Nephi's Courage: Rhythm Band
What can you do with egg cartons, rhythm sticks, and jingle bells that the children love?
Rhythm Band!
Younger Children
Put a poster like this at the front of the room. Don't put the names of the instruments on it for the younger children.
Demonstrate the first line of the rhythm for the children by tapping on your lap (called a patsch). (Note: Lift your hands far up off of your thighs on the rest to show dramatically you are not tapping. You can say Ta, ti ti, Ta, Sh as you are tapping. You are only doing the first line, not the second.)
Ask the children to patsch (tapping on their thighs with the palms of their hands) the rhythm with you as you point on the beat and patsch with the other hand.
Continue patsching the rhythm pattern and begin to sing the song. "The Lord commanded Nephi..." After the word "plates," call out "Freeze!" As the children if their hands are just like your hands.
Continue the song as you patsch the pattern. After the word "gates," again call out "Freeze!" Wait for a second, then continue sing the song and patsching the pattern. (The freeze is to help the children to catch themselves and see if they are doing the same pattern as you. The youngest children really need this time to adjust, and it is fun for the 6 and 7 year olds.)
Once you have finished singing and moving to the song, ask adults in the room to help you pass out instruments (egg cartons with a rhythm stick to rub along the bottom, jingle bells, and a pair of rhythm sticks - you could also use two paper plates as cymbals.)
Call out "Freeze!" and tell the children you are going to practice doing the rhythm we practiced with our instruments. "Ready?" "Ta, ti ti, ta, sh..." Repeat this a couple of times and call out Freeze once again. "Let's do this rhythm with our instruments while I sing the song."Sing the song and play the rhythm on their instrument. When you finish, ask the children to trade instruments with someone else. Sing and Play the rhythm once again.
Older Children
Demonstrate the first line of the rhythm for the children by tapping on your lap (called a patsch). (Note: Lift your hands far up off of your thighs on the rest to show dramatically you are not tapping. You can say Ta, ti ti, Ta, Sh as you are tapping. You are only doing the first line, not the second.)
Ask the children to patsch (tapping on their thighs with the palms of their hands) the rhythm with you as you point on the beat and patsch with the other hand.
Use an instrument and do the rhythm. Ask the adults to pass out an instrument to each child.
Ask all of the egg cartons to play once. Now ask all of the rhythm sticks to play once. Ask all of the jingle bells to play. Tell the children you will sing while they play the pattern on the poster above.
Sing the verse as they play the pattern. Call out "Freeze!" Tell them you are switching to the second line for the chorus. Ti ti, ta, ta, ta.
Have them practice, only playing their instrument when it is marked.
Sing the chorus and play the pattern.
Tell the children you will be singing the whole song as they do the rhythm.
Remind them to switch lines at the chorus. Sing the song, pointing to the pattern as you sing and the children play.
As an extension, ask the children to switch instruments.
Sing and play the song once again.The children are challenged, active, engaged, and hearing this song over and over again in a fun way. The words go automatically into the back door of the brain's memory.