Submitted by Patty O., Arkansas
Idea posted October 1, 2001
The "Yankee Doodle Stick Passing Game" is an activity that is done while seated in a circle on the floor. The song is Yankee Doodle. Each child holds one rhythm stick. Play passes to the right.
Hold the stick in your right hand with the fist at the bottom of the stick. Begin singing the song. (Naturally I take it for granted that the kids already have been taught the song.) With quarter note pulses, beat on the ground for four beats, then in your palm for four beats as follows:
Yankee doodle went to London (or town)
ta ta ta ta (on the ground)
Riding on a po- ny
ta ta ta ta (beat in palm)
NOW COMES THE FUN PART (in half note pulses now)
Stuck a feather
Hit stick on ground once directly on "stuck"
in his cap and
Stand stick up with r.h. on ground at the bottom of the stick directly on "in." (Stick points to the ceiling.)
Called it ma-ca
grab top part of stick on left - your left neighbor's current stick - directly on "called." (DO NOT TAKE IT YET)
ro - ni
pass your stick to the right while pulling new stick over to you from the left directly on the syllable "ro." It is ONE motion only.
This one movement should be at the same time exactly on the beat. As you pass your stick to the neighbor on the right, he/she has his/her hand on the top of it already, as your hand is already on the top of the stick to your left side. When you put your hand on your left neighbor's stick - you DO NOT move it until the next half note, when you pass your stick on and you get one passed to you. You are ready to play again immediately, because your hand was already on the new stick.
Play begins again.
The half note part is a good time to reinforce the difference in the note values. It is also good practice for making the game even more fun and challenging. When they are good at this, the half note sections can become quarter note pulses. Therefore, the sticks will pass twice within the framework of this verse.
We vary dynamics, we vary tempo (that can be really fun), we sing it without words - just in our heads. Sometimes I will interject sticks with a different color. Whoever is left with the different colored stick after 2 or 4 rounds (announced before play begins) will be "out." SOMETIMES, they can figure out ahead of time who will be out, so, I vary the half note/quarter note pulse also. SOMETIMES they can STILL figure that out - then it's time for a new game!