Musical Jewelry
Make your favorite song into a necklace (or bracelet)! Letter beads work great for notes and blank beads can be used for rests. This activity is wonderful for learning a new song and memorizing because the music is always with you!
2. Painting Dynamics
Explore the connection between dynamics in music and dark & light values in art. Watercolor paints work best! Pianissimo is represented by paint mixed with lots of water. It looks light, transparent, and almost "see-through." Fortissimo is represented by dark, heavy, saturated paint, with less water. You can even paint a crescendo!
3. Painting Articulation
This is such a fun activity that allows children to explore a visual representation of staccato, legato, slurs, accents, and other articulation styles and patterns. You might want to use different types of brushes to make a wide variety of marks and texture. (Q-tips, spoons, toothpicks, and popsicle sticks are fun to paint with too!)
4. Crafty Rhythms
Build notes with pipe cleaners and pom-poms! You can even create your own rhythms and play them on your instrument.
5. Songs & Stamps
Make your own song cards with letter stamps! Young children will love to pick out each letter, one by one, and stamp out the notes to a song.
6. Musical Symbols with Play-Doh!
This is a wonderful kinesthetic, hands-on way to learn various musical symbols. Find them in your music and build each one!