Note ID Relay

As a way to reinforce note identification and their values, I created this relay with my music camp kids. Working in two competing teams, the first runner would go through a hula hoop, and bounce a ball down to my sidewalk.


The runner would then pick up a piece of chalk, draw a whole note, and turn around and yell, "Whole note! 4 beats!". The rest of his/her team had to repeat it and then the runner would put down the chalk, pick up a jump rope and use it to get back to the team and tag the next runner.


The second runner would once again go through the hula hoop, jump rope down to the sidewalk and using the chalk add a stem to the whole note. He/she would then turn around and yell, "Half note! 2 beats!" which of course his/her team would repeat and then grab the ball and bounce it back to the next runner. The third runner would fill in the half note and yell, "Quarter note! 1 beat" and the fourth runner would add a flag for the eighth note, yelling "Eighth note, Half a beat!".


This relay worked extremely well as a cooperative game, a sequential rhythm game and a great way to remember the notes and their values! The kids remembered them all week just because of this one relay! I guess exercise really does increase brain power!