Looking for simple and fun ways for your music classes to be active and engaged outdoors? Check out these easy outdoor music and movement activities for kids! Why outdoors? To enjoy the weather, quiet time during testing, or just a change of scenery for a brain break.
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Big Fat Biscuit
This jumping game is perfect to take outside for a fun competition! Check out the origin and game instructions on The Big List of Elementary Music Games!
Pat, Clap, Snap (Rock, Paper, Scissors)
I learned about this game from our PE teacher and kids LOVE it. I tried to reconfigure it for music and came up with Pat, Clap, Snap. The objectives-
- brain break
- using body percussion
- team building
Directions:
Two teams in rows. (red and blue above) The object of the game is to get your player from one end of the hula hoops to the other before the other team. Players must jump (2-footed) from one hoop to the next.
One person from each team begins. Those out go to the end of the line & the next person on your team begins at the beginning.
The red team begins at the green hoop. The blue team begins at the yellow hoop. The configuration of the hoops can be in any design as long as there are starting (ending) points for both teams. (In the gym or outside you have lots of room to curve the course all over the place.)
If your music room isn’t very big or you can’t use the gym or go outside, I think sit spots or bean bags would work. Instead of jumping IN the hoop, you’d jump over each spot/bag.
At some point the two players will meet (be facing each other) and that is when they’ll play Pat Clap Snap.
Instead of Rock, Paper, Scissors’ fist-fist-rock/paper/scissors, they will clap two times and then the third beat will need to either be a pat, clap, or snap. If they do the same motion, it’s a tie and they do it again until there’s a winner. The image above is a visual to help them remember what beats the other.
The winner keeps jumping, the loser goes to the end of their line and a new player for that team begins jumping, hoping to stop the other player. Here is the Rock, Paper, Scissors version.
Earth, Wind, and FIRE
Take any upbeat song such as Earth, Wind, and Fire’s “Let’s Groove Tonight” and create easy movement.
- Intro (stand and bounce to the beat)
- Verse (lots of words so keep it simple-WALK to the beat)
- Chorus (easier lyrics so stop and do simple choreography)
- arms up, arms out, arms down, arms out (repeat)
- Bridge (freestyle)
Walking and freestyle are a snap! Just something simple for the chorus and BAM, you’ve got it.
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