Floating Down the River

Music resources that make your teaching easier

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In an effort to do something fun before Spring break, but also to review at the same time, I did an Easter Egg rhythm hunt.

Get Some Plastic Eggs

I went to Walmart and bought a box of 250 eggs for 9.98, although you can buy just a few dozen if you want to. I printed my rhythms. My first graders have learned a quarter note, two eighth notes and a quarter rest, so I made rhythms with all of those. 


Print Rhythms and Fill Eggs in Advance

Print your rhythms and fill your eggs in advance. The cheap eggs you get at Walmart or places like that take a little time to close. I made a different set for each class, because I planned to send them home but also because I knew it was too hard to fill again. 

Be Sure You Review

It is important to review before you start. You think students all know these, but the couple of kids who have a hard time paying attention may not remember. When you do a game like this, they are all so excited about it, especially if you tell them you will play the game if they can read these rhythms. I use the following rhythm language (quarter note= ta, 2 eighth notes= ti-ti, the rest is silence with arms to the side and palms up). 

Give Directions BEFORE Pairing Kids

It is SO important to give directions even before you put students in pairs. Once they are paired, especially with a friend, it is extra hard to get their attention. 


Hide Your Eggs

I had time to hide the eggs just before each class came in. When I had back to back classes, the students hid the eggs for the next class. I had made separate eggs for each class but there is not time to put the eggs back together when you have classes back to back. I told the kids to not make them too hard to find. 


Directions for High Tolerance Teachers

This is how we played. I’m not sure I am highly tolerant, but this is what I did. Haha. 
1. I told students to find a partner. If you know certain students are trouble together or certain students are new or struggle with rhythms, pair them with kids you know can help them. If you have uneven number, make a threesome and they will end up with 1 egg each.
2. Tell students to get only 1 egg. Come up to me (line up in pairs) and read me your rhythm and then tap it on my drum together. 
3. After reading the rhythm to me and tapping it on my drum, the students were asked to get a second egg, line up and do the same thing- read it to me and play it on my drum.
4. Once they played their two rhythms, I asked them to get into a circle sitting down. 
5. Once in a circle, I let students who wanted to read theirs as a solo, read it to us. Then we tried to see who else was a “twin” with the same rhythm. I was amazed at how my 1st graders were able to hear that they had the same rhythm. They were delighted. 
6. I decided to let them take their egg home. I asked them to read it to a family member and that I would ask them about it after spring break. 


Directions For A Frazzled Teacher

If you have no tolerance left or you have a class that has challenges following directions, these are some more simplified directions.
1. Have students find a partner- one that they can work with. 
2. Have students each find 1 or more eggs. If you do it this way, you may want to allow them to find more eggs since it will take less time.
3. Once they have found their eggs, have them sit in a circle. You could have a drum in the middle and have each student come up and play their rhythm, one at a time. Be sure you monitor so you know they are playing the correct rhythm. They could even whisper it to you so you know they can read it.
4. See if students can raise their hand and tell you what they played.
5.  If a student has the same rhythm, have a different signal they can give to tell you about their rhythm. 
Grab the rhythms from google drive here. Easter Egg Rhythm Hunt
This was so fun and the kids had a great time reviewing their rhythms. I was so busy that I didn’t take any pictures. You might come up with a different way to play. I’d love to hear your ideas! 

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    Comments

    1. Leah Ries

      I do something very similar to this but I have the students put the rhythms back inside the egg and they get to hide it for the next class, which they enjoy.

      I like your idea of having them take the rhythms home, though so I think I will make extra copies on card stock that they can take home and perform with family members.

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