--- title: Teaching with Musicplay (25) description: Elementary music lesson planning, Teaching tips and updates from the Musicplay team! (25) --- [![musicplay-logo](https://blog.musicplay.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/musicplay-logo-2.png?width=2701&height=877&name=musicplay-logo-2.png "musicplay-logo")](http://musicplay.ca) Open main menu Close main menu # Teaching With Musicplay ##### Sign up for email notifications. New blog post weekly! [Sign up Here!](https://marketing.musicplay.ca/newsletter-sign-up-form) Select Category Assessment Blog Posts Boomwhacker Bucket Drumming Choral Classroom Management Games and Centers Holidays and Special Days Lesson Planning Literacy and Music Programs and Musicals Recorder Vocal Development What's New with Musicplay ![](https://blog.musicplay.ca/hubfs/Screenshot%202023-06-21%20at%209.18.04%20AM.png) [Blog Posts](https://blog.musicplay.ca/tag/blog-posts) ### [Back to School Body Percussion](https://blog.musicplay.ca/back-to-school-body-percussion) Aug 16, 2013, 10:28:00 AM This will be a challenge for your Grade 4-5-6 students, but you could use just the chant with Grade 1-2-3 and have them develop some ostinatos to perform with it. [Denise Gagne](https://blog.musicplay.ca/author/denise-gagne) [Read More](https://blog.musicplay.ca/back-to-school-body-percussion) [Blog Posts](https://blog.musicplay.ca/tag/blog-posts) ### [Rhythm Instrument Fun](https://blog.musicplay.ca/rhythm-instrument-fun) Aug 2, 2013, 1:00:04 PM [![Rhythm Instrument Fun!](https://blog.musicplay.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Kids-with-instruments-1024x682-1.jpg?width=625&height=416&name=Kids-with-instruments-1024x682-1.jpg)](https://denisegagne.com/rhythm-instrument-fun/kids-with-instruments/) Rhythm Instrument Fun! When you have an activity using non-pitched percussion or rhythm instruments, it can get noisy and out of control if your children don’t know or don’t follow your procedures. When giving out instruments, I explain to the class that I’m going to put the instrument on the floor in front of them and they are to wait until everyone has an instrument and I tell them it’s OK to pick up and play. The analogy I use is if you go to a fancy restaurant, you don’t start gobbling your food the second it’s placed in front of you. It’s polite to wait until everyone has their meal, and then you all start eating at the same time. [Denise Gagne](https://blog.musicplay.ca/author/denise-gagne) [Read More](https://blog.musicplay.ca/rhythm-instrument-fun) ![](https://blog.musicplay.ca/hubfs/Profile%20Picture%20Musicplay%20Minutes.png) [Blog Posts](https://blog.musicplay.ca/tag/blog-posts) ### [Flashcard Attendance](https://blog.musicplay.ca/flashcard-attendance) Aug 1, 2013, 9:59:00 AM ### Does anyone use a quick, fun, or interesting way in which they take attendance each music class? This question came up on our Musicplay Teacher's Facebook Group and many suggestions for musical ways of taking attendance were given! [Denise Gagne](https://blog.musicplay.ca/author/denise-gagne) [Read More](https://blog.musicplay.ca/flashcard-attendance) [Blog Posts,](https://blog.musicplay.ca/tag/blog-posts) Classroom Management ### [Classroom Management](https://blog.musicplay.ca/classroom-management) May 12, 2013, 3:32:37 PM **Music Classroom Management**   We want music class to be something the kids look forward to, and it’s a very active learning environment.  How do you maintain the “fun” yet have your students behave in a way that allows for maximum learning. [Denise Gagne](https://blog.musicplay.ca/author/denise-gagne) [Read More](https://blog.musicplay.ca/classroom-management) ![](https://blog.musicplay.ca/hubfs/Screenshot%202023-06-21%20at%208.32.44%20AM.png) [Blog Posts](https://blog.musicplay.ca/tag/blog-posts) ### [Music Classroom Management](https://blog.musicplay.ca/music-classroom-management) May 12, 2013, 9:47:00 AM We want music class to be something the kids look forward to, and it's a very active learning environment. How do you maintain the "fun" yet have your students behave in a way that allows for maximum learning. [Denise Gagne](https://blog.musicplay.ca/author/denise-gagne) [Read More](https://blog.musicplay.ca/music-classroom-management) [Blog Posts](https://blog.musicplay.ca/tag/blog-posts) ### [Old Mr. Rabbit](https://blog.musicplay.ca/old-mr-rabbit) Apr 29, 2013, 12:54:20 PM | Game Directions: Two children make a bridge with their arms raised. All the other children walk in a line through the bridge. On the word “cabbage”... | | --- | [Denise Gagne](https://blog.musicplay.ca/author/denise-gagne) [Read More](https://blog.musicplay.ca/old-mr-rabbit) ![](https://blog.musicplay.ca/hubfs/Screenshot%202023-06-19%20at%2011.08.37%20AM.png) [Blog Posts](https://blog.musicplay.ca/tag/blog-posts) ### [Sleepy Bunnies](https://blog.musicplay.ca/sleepy-bunnies) Mar 23, 2013, 12:18:00 PM Sleepy Bunnies is a great activity for any time of the year! If you're looking for a fun activity for Easter (although it doesn't say anything really about Easter) this game is fun! [Denise Gagne](https://blog.musicplay.ca/author/denise-gagne) [Read More](https://blog.musicplay.ca/sleepy-bunnies) [Blog Posts](https://blog.musicplay.ca/tag/blog-posts) ### [Squeaky the Mouse and Big Brown Bear](https://blog.musicplay.ca/squeaky-the-mouse-and-big-brown-bear) Mar 2, 2013, 12:44:18 AM I saw Sister Lorna Zemke at TMEA and she had a really cute idea to get kids using high and low voices using a mouse and a bear puppet having conversations.  Sometimes I got blank when I’m trying to make something up, so I decided to write a story that would use the high and low voices.    This should give the primary teacher some conversation ideas to use between Squeaky and Brown Bear.  Folkmanis Puppets has wonderful bear and mouse puppets – enjoy the idea! [Denise Gagne](https://blog.musicplay.ca/author/denise-gagne) [Read More](https://blog.musicplay.ca/squeaky-the-mouse-and-big-brown-bear) [Blog Posts,](https://blog.musicplay.ca/tag/blog-posts) [Literacy and Music](https://blog.musicplay.ca/tag/literacy-and-music) ### [Instrument Ideas](https://blog.musicplay.ca/instrument-ideas) Jan 25, 2013, 12:11:01 PM I got an email from a teacher who is going to Cambodia to work with children. [Denise Gagne](https://blog.musicplay.ca/author/denise-gagne) [Read More](https://blog.musicplay.ca/instrument-ideas) [Blog Posts](https://blog.musicplay.ca/tag/blog-posts) ### [Winter Rhythms Lesson Plan](https://blog.musicplay.ca/winter-rhythms-lesson-plan) Jan 23, 2013, 3:00:17 AM **Target Concept:**   – notate the rhythm of the words [Denise Gagne](https://blog.musicplay.ca/author/denise-gagne) [Read More](https://blog.musicplay.ca/winter-rhythms-lesson-plan) [23](https://blog.musicplay.ca/page/23) [24](https://blog.musicplay.ca/page/24) [25](https://blog.musicplay.ca/page/25) [26](https://blog.musicplay.ca/page/26) [27](https://blog.musicplay.ca/page/27) ##### Sign up for email notifications. New blog post weekly! 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