The students can’t help but get themselves wrapped up in this game as they try and keep the stack from toppling! They don’t even realize they are reviewing note & rest names and values as they play.
Level: Beginner
Objective: To review note & rest names and values
Materials:
- Click here to download Music Note Cards (you may want to print out multiple sets of these cards depending on the size of group you are playing with)
Music Notes & Rests (6502 downloads)
- Jenga game (Most people already have one of these on hand because this game is so popular! If not, it’s a fun game to own so go ahead and snatch one up. As you can see in the picture, I actually use this game with Uno Stacko but those are harder to come by, but really fun, too!)
Game Play:
Keep the music note cards face down on the table. Set the Jenga game up so that it is stacked up neat — exactly like it is shown in the original game.
The rules are similar to the normal game of Jenga. But with one musical twist: the person draws a music card to determine the next move. Whatever note or rest they draw, they must pull that many (according to the note or rest value) blocks from the Jenga stack!
For example, if a whole note is drawn, then 4 blocks must be drawn from the stack without making the stack fall over! Each block that is drawn should be placed carefully on the top of the stack to increase difficulty.
You can imagine that this game moves quickly since you can draw up to four blocks at once!
If the stack falls over while you are drawing out a block — you lose!
Try it this way too!
Since you probably have already figured out you can’t draw half a block for an eighth note, then put in a twist. Every eighth note or rest drawn can be a pass for that player that draws it.
Have fun drawing the stack and seeing just what crazy stacks you can end up with before they topple to the floor!
Click here for more really fun games and activities for teaching piano!
Tel loves her life as a piano player, a piano teacher, and a mom. Amid piano blogging, piano teaching, and piano playing, she loves a chance to fit in a good exercise class, volunteer at her kids’ school and at her church, and go on long dates with her husband. Full bio at About Tel.
