Use this snakes and ladders-inspired game to help pupils practise recognising their intervals. Instead of using a die, ask them to pick up a card and recognise the interval. If correct they move that number of spaces, if incorrect they stay where they are.
If they land on a square with a cable car they can move up. Landing on an icy path means they move down!
For an alternative idea they could also play the intervals on the piano in either the bass or treble clefs.
Use this game to help pupils practise recognising 2nds and 3rds (steps and skips). Pupils pick up a card - if they can recognise the interval then they move the correct number of circles on the board (2nd = 2, 3rd = 3).
Best printed onto card or laminated.
Use this cube at the start of a music lesson for a quick warm-up activity. Best printed onto card or laminated, then use sticky tape to make into a cube.
Use this Chatterbox to help pupils with their recall of musical symbols.
Instructions…
Ask the pupil to choose a colour then move the Chatterbox to the required number of letters as you spell the word out. Next they should choose one of the 4 numbers shown (read these out to them). Test them on the symbol shown.
Print onto card (or onto paper then stick onto card) then make into a cube using glue and sticky tape.
The prompts will hopefully inspire pupils to be creative with their improvisations and are a good starting point for discussing the different musical elements and playing techniques/articulation.
Print this onto card (or on paper then stick onto card) and use glue and/or sticky tape to make into a cube.
Use to inspire improvisation and creativity within your music lessons.
This can be used to help pupils practise recognising their Landmark Notes in the Treble and Bass clefs. I use the following approach:
Pupil chooses a colour - e.g. ‘green’ - spell out the letters as you open the Chatterbox in and out.
Pupil chooses a number (4 will be shown so call them out for the pupil to pick one).
Ask the pupil to identify the note shown by their chosen number.
Here’s a simple game you can use to inject a bit of fun when consolidating and assessing pupils’ understanding of key terms, symbols, notes and intervals. Print out the game template (best enlarged to A3) then print and cut out the little question squares. Put these in two piles according to their colours. Use small counters (e.g. buttons) as game pieces.
As the game can be quite quick to play I’ve included a ‘make your own’ die which only has the two options of moving either one or two spaces ahead each time.
This can be used as a quick recall/retrieval practise activity in a piano lesson where pupils match up the musical terms and definitions by ticking/crossing them out. I will use mine laminated with a white board pen. I have included key vocabulary from Piano Safari 1 and 2.
I use this sheet with my beginner students to reinforce concepts associated with stave note reading (e.g. line/space notes and step-wise movement with 2nds). It can be laminated or used in a drywipe pocket as shown. Quick to use and a useful starting point for discussion and learning.
Use this to help your students identify the mood/feeling they would like to convey when playing a piece of music. I have laminated mine and ask pupils to stick Blue Tac dots next to their chosen emotions.
Cut out the FACE GBD graphics and they can be handily placed on the stave by students to let them see how the Skips Alphabet works. Best enlarged to A3 then printed or laminated.
Based on the popular ‘Grandma’s House/Dog House’ key naming method, print and cut out these prompts which can be placed behind or on top of the piano keys to help your beginners find their keys. Best either printed on card or laminated.
Use this colouring page to help motivate your students into learning notes from the Treble and Bass clefs. This sheet uses notes close to the Piano Safari’s Landmark notes.
A simple board game template, best printed off A3 size. Pupils can use this to create a board game linked to lots of different subjects and aspects of learning.
The two rectangles can be used to place ‘pick up cards’ which pupils can create, for example questions to answer or forfeits that they must undertake. The options are endless!
If you have a 25mm button badge maker, you can use these templates to produce your own badges to give to pupils when they master each of the Piano Safari techniques. Pupils will enjoy working hard to collect the whole set!
In line with Piano Safari 1’s ‘Landmark Notes’, this is a sheet you can use quickly in piano lessons to check your pupils’ recognition and understanding.