Whether you’re teaching at a summer camp or your music therapy sessions look a bit different due to school being out for the summer, these low-prep music activities for summer will sure make your music lesson planning time a bit easier.
What do we mean by “low-prep” activities? Low-prep activities are teaching strategies that require minimal preparation. Think of these activities as those you bring to the classroom or music therapy session with simple instruments you have at your reach, props that are found in your classroom or visuals you can easily print out and share with your students or clients.
Some examples of low-prep activities include singing games, movement songs like this one and this one for an energizing dance party and ice breaker games. They are perfect for busy music teachers and music therapists who want to bring fun, high-quality and educational music experiences to their students and clients without having to devote too much time & energy into planning.
By the way, these low-prep music activities can also be used all year round.
Ready for some low-prep music activities for summer? Enjoy these ideas!
A song for learning names
One of the most important things we can do as music educators and music therapists, especially during the first weeks of summer camp or school, is to learn our students' names. Learning each others’ names help build a positive and respectful relationship, it shows them that we care about them, and it can be an instant self-esteem and confidence booster for our students & clients.
This is one of my favorite music activities to bring the first few weeks of classes, group sessions or summer camp. Hickelty Pickelty Bumble Bee is a popular chant that is used in classrooms to remember names! It’s also a great ice breaker to get the kids ready for music and acquainted to one another.
I turned this chant into a song, which you can hear in the video below":
Kids can sit criss cross applesauce on the floor and pat their knees keeping a beat while you sing the song. Pick one of your students to start the name game and fill their name into the song.
We whisper and sing each of the students’ names (kids will mirror and follow along with you!).
A simple drum song to have fun improvising, practice steady beat and simple rhythms
I love these kinds of songs, the songs that have 1,000+ different uses like this drumming song called “Keepin’ A Beat.”
Here are the lyrics:
Keepin’ a beat, keepin’ a beat
We’re just keepin’ a beat
Keepin’ a beat, keepin’ a beat
A beat until we stop
A couple of modifications:
No drums? Try body percussion
Have kids close their eyes and listen to a “mystery beat” and see if they can figure it out
Have them pick the beat
Ask kids to write the beat down
Try different rhythms
Try different volumes
Tap the side of the drum
Play the drum upside down
“Scratch” the drum
Play the drum using just your pinkies
Play the drum with your elbows
Ask the kids to improvise and create their own rhythms
Walk around the drum
Ask kids to “walk” their fingers across the drum
Turn it into a dance party with different movements like stomping, jumping and dancing to the beat
Practice quarter notes, eight notes, half notes, etc.
Each of these modifications challenge and engages their brain differently and will reinforce and strengthen their learning and retention. Plus— it’ll keep kids engaged throughout the activity!
It can get really fun and “out there” with all the modifications but the theme always brings it back. Try it!
A simple and engaging stretchy band song
I love using movement props in my classes and sessions and the Stretchy Band is definitely my favorite one. The Stretchy Band is very versatile for creative movement and can help kids get their “sillies out.”
This is one of my favorite low-prep prop song that you can learn in under five minutes but that will promise endless amounts of fun!
Put it in, and stretch it out
Put it up above your head and shake it all about
Put it in, and stretch it out
Put it up above your head and shake it all about
Do the circle, circle, do the circle and freeze!
Repeat
Other verses:
Do the bicycle, bicycle, do the bicycle and freeze!
Do the side to side…
Do the up-down…
Drive your car…
You can also ask the kids to come up with their own movements!
A simple song for circle time
Copy Me is one of the most simple songs that I've ever written, which as you know, sometimes the most simple songs are the ones that work the very best.
Here are the lyrics:
Copy me, copy me, everybody copy me
Copy me, copy me, let’s all copy me.
Copy [kid’s name], copy [kid’s name], everybody copy [kid’s name]
Copy [kid’s name], copy [kid’s name], let’s all copy [kid’s name].
An easy body percussion play along
A body percussion play along of one of our favorite spring and summer songs for kids: "Watermelon, Watermelon.” This simple body percussion and body break for elementary music uses: Clap, Snap, Pat, Stomp, Shhh.
Low-prep, print-and-go bingo cards and playlist
A music-based bingo game based off of classic kids songs. Print out these free bingo cards, shuffle through the songs from our playlist and play little snippets of them as you have fun playing Bingo.
You could also have this playlist playing in the background during art time or quiet work time while kids are listening for the songs and marking them off as they hear them.
Download the free bingo cards below!
