Submitted by Caryn Mears, Kennewick, Washington

Idea posted October 4, 2010

  1. One of the things that my fifth graders have thoroughly enjoyed is tinikling. I used to use pvc pipe and boards to do this, but now I have gotten jump bands. Google "tinikling" and you will see some awesome videos on YouTube. You can also Google "jump bands" and see how those are used with modern music that the kids love.
  2. Another activity that my students like is bouncing basketballs to the beat, especially if you use songs from Justin Beiber or Hannah Montana!
  3. The cup game has been a huge hit. Each student has a cup. I teach it in sections, and then later we move to a circle to play it as a game. I usually do this game in the spring when they are very antsy! (I think that if you Google this, you will also see many versions of the cup game. Do not confuse it with the cup stacking game that sometimes shows up. That is more of a P.E. activity.)
  4. Drumming - If you don't have tubano drums or hand drums, have the students bring plastic containers or various things from home and do a "found sounds" unit. You can incorporate a ton of rhythms.
  5. Line dancing seems to be a big hit. You may want to get a video or Google this as well.
  6. Marimba band - If you get Walt Hampton's Hot Marimba book, you can teach this to 3-5 graders. They will love it. It looks difficult, but it is basically repeated patterns. I teach one part to the sopranos, one part to the altos, and the third part to the basses. The kids love playing it.