By Christy | the Practicing Pro
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Are you looking for a fun way to incorporate music into your child's learning? Look no further than music flashcard games for lessons, home practices and group classes!
Here are some ideas to get you started:
1. Note Match-Up: Spread out a set of music note flashcards on a table or floor. Have your child pick up one card and try to find its match among the other cards. This game can be played individually or with multiple players. Just use the Practicing Pro cards (without answers) and print 2 copies!
2. Name That Note: Hold up a music note flash card and have your child name the note. For younger children, you can give them multiple choice options to choose from. For older children, you can make it more challenging by timing them to see how many cards they can name in a certain length of time. Try to “beat their last time” each day you play. A variation on this is asking them to name the note's position on the staff, by drawing it on a staff, or saying “third line” or “second space”. Use the Practicing Pro cards with the answers on one side and the note on the other side.
3. Musical Memory: Lay out a set of music note flashcards (without answers) face down on a table or floor. Have your child turn over two cards at a time and try to find a match. This game is great for improving memory skills and can be played individually or with multiple players. Check out Blog #95 for so many cool and creative variations on the regular match - up / memory game. HERE
4. Note Scavenger Hunt: Hide music note flashcards around the house or outside and have your child go on a scavenger hunt to find them. Once they find a card, they can name the note and place it in a designated area. It can be to match it with either the note card or the staff card. Either works! If you are doing it in a group class then I suggest taking pieces on paper and have all of the children run and find a staff card and then race to the spot where its matching letter is in the room as fast as they can. After you check the answers they can return to their instruments and play their note on their instrument one at a time aroun d the room and see what the “song” sounds like. They love to play compositions like this and laugh at how funny (or good) they sound!
5. Note Bingo: Use Practicing Pro's bingo cards with different music notes on them. Hold up a music note flash card and have your child cover the corresponding note on their bingo card. This game can be played individually or with multiple players. Bingo cards are fast and easy to make! HERE is a set that will work with the starter kit cards for your group class or home practice.
FREE PDF:
6. Musical Charades: This game involves acting out a song using the flashcards of the first few notes of a song. Let the students see the first note or notes. I usually pick 1 or 2 notes only to make it extra hard and extra fun! Then tell the person acting it out what the song is. See a starter Book 1 violin list to play HERE.
7. Note War: Two players each draw a music note flash card and see whose note has a higher pitch. That person gets to keep BOTH Cards. If the note is the same one then three cards are layed down on top of the card by each player and a new card is flipped over. The highest card of this second round gets to keep all 10 cards!!! You will need a few packs of the staff cards for this game with out answers. You ca also mix the note names and the staff cards for this game.
8. Musical Tic-Tac-Toe: Draw a tic-tac-toe board and use music note flashcards as the Xs and O's. X cards are line notes and O cards are space notes on the staff. When you lay down a card you must also say its name. You can use the cards with answers for beginners and with out answers once they can find them out themselves. Start the game with one person having all of the space notes in the pack and the other player with all of the line notes for new players and pick them out together. To make it harder, they have to pick from the deck face down a card from the top and they can only play their turn if its a LINE when they are X or a SPACE card when they are O. This is a super fun version! I play this in lessons and we each pick a card between spaces of hard work. We make our tic tac toe board with 4 pipe cleaners!
9. Note Go Fish: Play a traditional game of Go Fish, but with music note flash cards. Instead of asking for a specific card, players ask for a certain note. You will need to use the cards without answers.
10. Musical Chairs: Play musical chairs with music note flash cards. Use sticky tac to place a card on the back of each chair. When the music stops, have your child name the note on the chair they are sitting on. A fun variation for this game is that each person gets a card with a note name with corresponding ones on the chairs. When the music stops everyone sits in the chair that has the staff note matching the one in their hand. Students have to find their match while walking around so this challenges them! Time with a stop watch how long it takes everyone to be in a chair and let students help each other too! Try to beat your time each week!
FREE PDF:
These music note flashcard games are great for children of all ages and skill levels. They can be played at home or in the classroom and can be easily adapted to fit your child's needs. Give them a try and watch your child's love for music grow! When learning is fun between bursts of focused learning students work harder and enjoy learning together.
Check out my Free PDF download Checklist for a Successful Music Practice for teachers and practicing parents.
Your easy checklist for successful home music practices from Christy, the practicing pro. Whether you are a new or seasoned practice parent or music teacher, this checklist will help you organize before, during, and after practices for effective and fun practices.
INVITATION from Christy Hodder:
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Learn more about PPA and join the waitlist HERE for the next Practicing Pro Academy course. It's only offered once a year so you don't want to miss it. The registration will only open for a few weeks and I'll let everyone on the waitlist know immediately so that you can grab one of the spots.
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