Favorite Music Games for First Grade

 First graders are so much fun. They still have the enthusiasm they of kindergartners, but you can also do more complex games and activities with them. These are my favorite games to do in 1st grade.

1. Grizzly Bear: Any day you pull out a parachute in music class is a good day. This is one of my favorite games period; not just for first grade. Students in every subsequent grade will ask to play this again and again.

Game: Use a large parachute to create a cave. This will take some practice. I have students stand up with their hands by their side holding the parachute. On the count of three, students raise their arms and bring the parachute up and then all the way to the floor. They sit down. One student is chosen to be the grizzly bear. They are the only person allowed to be under the parachute. Another student is chosen to be the bear tracker. They walk around the circle while we sing the song. At the end of the song, the bear roars and leaves the "cave" any where they choose. The tracker chases the bear around the ring and tries to tag the bear before they make it back into their cave at the same entrance that they left. The game repeats with a new grizzly bear and a new tracker.

2. Here We Sit in a Ring: This is a great game to play to calm kids down after (or during) an exciting music class. Sometimes I'll pull it out if I'm exhausted or overstimulated and need things to quiet down.

Game: The class sits in a circle. One student either faces away from the class, or closes their eyes. Another student is chosen to go hide (I have a designated area behind the piano students go to). At the end of the song, the student with their eyes closed gets to look around and see if they can figure out, based on where the gap in the circle is, who is hiding. After the correct answer is given, two new students are chosen and the game repeats. This is also a great song to teach or practice sol-mi and la, as well as quarter note and two eighth notes!

 

3. Witch, Witch: This is a great game to play outside!

Game: I play this as freeze tag with my students. One student (or the teacher) is the witch. All other students stand to one side of the room and sing the song. The witch sings the solos and the group responds. After shouting "No, you mean old witch!" students race across and try to make it to the other side of the room, or a designated "safe" area without getting tagged by the witch. If tagged, they have to freeze until someone in the group crawls under their legs or runs around them three times. Pick a new witch (or several) and play again until everyone is exhausted and sweaty!