Pumpkin season is almost over but boy, was it fun! Mrs. V lives in a small farming community so harvest season is the best season! Pumpkins everywhere. Literally. As the season closes, these were my elementary students’ most favorite musical pumpkin activities. Check this out for free pumpkin slides and other music teacher freebies! Pass the Pumpkin An oldie, but a goldie! Pass an object around the circle and at the end of the song, the student holding the object gets a special job. In Mrs. V’s music room, the students who are out rotate through an instrument line and then return to the circle at the end of the rotation. The instruments we use are vibraslap (on the word BOO!), drums (for beat), boomwhackers (also for beat), xylophones or metallophones (for ostinato) and then a glockenspiel (for pentatonic improv). Here is a digital copy of the lyric slide that we use! The format allows me to write notes (such as rhythms) on the Smartboard as we go. 5 Little Pumpkins Another music room classic- there are so many variations and the possibilities are literally endless. This is great for fingerplay, steady beat, rhythm dictation and even melodic improvisation. Come up with actions, patterns or music to set to this poem. Smells Like Pumpkin A super fun rhythmic play along features quarter notes, quarter rests and eighth notes. Stay tuned for half notes and sixteenth notes! A Pumpkin Similar to 5 Little Pumpkins, the creativity is boundless. It’s a short but descriptive poem that is easy for lower elementary student memory. This adds an extra spice to harvest concerts as a class introduction. What are your favorite pumpkin activities? Here are some more ideas! You will find play alongs, time signature puzzles, coloring sheets, scavenger hunts and more perfect for centers or your sub tub!
