16: Music Games for Homeschoolers: Quick and Fun Music Games to Incorporate into Your Music Education Lessons

In this episode of the Music in Our Homeschool podcast, we dive into the exciting world of music games for homeschooling. Incorporating music education into your homeschool curriculum can be both enjoyable and educational, and we’re here to show you how! Join Gena Mayo, a homeschooling mom of eight and music teacher for over 30 years, as she shares a variety of quick and fun music games that can easily be added to your homeschooling lessons.

Music games are a fantastic way to engage children and make learning about music fun. These activities help children develop their musical skills, understand music theory, and foster a love for music. In this episode, Gena introduces several innovative and enjoyable music games, including:

1. Musical Chairs with a Twist: Combine the classic game of musical chairs with music-related questions to make it educational.
2. Rhythm Relay: Teach rhythm and coordination with a team-based relay race.
3. Musical Scavenger Hunt: An exciting way to teach children about different musical instruments and sounds.
4. Freeze Dance: Develop a sense of rhythm and timing through a fun dance game.
5. Music Bingo: Learn about musical terms, instruments, and notes with a twist on the traditional bingo game.
6. Instrument Family Sorting: Help children learn about different families of musical instruments.
7. Name That Tune: Improve listening skills and musical memory with this classic game.
8. Composer Matching: Learn about famous composers and their works through a matching game.
9. Rhythm Simon Says: Focus on rhythm and musical commands with this twist on the traditional Simon Says game.
10. Musical Storytelling: Encourage creativity and musical expression by using music to enhance storytelling.

Each game is designed to be quick, fun, and educational, making them perfect for homeschooling families looking to incorporate music into their lessons. Listen in to discover how you can make music learning an exciting part of your homeschool routine!

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All links and resources mentioned in this episode can be found here: https://musicinourhomeschool.com/music-games-for-homeschoolers/

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Transcript

Music Games for Homeschoolers

[00:00:00] Incorporating music education into your homeschool curriculum can be both enjoyable and educational. Music games for homeschoolers are a fantastic way to engage children and make learning music fun. These activities can help children develop their musical skills, understand music theory, and foster a love for music. Here are several quick and fun music games that homeschooling families can easily add to their lessons every week.

If you are a homeschooler looking for ways to easily and affordably include a quality music education in your homeschool, you've come to the right place. This is the Music in Our Homeschool podcast. I'm Gena Mayo, homeschooling mom of eight and music teacher for over 30 years.

Musical Chairs with a Twist. Musical Chairs is a classic game, but you can add an educational twist to it. Instead of just playing music and having children walk around [00:01:00] chairs, include music related questions or tasks. Set up a circle of chairs, one fewer than the number of players, play a piece of music, and have the children walk around the chairs. When the music stops, the children must find a chair to sit in. The child left standing must answer a music related question such as, Name this musical instrument or What is the tempo of this music and then you play some music or Identify this note on the staff. Here's an alternate version. Use your musical chair time to add some music of the composer you're studying for the week or the month. It's a fun way to get some extra listening in without them having to sit still. 

Number two is Rhythm Relay. This is a great way to teach children about rhythm and coordination. The game can be played with a group of children and can be adapted for different age groups. Divide the [00:02:00] children into two teams. Give each team a set of rhythm cards, and I've linked to those in the show notes. Place a drum or a set of rhythm sticks at the end of the relay course. The first child in each team runs to the drum, plays the rhythm that's written on their card and then runs back to tag the next teammate.

The team that completes the relay first wins, but they must have played the rhythms correctly. An alternate version is that this game can be played with just one child. 

The third game is called Musical Scavenger Hunt. A Musical Scavenger Hunt is an exciting way to teach children about different musical instruments and sounds. This game combines physical activity with music education. Create a list of musical items or sounds for the children to find: a guitar, a harmonica, a piano, a pan with a wooden spoon, a paint bucket and some [00:03:00] rhythm sticks. Hide the items or set up sound stations around your home or yard. Give the children the list and set them off to find the items and identify the sounds. An alternate version is you can play recordings of different instruments and have the children identify them. 

Number four is freeze dance. This is such a fun way to get children moving and listening to music. It helps them develop their sense of rhythm and timing and and balance. Play a piece of music and have the children dance freely.

When the music stops, the children must freeze in place. You can add challenges such as freezing in a specific pose or on a particular beat. To make it educational, ask questions about the music when they freeze. For example, What instrument was playing when you froze or Was that music fast or slow? An alternate version is that this is another great opportunity to play the [00:04:00] music of the composer you've been studying that week or month.

Number five is music bingo. Music bingo is a fun game that can help children learn about different musical terms, instruments, notes, and concepts. Create bingo cards with musical terms, notes, or instruments instead of numbers. Play pieces of music or show pictures of instruments or name the symbol for them to find.

The children must identify the music or the instrument or the symbol and mark it on their bingo card and the first child to get a line of correct answers or blackout and calls bingo wins. An alternate version is you can purchase premade bingo cards rather than making them yourself. I am linking to several options in the show notes.

The sixth game is called instrument family sorting. Instrument family sorting helps children learn about the different families of musical instruments such as strings, woodwinds, brass, [00:05:00] and percussion. Gather some instrument pictures or toy instruments from the different families. Create labels for each instrument family, and have the children sort the instruments into the correct families. An alternate version is you can extend this game by playing recordings of each instrument and having the children match the sound to the correct family.

Number seven game is called Name That Tune. It's a classic game that can help children develop their listening skills and musical memory. Play a short snippet of a well known song. The children must try to name the tune as quickly as possible. You can make it more challenging by playing only the melody or using a different instrument than the original. This game can be played with various music genres to expose children to different styles. An alternate version is to play this game with songs that you've learned after doing one of the singing courses over at Learn.MusicinOurHomeschool.com. [00:06:00] Options of the courses are 10 Songs All Preschoolers Should Know, A Folk Song a Week, Great Hymns of the Faith, or any of the Singing Made Easy courses.

Number eight game is called Composer Matching. This is a game that helps children learn about famous composers and their works. Create cards with the names of famous composers, and cards with the titles of their works. Shuffle the cards and lay them face down. The children take turns flipping over two cards at a time, trying to match the composer with their work. You can provide clues or play excerpts of the music to help them make matches. An alternate version is to play this game after doing the Music Lesson Calendar of the Month using composers that you've learned about throughout the month. I've also linked to a set of composer cards in the show notes.

Number nine game is called Rhythm Simon Says and it's a twist on the traditional Simon Says game focusing on rhythm [00:07:00] and musical commands. The leader gives a command starting with Simon Says followed by a rhythm to clap or tap or play on an instrument. If the leader gives a command without saying Simon Says, the children should not follow it. This game helps children practice listening skills and rhythm patterns. An alternate version is to tap out the melody of a song and have the students figure it out just by hearing the rhythm and not the melody.

The tenth game is called Musical Storytelling and this encourages children to use music to enhance a story, fostering creativity and musical expression. Choose a simple story or fairy tale. Assign different musical instruments or sounds to characters or actions in the story. As you read the story, the children play the corresponding instruments or make sounds to accompany the narrative. This game helps children connect music with emotions and storytelling. [00:08:00] An alternate version is to do this at the end of every completed read aloud book. Add props, costumes, and sets to make it even more fun.

In conclusion, Music Games for Homeschoolers is a fantastic way to make learning about music enjoyable and engaging for your children. These activities not only enhance their musical skills, but also contribute to their overall development, including cognitive, motor, and social skills. By using these quick and fun music games, you can create a well rounded and enriching educational experience for your homeschooling family.

So grab your instruments, bingo cards, musical chairs, or flashcards, and turn up the music and let the fun begin.

All links and resources mentioned in this episode can be found here: https://musicinourhomeschool.com/music-games-for-homeschoolers/