Rhythm Races

So there's this new game in music right now that is a huge hit from 1st grade through 5th grade.  "Rhythm Races"!!!!!  Thanks to the amazing site of Teachers Pay Teachers, I found this fun winter activity made by another music teacher and it is a blast.  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Songs-and-Activities-for-Winter-1001838

Lindsay Jervais has created an entire packet of winter activities, but this is the one I will spend the most time using.  

Students are divided into 4 color teams.  Each team has a scooter that I borrowed from my PE teacher.  I tap a rhythm depending on what skill level we need and students race down to the other end of the room and sort through all the cards with rhythms and are trying to identify which pattern then heard.  First team to bring back the correct rhythm card receives 2 points for their team.  All other teams receive 1 point if they brought back the correct rhythm.  Incorrect rhythm, 0 points.  

This is a great activity for this time of year as we are always concerned with having inside recess due to the wind chill factor.  I'm trying to do my part at burning off a little energy for the classroom teachers to survive the day.  The boys also think this is a great activity and enjoy music just a little more than normal.

This game also has the potential for me to create my own races depending on what we're working on.  One unit I do are instruments of the orchestra and we could do a listening race for each instrument they hear.  Possibilities are endless and have the creative juices flowing.

I let my students help take pictures on the iPad since I was keeping score and checking rhythms so that's why there are so many.  (I deleted about half of them as well).