 4. Turn (I hate this part. Absolute torture. Thankfully, my husband was willing to help so we tag-teamed it, but still, awful!) My mother always says to use a safety pin to help. Here are some pinterest links that might work too! Ribbon Technique Saftey Pin Technique 5. Insert tubing into casing You'll start to see the "scrunch" here! 6. Zip tie tubing together Overlap the tubing about an inch and place 3 zip ties on overlapping sections starting with the middle. Pull VERY tight and snip off ends. EDIT:The zip tie idea worked great when my husband and I pulled, but the stress of a kindergarten class was a different story. My friend Sally Utley from Sally's Sea of Songs told me that the REAL stretchy bands are simply tied together with a square knot. (Left over right, right over left) So far that has worked better! 7. Hand stitch casing together Fold both ends in to create finished edge. Insert one color into the other and hand stitched closed. Voila! My husband and I have pulled and stretched as hard as we could and everything bounced back! I'm excited to try this with my preschoolers! Btw: I just ordered a 50ft roll from Amazon and I'll be making a much larger one for my whole class next week!

Streamers and Scarves Movement Songs Do you use scarves or streamers to teach and facilitate movement? They are a great prop to have in your toolkit and

Parachute activities for the music classroom and P.E. Teach, reinforce, assess music skills as you play games with your students. These activities make a great SUB PLAN. Print the cards and set out the parachute and your sub can have fun playing with your students all day! Use as Transition activities, learning games and reward days. This resource is easily adaptable to other subject areas. You need to have your own parachute to use these activities. RESOURCE INCLUDES: This resource includes (10) ten music class activities to use with parachute props. The games are easily adaptable to other subject areas-but the directions use music education vocabulary and examples. Each activity is on a poster with directions, a poster for presentation, and a mini card. One poster for presentation to use as a slide show in the classroom. Each activity includes a suggested; Purpose Learning Goal Directions 1) THE SOLOIST 2) ECHO ME 3) REPEAT SIGN 4) SHOW ME 5) PLAY IT FOR ME 6) FERMATA 7) FORM 8) MUSICAL STORY 9) BEAT IT 10) THE CONDUCTOR PURCHASE INSTRUMENTAL TRACKS SEPARATELY TO USE WITH THIS RESOURCE BRAIN BREAK, MUSIC AND MOVEMENT INSTRUMENTAL TRACKS USE THIS RESOURCE Use the activities for assessments, reward days, and music lessons. Transition activities PE, Music and Movement Classes, Nursery, Preschool, Homeschool, Drama Looking for more creative movement activities? CONCEPTS: The resource includes ideas on music concepts to use for the games, but they are easily adaptable to most music concepts and levels of ability. Melody Pitch Rhythm Fermata Form Conductor Expression HOME SCHOOL APPLICATIONS Homeschool settings: Children will love playing the games. Easily adaptable to other topics. Best for children ages 6-12. You’ll want to look at all of the Creative Movement Activities offered at Sing Play Create: CREATIVE MOVEMENT MORE CREATIVE MOVEMENT ACTIVITIES: Buggy Bean Bag Activities Buggy Movement Activities Buggy Scarf Activities Buggy Stretchy Band Movement Activities *********************** ABOUT SING PLAY CREATE LLC. All products and works are copyrighted by Sing Play Create LLC. For questions about content, other resources and copying, please use the “ASK A QUESTION” section. Want a Freebie every month? Subscribe to my Website Newsletter. SING PLAY CREATE NEWSLETTER Want to get Free store Credits? Go to “my purchases” and click on “Provide Feedback”. Follow Me here for Freebies and Sales SING PLAY CREATE YOUTUBE SING PLAY CREATE WEBSITE SING PLAY CREATE FACEBOOK SING PLAY CREATE INSTAGRAM PINTEREST Let's Move and Learn with Music! Sandra

These are SO much fun! The full pdf has 20 pages with all the games listed. Hope you enjoy them - if you would like the pdf, send me an email at [email protected]. If you haven't yet checked out my facebook page, there are extras including a video that shows some other activities and teaching tips with hula hoops - search for @ofortunaorff.

Way back in 2006 when I first started doing storytimes regularly, my good friend Nik (of Narrating Tales of Preschool Storytime) had the idea to print out the words to a favorite preschool storytim…

I recently posted about Beat Buddies and how amazing they were for classroom management.

15 Stretchy Band Music and Movement Favorites from Bear Paw Creek Customers Back in December I had fun in our Bear Paw Creek Facebook Group showing

Welcome to Mrs. Stucki’s Music Room! Children love scarf play and enjoy them using them in the music room. Here are some exciting scarf ideas you can use with your music class. 1. Play classical music and call out different animal names. Let the class act out being a certain animal as they move to the music. You can also use music from Carnival of the Animals for this activity. 2. Play High and Low games by having the class demonstrate high and low notes as they listen to the Chinese Dance, from the Nutcracker or any other classical music that has high and low notes. 3. Play the game Simon Says with scarfs as you sing different ways for the class to move their scarves. I use this game at the beginning of the year with kindergarten and first graders to help them learn how to follow directions. 4. You can play the song, Shake My Sillies Out from Share the Music using scarfs with the different movements throughout the song. Fun Scarf Routine by 2nd Graders 5. You can also play folk music and teach a dance routine with scarfs. 6. Have the class play freeze dance to any music. 7. Practice Rhythms with 2nd, 3rd and 4th graders by calling out a rhythm like whole notes. The class demonstrates whole notes by letting their scarf float in the air for 4 beats before they touch the scarf again. They continue the whole note pattern until you call out another rhythm like half notes. 8. Use scarfs as props to Classical music. Have the class place a scarf in their back pocket. They can pretend to have a horse tail and gallop like a horse to music like the William Tell Overture or The Wild Horseman. Have the class pretend to float like a butterfly as you play the music by Chopin. Pretend the scarf is a cape and tell them to be a super hero as you play Prelude to Act 1, from Carmen (Theme 1). You can have the class pretend to fly like a bee as you play Flight of the Bumblebee. Want more fun activities and ideas for your class? Be sure to Sign-up by email on my side bar to claim a monthly freebie, teacher tips & tricks. I would love to hear what tricks you use or other thoughts you might have in the comments below. Enjoy! Check out some of my favorite games and activities! Contact me via email: [email protected]

Image Credit As the arrival of summer is upon us and the school year is coming to a close, I have been reminiscing about some of […]

Parent/Child class enjoying the Stretchy Band! Hi! Miss Carole from Macaroni Soup back with my new-found favorite prop – the S t r ...

MUSIC AND MOVEMENT PROPS Interactive and engaging music and movement education resources. ( just so you know- I do get a tiny kickback from the sponsor of the links.) BEAR PAW CREEK Bear Paw Creek offers bean bags, stretchy bands, balloon balls, scarves in colorful and tactile-friendly fabrics. STRETCHY BANDS BEAN BAGS RIBBONS WRIST SCRUNCHIES […]

Lynn Kleiner's "The Waves" Movement Song with the Stretchy Band A few years ago I took Lynn Keiner's Music Rhapsody Online Teacher Program Course. I loved

I made these easy to make wands to use while teaching music in the nursery class at church. They are fun to wave and watch flutter through the air which entices kids (and adults) to move to music. …

Image Via If you have listened to the radio lately or watched the Superbowl last night, I’m sure you’ve heard this catchy song, Uptown Funk, by […]