Hi there everyone! Happy New Year! I'm teaming up with Aileen Miracle to bring you some tried and true fun actives for 4th grade!
Fourth grade is a lot of fun so here are five of my favorite musical activities to teach to 4th grade!
Fourth graders love a challenge, so here are some of my favorite things to get them singing and challenge them all the while teaching concepts:
#1:
Dum, Dum, Da Da:
The verses stay the same with each repetition, the action change though for each verse.
Verse 1: Pat your own knees twice, on the beat
Pat the knees of the person on your right twice
Pat your own knees twice
Pat the knees of the person on your left twice
Repeat to the end of the song.
Verse 2: Pat your own knees twice, on the beat
Tap your left shoulder twice with your right hand
Pat your own knees twice
Tap your right shoulder twice with your left hand
Repeat to the end of the song.
Verse 3: Pat your own knees only once, on the beat
Tap your left shoulder once with your right hand
Pat your own knees once
Tap your right shoulder once with your left hand
Pat your own knees once
Cross your hands and pat your knees with hands crosse
Uncross hands and pat your knees once
Snap your fingers
Repeat to the end of the song.
Verse 4: Pat your own knees twice, on the beat
Touch left hand to nose, right hand to left ear, for two beats
Pat your own knees twice
Touch right hand to nose, left hand to right ear, for two beats
Repeat to the end of the song.
#2:
Sarasponda:
This song is so much fun and it's so great for practicing "fa."
While the stick pattern isn't perfect in the video, that's not the goal. Here's the video where I got the stick pattern from:
#3:
Charlotte Town:
This song is SO wonderful for 4th grade and to use later in 5th grade. It has fa (do-do-re mi-mi fa) and then to bring it back in 5th grade for ti-tam is a time saver! Seeing my kids on a four or five day rotation (my 2nd and 4th graders come on this rotation) I try to choose song literature that I can use for multiple concepts.
#4:
Treble Clef Wars:
This game is so fun to engage all your students. I initially made Rhythm Wars to reach one of my kiddos that had troubles coming to music and it's turned into so much more. I then created Recorder Wars and Solfa Wars. Last year I also made Treble Clef Wars and this was sent to me by another music teacher in Colorado of her kids using Treble Clef Wars, but also then playing the pitches on instruments as they read the notes on the staff:
As a way to challenge my students further with Rhythm Wars I'm creating some extension games, including a set of 8 beat games.
#5:
Going to Kentucky:
This is my favorite first day of school activity but this year's group of 4th graders LOVED it more than normal, lol! And they decided to make it their own after the "teacher fairy" (aka their classroom teacher) sprinkled their desks with magic dust. They came in one Friday and decided we needed to play it with the fairy wings and wand that they used for "Little Bunny Foo Foo" when they were in 1st grade!
If you're interested in more songs and activities for 4th grade please check out my fourth grade bundle or the individual sets.
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