Fun Ideas for Musical Toys
Here are some fun musical variations on classic preschool activities. Your students are sure to love them.
1. Have a parade. Play some nice marching music and give each child a musical instrument toys such as a maraca, kazoo, triangle, bells, or whistle. March and play in time to the music. This and musical “Follow the Leader” are some great preschool activities to get the kids up and moving on a rainy day.
For musical “Follow the Leader”, the children walk behind you carrying musical toys and play exactly the way you do. If you do two shakes with the left hand, they do too. If you do three shakes and a twirl with the right hand, the children follow suit. All the while, you are weaving in and out about the room like the happy snake of any good “Follow the Leader” game.
2. Play “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” musical toys style. Teach the children about bands and orchestras. Seat them in three sections according to “instrument”. Sing “If You’re Happy and You Know It.” But instead of the usual actions, have the different sections play their instruments.
“If you’re happy and you know it, click the stick.” (Rhythm sticks)
“If you’re happy and you know it play kazoo.” (Kazoo)
“If you’re happy and you know it, go 'shake-shake'.” (Maraca)
“If you’re happy and you know it, do all three.”
*Click click*
*Zhoo zhoo*
*Shake shake*
3. Play “Old Conductor Had a Band.” Give the children various musical toys. Explain that when they hear their instrument called, they are to get ready, and then play every time you point to them. Sing the song to the tune of “Old MacDonald Had a Farm.” Point to the children rhythmically, so that they play the sound of their instrument in the part where normally the animal sound would be spoken.
“Old Conductor had a band, ei-ei-o, and in his band he had a…”
“…whistle, ei-ei-o. With a *tweet tweet* here and *tweet tweet* there here a *tweet* there a *tweet* every where a *tweet tweet*, ei-eie-o.”
“…drum, ei-eie-o. With a *bang bang* here and a*bang bang* there, here a *bang* there a *bang* everywhere a *bang bang*, ei-ei-o.”
Etc.
4. Play the “What does this sound like?” game. Have children sit in a circle and close their eyes. Tell them that you are going to play some sounds on some various musical toys, but you want them to listen carefully and see if the sound reminds them of some sound from daily life, like the sound of a clothes dryer or a train whistle or someone walking up steps.
Give some examples. “See, if I play the drum like this *play a rapid syncopated tattoo* it sounds like a drum. But if I play it like this *play it slowly and in the rhythm of footsteps*, it sounds kind of like someone walking.” Perhaps for another example you could play a whistle so that it sounded a little bit like a bird, or a kazoo a little bit like a train whistle.
After a few examples, then have the children close their eyes again and listen while you play something else. Let them open their eyes and ask for volunteers to tell what they thought it sounded like.
5. And one of the kids’ all time favorite preschool activities: Play musical “Simon Says”. Give each child a selection of musical toys and instruments, such as a maraca, rhythm sticks, and whistle. Play like regular “Simon Says”, but be sure to include commands that use the musical instruments, such as “Simon says, blow the whistle and turn around.”