Are you sick of musical Bingo and Four Corners? If you are an educator, it’s likely that you understand and value education through play. It builds interaction, social literacy, emotional literacy, promotes teamwork, problem solving skills and, of course, curricular outcomes. In music, we focus a lot on moving games, rhythm games, melody games, games of chance, to the point where they become default. What about the students that learn through strategic play? How do you use card games for music? What kind of games can have musical instruments? The possibilities are endless. Think about the games you would play as a kid. They depended on the skill of the player while creating an educational environment. For example, Memory. Memory can be a solo game, small groups, or with a class. An option would be to use rhythm or melody flashcards. This deck of cards is customizable and themed for your music room! This deck is versatile with other games as well, such as Go Fish. You have full control over how many cards your deck has. You can remove the wilds, double up certain instruments, or eliminate an instrument altogether. How should you use games? Games are used for so many reasons! They are great for time fillers, substitute teachers, centers, assessments, you name it! An easy way for assessment is to use games at your teacher table and observe the process your student is using. It can be very eye-opening for the teacher as well as the student! A favorite game my students play is called “Musical Instrument Agent”. Print as many copies of the “suits” as you want- ideally 1 suit per card dealt. For example, if you hand out 3 cards, you will need to print 3 sets of instrument cards. The goal of the game is to get all matching cards. For older students, they may need to find 5 matches while younger students may only need 3. Students will achieve this goal by means of trade. But it’s a secret! No one can know who you’re trading with, when, or what. Students must be sneaky until they have all of their matching set. The first student to have a full set is the winner! Check out this card deck! This set of cards comes with instructions for two different “M.I.A.” games as well as adaptations for other common games. When you print the document double sided, it will have a face side and the back side. Print on cardstock and laminate for longevity. Combine with other instrument family cards to level up your strategy game!
