Originally published December 9, 2024 Latest update May 14, 2026
Adding Orff instruments to the African-American singing game Pizza Pizza Daddy-O gives you a perfect arrangement for concerts as well as extended lessons to explore and practice mi, so, la, and syncopation in the classroom.
Integrating culturally responsive elements into these lessons is seamless, as students can incorporate dances that hold personal meaning to them into the song lyrics.
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Pizza Pizza Daddy-O is such a classic, fun game and kids love to play it year after year. This resource extends learning with an easy Orff arrangement that can become a concert showpiece!
Tideo, the classic folk song, is a great choice if you are looking for mi, re, do melody and sixteenth note rhythm practice packaged in a step-by-step presentation that includes a fun and easy Orff arrangement.
Melody & Rhythm Practice
Students will love the singing games/dances while experiencing mi, re, do in the melody (a video Poison Pattern game) and sixteenth notes in the rhythm.
January Beats is another great resource that uses four sixteenths!
In C pentatonic, Tideo’s easy Orff arrangement using three ostinati can be expanded to include an optional instrumental B section and an improvised C section.
The instrumental parts are taught using speech and body percussion in easy-to-follow slides. Use this multi-lesson low/no prep format in either Google Slides or PowerPoint.
The Presentation
Singing Game/Dance-the presentation teaches a double circle routine.
Rhythm-*quarters, paired eighths, and 4 sixteenths in the song.
Rhythm-*Eighth note with 2 sixteenths in the B section
Melody–mi, re, do is highlighted in the presentation
Melody-the song also includes high do
Orff Arrangement-a 3 ostinati arrangement with additional parts for optional B and C sections
Other Instruments: Recorder/Boomwhacker-notation and melodic color-coding using C, D, E, G, A, C’
Ukulele-LOVE these pentatonic tunes so one chord, C, the entire time.
*Rhythms aren’t labeled so you can use your classroom rhythm counting system.
My Favorite Part I LOVE that you can extend the form and add lots of different instruments to the point this fun song could easily become a concert piece.
The resource includes: A presentation in both PPT and Google Slides versions A video preview of the song arrangement in each presentation A PDF copy of the song arrangement sheet music
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Are you ready to add barred instruments to classic songs and games? This All Around the Buttercup resource includes an easy Orff arrangement that is taught with body percussion, speech, and great visuals. It includes the classic game and a new one or two with some fun twists. Buttercup is a wonderful song to teach quarter notes and rests and eighth note pairs, as well as so, mi, re, do patterns.
Find engaging ways for your students to play BARRED INSTRUMENTS with a NEW easy-to-teach rhyme melody and Orff arrangement, that goes with the CLASSIC song Bounce High Bounce Low.
This song is perfect for you to prepare, present, or practice “la” with its so, la, so, mi pattern as well as for you to teach quarter and paired eighth notes.
The new rhyme extends the learning into a beautiful ternary ABA form and is part of this practically no-prep, multi-lesson resource.
A spring classic for the elementary classroom is Vivaldi’s Spring from The Seasons. Are you looking for this classic taught with ACTIVE music-making?
This resource with lots of movement teaches students to play and sing (new Spring lyrics) the main theme to Vivaldi’s Spring Concerto with Orff barred instrument ostinati, AND a recreation of the thunderstorm using instruments.
PLAYING this famous theme, not just LISTENING to it
The “B section” thunderstorm is SO fun
Learning with speech and movement
Differentiated with the use of colors, images, and stepwise learning
An ARTS Integration activity-draw a picture! (see art activity below)
Teacher helpers with
higher-order questions
“I Can” statements
a pre-filled checklist that can go into your evaluation folder
Resource Reviews
Visualizing Vivaldi: A Spring Listening & Art Activity
Now it’s time to draw the imagery the music creates! This is one of my favorite lessons because it extends and complements playing and learning the music, plus it becomes a magnificent bulletin board, “Vivaldi’s Spring: When Music Paints a Picture.”
Connecting Music and Imagination
After reading and discussing the poetic inspiration behind Vivaldi’s Spring—a happy spring day with birds, brooks, and a sudden thunderstorm—we listened to the piece and brought the imagery to life through student drawings.
Each student received half of an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper to work on. We listened to Spring several times as students pencil sketched their ideas.
Next came the coloring stage with crayons. I encouraged students to *color thoroughly, leaving no white spaces.
They could only use white if they asked permission and explained why it needed to be white. We looked at lots of images of clouds and skies to determine that there really isn’t that much white around.
To finish, students **outlined their drawings with black felt-tip markers or Sharpies to make their images pop and stand out visually. This outlining step gave the artwork a polished, vivid quality and tied it together beautifully.
*This was to discourage getting done quickly and scribbling. It works. **I learned this from a brilliant elementary art teacher. It makes a world of difference in the final product.
Sharing Our Work
Once the drawings were complete, we got in a circle with our finished artwork. We slowly walked around the circle to view all the creations. This reflective, gallery-style walk encouraged conversation, observation, and appreciation of how music can “look” different to each of us.
A Bulletin Board That Pops
I collected the drawings and created a classroom display, Vivaldi’s Spring: “When Music Paints a Picture.” Other fun option might be “What Vivaldi’s Spring Looks Like” or “If You Could See the Music…”. I also included the relevant national standards:
MU:Re8.1.3a Demonstrate and describe how a response to music can be informed by the structure, the use of the elements of music, and context (such as personal and social).
MU:Cn11.0.3a Demonstrate understanding of relationships between music and the other arts, other disciplines, varied contexts, and daily life.
This visual display not only celebrated student creativity but also reinforced listening skills and expressive interpretation. These are core elements of any well-rounded music program.
Whether the Weather-perfect for spring (although my poor dog hates thunderstorms!) with this classic rhyme with multi-lesson resource using barred instruments.
🌼 For more ideas, use the search bar at the top right of every page! Or the dropdown category search below it.
You can now sing, do the motions, and PLAY this Irish favorite, The Rattlin’ Bog, with a lively Orff barred instrument arrangement (and optional ukulele part) for St. Patrick’s Day, all during March, or whenever you want that cumulative song, breathless laughter FUN!
Pull out this versatile echo song for primary students that’s about appreciation, thanksgiving, and thankfulness in November or for other celebrations throughout the year. A simple Orff arrangement, one-chord C ukulele part, scarf activities, and movement will make this a great concert piece or SEL activity in the classroom.
Give Thanks is available as a single resource or part of this Thanksgiving Bundle!
Many of us are familiar with the Jan Brett book, but this
Ukrainian folk tale has a very interesting history! Here are songs, lesson plans, and resources for the beautiful story.
A list of books from newly published to classics for the music classroom with links, music connections, activities, and lesson plans!
If you are looking for captivating books that seamlessly blend literature and music in your classroom, look no further! This e-x-p-a-n-d-i-n-g list of recommended books will provide musical connections information and valuable lesson plan ideas.
Whether you’re seeking to expand your library or searching for fresh ideas to enrich your music curriculum, find great ways to integrate literature into your music curriculum.
