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Percussion Games for Kids

Rhythm is one of the most basic elements of music. It's important to teach children rhythm fundamentals from a very early age, so that they can proceed to more complex musical tasks and concepts. Parents and educators might find that percussion games are useful tools in teaching rhythm. Percussion games also can help children develop motor skills, especially in the hands and arms, and to develop their musical ears.

Stick Stick Shoe Floor
- Kenya Masala wrote an entire book of children's percussion games ("Rhythm Play"), including the game Stick Stick Shoe Floor. In this game, the children stand in a circle, and each child and the leader has a pair of sticks. The leader taps a simple rhythm, hitting either his own sticks, his shoes or the floor. The children have to tap out the rhythm played by the leader. Masala says the leader can vary this game by trying to "fake out" the kids by chanting something different than what he actually plays. If a child plays what is said instead of what is played, she is "out."
What Am I Playing
- What Am I Playing is a game that teaches kids about all the different sounds used in the percussion section and teaches recognition of rhythmic value. The children sit behind a screen or a blanket that has been hung over a string, so they can't see the leader. The leader starts playing a rhythm on a percussion instrument the children can't see. The children call out "Neighbor, neighbor, stop that sound!" The leader calls back "Fine, just fine, if you tell me what I'm playing!" The children who know what the name of the instrument is, or what the rhythm is (e.g., two quarter notes and a half note) raise their hand, and a second leader calls on the child who raises his hand first to answer. If he is right, he gets a prize.
Body Percussion
- Body Percussion is a game by Michelle Miller intended to teach children to listen to, interpret and write musical rhythms. The children separate into two or more teams. One player from each team comes up and faces the leader in front of a large board. The leader counts off four beats to establish the tempo and start of the rhythm. Then the leader uses body percussion (e.g., snaps, claps) to produce a rhythm. When the leader says go, the team members at the board try to write down the rhythm they heard the leader play. The first team to get the rhythm correct wins the most points, with subsequent correct answers getting fewer points. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. This game is a speed test for aural comprehension.

Kids Games