I think one of the hardest things about remote learning is to think of ideas that the children can do at home without the need to buy different materials. In some ways, it can be like trying to reinvent the wheel and trying to constantly think outside the box. Below I’m going to share some ideas I’ve tried in my own class or that I’ve spotted online and plan to use with my class in the coming weeks. Hopefully you’ll find them useful too.
Music
Listening and responding to music
- Write a response – what does the music remind you of?
- How does the music make you feel?
- What instruments are used in the music?
- Can you draw a picture of what the music reminds you of
- Imagine this piece of music is the soundtrack for a movie – what’s happening on the screen?
I’ve chosen mostly instrumental pieces and one acapella choir but ask the children for their favourite pieces and use these too!
I loved this from Simon Hunt on Twitter! One song a week and link it with P.E.
My class pod combining music, PE, dance, rhythm (sort of), and fun! We cant wait to do this with the whole class!!! I saw something like this the other week online and I had to do it myself! The kids (and us teachers) loved it. A heads up though, it's much harder than you think. pic.twitter.com/8avSsfrJKs
— Simon Hunt (@simonjameshunt) January 26, 2021
These are videos I made for my own class on the treble clef and rhythm.
Art
S.P.H.E.
Feel good playlist
Ask the children to create a playlist of their favourite pieces of music. They can share a YouTube or Spotify playlist.
The things that make me happy
Children can create a brainstorm of all the things that make them happy or they can take photographs of different things each day.
Happy memory music
Ask the children to choose a piece of music that they associate with a happy memory. Ask them to share the piece of music/song and a short account of the happy memory.
