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Preschool Music Lesson: "High & Low" at Circle Time with the Balloon Game

HIGH & LOW 'BALLOON MUSIC NOTES'



AT CIRCLE: THESE 'BALLOON MUSIC NOTES' WERE SUNG BY THE CHILDREN AS "LOW"-"HIGH"-"LOW"-"HIGH" (bringing voices down low and up high, then down low and up high again)



Then the teachers (that's me and my teacher friend, Joy) asked the children to close their eyes as we changed the positions of our balloons for the children to sing a new "high/low" balloon note pattern. These 3 & 4 years olds were very good at this game...then it was time for the children to hold the balloons. Four children stood in a line before the group and each child decided whether their balloon would be a high note or a low note. The rest of the children pretended to be the "band" and they sang the balloon note patterns beautifully! Everyone had a great time with our balloon note game! 


Here is the music bulletin board at a preschool where I teach, and each week I change the arrangement of the notes. This one is "High-Low-High-Low"...the children enjoy showing their parents how they "read" the music notes and sing!
Over the years, I've tried different balloon combinations, from helium filled black balloons (which I think look most like the quarter notes in music notation) to large balloons on sticks and nowadays I like the small balloons on a stick. Helium balloons are very exciting for the children, but they are a bit distracting as the children love to let them go on up to the ceiling! The small mylar balloons on sticks seem to work the best since they are the easiest for me to cart around to 32 classrooms in a week, and the ones I have been using these days I have had for 6 months and they are still full of air!

ON THE SHELF: Later, the children can make their own music "staff" with balloon music notes and then sing them with their friends!



SET-UP: First paper has 4 balloon outlines and the second paper has a two line "music staff." (Teacher can have the treble clef printed on the "staff paper" or the older children can make a treble clef of their own.)


Here's an example of Treble Clef already printed on child's paper:



SUPPLIES:  Scissors, glue, ribbon, and markers for coloring in the balloons.



This one was made by a 4 yr.old & a 7 yr old ( who drew in the treble clef):



"High-Low-High-High"

      Here's a set up with balloons printed on colored paper:



Things can be simplified for different age groups: 
~ the balloon master can be copied off on colored paper
~ the "balloons" can be pre-cut by an adult
~ adult or older child can draw the treble clef or it can be added to the master before copying
~ ribbon can be pre-cut by an adult
Lots of fun and lots of learning through the arts!


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