This is a music reading song and game. Have the students read the rhythms using rhythm names, and sing the melody using either solfa or letter names. If students are not reading rhythms yet, teach by rote.

Game directions: Print and cut up the Rhythm Flashcards that are found in the supporting resources (choose the rhythms that your students can read), and put them into a pumpkin, or another container if you don’t have a pumpkin. As the students sing, they pass the pumpkin. At the end of the song, or at a signal, the student who has the pumpkin in front of them pulls a rhythm from the pumpkin and claps it. The class echoes. The student that clapped the rhythm goes to the front of the class to become the start of a rhythm chain. The second student that claps becomes rhythm two in the chain. When there are two students, clap both rhythms, then have the students turn away from the class so the class has to remember both rhythms. If the class is successful remembering two rhythms, continue adding to the chain. How many rhythms can your students remember?

Teach the song by rote. This song is part of a Maori stick game (E Papä Waiari) from New Zealand. Long ago, young Maori men practiced stick games with six-foot-long sticks so they could practice their spear fighting.

This song is an excellent review of 3/4 time. Ask the students to tell you how the beats are grouped. (They are in groups of three.) Have them practice conducting in 3/4 time and count the beats --123 - 123 - 123 - 123.

When the students can sing the song from memory, begin teaching the game patterns. Begin with the simplest, and as the students master it, try more difficult patterns.

Create a rondo with treats.

This is the printable version. You can download this from supporting resources.

A link to the interactive version of the rondo follows

Create a rondo with Halloween treats.