Musical instruments are a wonderful addition to any classroom, especially when you have learners with a variety of learning styles and needs. Bringing rhythm sticks into the classroom is a good way to change things up. Rhythm patterns are great for practicing motor skills and developing a sense of rhythm. These are great for music lessons, but can also be used for other content areas and can help reinforce harder skills. Check out this list of 38 activities your students can do with a pair of rhythm sticks!
1. Good Morning Message
Let students customize and decorate their rhythm sticks with colored tape. Students can use these to form a good morning chant, catchy tune, or rhythm stick song. These are great for getting active children ready for the day.
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2. Simon Says
The classic game of Simon Says is good for all grade levels. Use the rhythm sticks to do basic motions or a series of motions and have students do these as well. This also doubles as a terrific following-directions activity.
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3. Echo Me
This simple echo activity is similar to Simon Says but instead of saying that, students will just mimic all your movements. This is great for practicing self-control with preschoolers and encouraging a greater sense of body awareness. This is a great way to begin teaching movements for rhythm sticks.
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4. Pair With a Picture Book
Using this picture book, you can begin to teach students a simple beat and work on some literacy skills as well. Start tapping with hands and fingers before progressing onto a pair of rhythm sticks. Work your way up to fun rhythms and eventually even a game with rhythm sticks.
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5. Rhythm Stick Activity Cards
These activity cards are wonderful to use when introducing students to rhythm sticks. These cards require students to use their listening skills and a list of movements. You can teach the proper forms and steps with this movement activity. Students can also pair together and use these cards to play echo games.
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6. Sticks Up, Sticks Down
Another great introductory lesson for students who are just getting started with rhythm sticks. This activity works on body control, following directions, and motor skills, and is a fun activity for students to get involved in the movement.
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7. Enhance Your Read Aloud
Add some storm-like sound to your stormy weather read-aloud. Let students echo each sound after you as you read this rainy-day book. This is a good way to practice auditory skills as students must wait for their turns. This is also good for body control, as they must wait to make the movements and sounds with the rhythm sticks.
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8. Play Games
What could be better than a game and some rhythm stick playing? This is a great way to allow some practice time for students with this motor skills activity. This game involves rhythm stick playing and movements of the whole body.
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9. Learn to Read Music Notes
This one is great for music class. With a winter theme, teach students the rhythm of reading musical notes. Students will improve their musical skills by learning more about a simple beat. They will learn about quarter and half notes and even half and quarter rest.
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10. Explore Patterns With Well Known Music
Using a piece of music that is well-known is a great way to engage students. Dissect some favorite songs into a format to use with many grade levels and their rhythm sticks. You can do a simple echo activity to teach students the patterns by clapping them out first.
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11. Use Spoken Poems
Poems are easy to turn into chants! Using chants with rhythm is a great way to have students become more comfortable during rhythm stick lessons. You can explore musical rhythm with other instruments as well.
Learn More: iActive Learning
12. Emoji Rhythms
Emoji rhythms are a great way to include a fun movement game in your class. Create a key for emojis and indicate the rhythm each one represents. Use the emojis to spell out patterns that students can practice using a steady beat.
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13. Practice the Beat
Practice improving rhythm reading by writing your own rhythms! Use rhythm sticks to make your own chants with rhythm. Color code to help you remember the steady beat moves. Students can then use their composition to play echo games.
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14. Rhythm Sticks Song
Using rhythm sticks to accompany favorite songs by finding the beat and adding movements to the rhythm. This is a great way to enhance music lessons.
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15. Body Percussion
Students can begin by using their bodies to stomp, clap, and tap. Later, they can progress to using rhythm sticks and steady beat moves. You can spend lots of time talking to students about how to find the beat, but showing them and letting them move will be the best way!
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16. Tap Out the Songs
Preschool teachers will enjoy using rhythm sticks when singing songs. Pairing movement with information is a great way to help students retain new learning. Songs for preschool are upbeat and easy to tap out while singing with their friends so we’d recommend beginning with these simple versions.
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17. Teach Classroom Rules
Learning the classroom rules is never the most fun task to do. Add some simple movements and some beats and it makes it a lot better. Bring music time into the first few weeks of school by pairing learning with the beat!
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18. Sight Words
Even if you don’t start out with rhythm sticks, you can always progress to them! Pool noodles may be a better tool for students to start out with. Use them to teach sight words and ways to remember other literacy-based needs, like spelling!
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19. Bucket Playing
As students prepare to learn more advanced movements you can add buckets for drumming and use them with rhythm sticks. This is a great way to use things you already have to enhance rhythm stick activities. This activity requires a series of motions and is awesome for busy little bodies!
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20. Rhythm Pattern Activity
These pattern cards can be used to create rhythm patterns. Use body percussion like clapping and stomping, but don’t forget to include rhythm sticks. This is great for helping students follow directions without overwhelming them. They simply need to look at a card to get going.
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21. Musical Instruments Rhythm Patterns
This rhythm pattern activity includes other musical instruments. This is good for teaching instrument identification and learning to use each one to make sounds. Students can learn to make rhythms using a variety of sounds.
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22. Rhythm Composition Boxes
Students will enjoy creating their own rhythms! They can draw little symbols or even use small stickers. This may even become a favorite rhythm stick activity. Students can trade their work and take turns tapping out each other’s rhythms.
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23. Songs from Other Cultures
Use music from different cultures or music designed for teaching rhythm to pair with your rhythm sticks. Hap Palmer and Jack Hartman have some great options to use for focusing on rhythm and beat.
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24. Word Syllables
Use rhythm sticks to tap out syllables in words. Bring them into your literacy block to help students learn more about the syllables within words and how to break words down.
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25. Hawaiian Rhythm Sticks
Students can recycle paper towel rolls to create Hawaiian-themed rhythm sticks. Invite students to learn more about the Hawaiian culture by watching some informational videos and have students follow along with the rhythms they learn more about.
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26. Partner Rhythms
Have students sit with partners and tap together. They can create their own rhythms and teach their partner the rhythms they create. Students can improve their social skills as they work together on this activity.
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27. The Hammer Song
Students will need to listen out for the word “bang” within this song. They can tap their rhythm sticks when they hear this word. Students will have to pair their listening skills with self-control in order to be successful with this rhythm stick song activity.
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28. BINGO
Students love singing the children’s song Bingo. Instead of clapping the missing letters, students can use their rhythm sticks to tap out the missing letters. You can practice sight words using this same method of spelling and tapping.
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29. Partner Tap
Give students one rhythm stick and have them find a partner to tap with! Students will have to work together as they tap with their partners to create musical rhythms. You can even have them rotate to work with many partners.
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30. Mini Rhythm Sticks
Let little hands use little rhythm sticks. Students will enjoy using the different-sized rhythm sticks to observe different sounds and volumes and compare them to the regular-sized rhythm sticks.
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31. Practice Counting
Let students use rhythm sticks to practice counting. Let each tap represent a number as they count aloud. You can have them count backward, practice skip counting, and even start with one number and end with another.
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32. Color Composing
Students can create their own color-coded blocks, which will represent beats and help form rhythms. Students can then use their rhythm sticks to tap out this new composition. Students will enjoy taking these home to perform for their families.
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33. Coordination Practice
Using two different rhythm sticks, one smooth and one bumpy, students can learn to make contrasting sounds. As the teacher models, the students will practice coordination and motor skills as they also work on following directions.
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34. Music Centers
Create music centers for students to enjoy during rotations. You can stock it with rhythm sticks, jingle bells, triangles, and other small instruments. Students can create their own music or use patterns to tap out rhythms.
Learn More: Pre-Kinders
35. Make Your Own Rhythm Sticks
Making your own musical instruments is always fun, but creating your own rhythm sticks can be interesting to see what your students come up with. They can create other instruments to use and make their own music within your classroom.
Learn More: Pre-Kinders
36. Rhythm Sticks Rock
Join the dinosaurs and learn more about how to use rhythm sticks in creating music. This has a narration that helps tell a story about dinosaurs that travel into space and rock and roll their way back!
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37. Rap and Tap
This music CD helps students learn how to use rhythm sticks in different ways. It helps them learn more about volume, speed, and several other components of making music with rhythm sticks!
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