Rhythm & Beat: Musical Monday

Rhythm is measured movement and patterns of harmonic beat. Formal studies aside, it is quite obvious to parents and early childhood teachers, children learn rhythm through play.  Even the youngest little ones attempt to clap, stomp, nod their  heads, and shake their booties when they hear a good beat. Rhythm is a building block for speech and literacy, as well as musical achievement.  Here are a few resources to further explain the importance of rhythm instruction, lessons to teach rhythm to children of various ages, and toys that encourage exploration with rhythm.

Primary Singing Time Ideas suggests using actions and motions to get children kinesthetically involved in learning rhythm and musical symbols. 

Live Strong suggests several fun rhythm learning games including Echo Patterns and Word Clapping.

The Drumbeat Poem by Richard Macwilliam is written to teach the basics of rhythm. At the bottom of his page he explains how to clap the poem with your students.

Explore the powerful connections between literacy and rhythm with the links found at The Educational Cyber Playground.

The Creativity Institute lists the many reasons it is important to teach rhythm, many of which relate to character development.

Help students feel the rhythm with a Halloween themed dictation and movement lesson from Pianimation. 

Make learning rhythm more fun by assigning a known animal to each pattern, as seen in Runde's Room. 

There are many examples on Pinterest of creative outdoor percussion sections.  One example of such a "banging wall" is found at Inspiring Play, Inspiring Learning and another at Pre-School Play.

My own four young children love experimenting with rhythm using the Parum Pum Pum Drum from B. Toys.  The colorful, creativity inspiring, set includes: a drum to strap on, centipede drumsticks, jingly ant, busy been maracas, caterpillar tambourine, and shaker eggs.  Parum Pum Pum Drum is intended for children 18mo-3 years, but is thoroughly enjoyed by my 8, 6, 3, and 1 year olds!

{This rhythmic toy is available on Amazon, but if you do a Google search using the product name you will find a particular retailer, at the top of the list, which currently has Parum Pum Pum Drum available at an amazing clearance price}


Disclosure: B.Toys are a favorite in our house.  They are affordable and enjoyable toys that keep the attention of all of my children at their unique ages and stages.  Since I am such a fan I continue to enjoy building a relationship with their public relations staff who subsequently sent Parum Pum Pum Drum our way as a gift.  I was not obligated to write about it here on ABC & 123, but enjoyed doing so as it fits perfectly into our Musical Monday feature.  

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