#75 Two Ways to Avoid Having Rusty and Resistant Practicers at the End of the Summer
Updated: Jul 5
By Christy | The Practicing Pro
You can also Watch / Listen to the Live HERE
Summer is just around the corner and we all know what happens during summer… that’s right, practice drops to the bottom of the priority list. And I don’t blame you - the warm months here are short and sweet and the beach is calling. But remember, if they don’t practice in the summer, it will make it that much harder for them to pick up where they started come September. They will be rusty and this may discourage them. Practices don’t need to be an hour every day, it’s just important to practice every day, even if it’s just for 5 minutes! Most times, if you tell a child they have to practice for 5 minutes, they will play willingly for longer once they get started. Picking up their instrument and getting started is the hardest part.
So here are some fresh ideas to keep your daily practice up and your young musician feeling motivated, even throughout ice cream and camping season.
Put on your listening music: listen to all of the songs you already play and listen to the songs you will play next year. Did you know listening to music is one of the best ways to learn it faster and easier? (See the blog on listening HERE for more).
You can listen at the pool, in your yard, while doing crafts, working on a workbook, playing with sidewalk chalk or blowing bubbles, while cooking together, playing with legos, etc. The list goes on. When you put your mind to it, it’s so easy to include their listening music to multiple activities.
Do a fun practicing activity: I have so many summertime practice activities on my blog. My favorites are pom pom apples (blog HERE), frogs and lily pads (blog HERE), blueberries (blog HERE), and butterflies (blog HERE).
Today I want to share with you a brand new practicing activity - paper planes! Children love paper planes and it’s something you can do whether it’s sunny outside or not. Plus, there is no planning or buying supplies necessary - changes are you always have paper or scrap paper lying around.
Here are some examples of how to use paper planes during their practice:
Earn a piece of paper to make a plane by playing review pieces. Write the song or the scale that you would like them to practice on each piece of paper. After their practice, listen to their music while making the planes together. Combining a practicing activity with fun and quality time is ideal.
Once your practice paper planes have been made, there are two choices for the next step, depending on the weather.
If it’s a rainy day, take turns trying to get the planes to land into the target holes you cut from a poster board. You can also tape two or three poster boards together and HANG them from a door entry to cover the whole thing. If it’s a nice day, you can do this outside or throw the planes to see how far you can make them fly.
Did you know that the current world record for the longest time a paper plane has stayed flying is 29.2 seconds, achieved by Takuo Toda in Japan. Do you think you can beat it? Have fun!
See Live HERE for my favorite and easiest plane to make. I show you step by step how to make it!
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.
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