Chasing the Turkey Board Game

Chasing the Turkey

After we finish taking the state theory test, I give my students a theory break. I don’t assign formal theory work to complete at home and bring back. This makes everyone happy, including me, because by now we’re all kind of “theory weary.” But there is the problem of forgetting everything we carefully learned. So I like to play theory games to keep everything fresh in my students’ minds. They don’t mind reviewing theory in a game. In fact, they like it!

If you’re looking for a Thanksgiving game, I hope your students love this one as much as my students did. I don’t know if it was the farmer with his ax, using dice, or if it was the fact that they all beat me. (I must be the most unlucky person in the world!)  This game meets my criteria for a music lesson game. It is fast and over quickly, so it doesn’t take much lesson time.

There are several levels of cards included in this printable. Look at all seven pages in this PDF, and only print what you need. If you don’t know how to do that, see my last post for instructions. The last page in this set is an optional back to the cards, but I didn’t use it!

The nice thing about this game board is that you don’t have to print out the cards I made. I also played this game using note flash cards to review note names, and for beginners, keyboard flash cards. If you want to review all the major and minor key signatures, check out my key signature flash cards on my website.

Objective

• To review previously learned musical symbols, intervals, key signatures, and vocabulary.
• To enjoy a seasonal game.

Ages

• Grades 1-5, using the appropriate cards for the concepts students have learned.

Materials

• Game board.
• Cards with musical symbols and terms, or use your own cards.
• One die.
• Tokens. (I used milk carton tops.)

Directions

• The game can be played with two or more players
• Print the game board and cut out the cards or use your own cards.
• Each player puts his token on the game board. The first player draws a card and answers the question.
• Then he rolls the die and moves the number of spaces on the die. If he lands on a circle with instructions, he follows the instructions, such as taking a short cut, or moving back to Start.
• The game continues in the same way with the other players.
• The first player to reach Safe is the winner.
• Optional: Write the instructions on the back of the game board for future use.

Why I like this game

• My students loved it and didn’t want to stop playing.
• It really helped them remember their theory vocabulary and terms.
• By using flash cards I already have, I can modify the game for all ages.

Thanksgiving Games and Worksheets

A few weeks ago I posted some Thanksgiving hymns and fun songs. I just realized I have never published a list of Thanksgiving material from my website.

I’ve only made one Thanksgiving Game, and I need to make some more for an upcoming group lesson. Below is a game my students loved last year. You can find the directions here. It’s very easy and fast, plus, it comes in 3 ability levels.

Save the Turkey Game, easiest version

For a slightly more difficult version of the same game, try  Save the Turkey Game, set two

There is a more advanced version of these cards, too. The only reason I call this intermediate level is because of the key signatures.  The more difficult key signatures can be removed to make this a much easier game.

Save the Turkey, early intermediate version

Next, here are some Thanksgiving worksheets from my website.

The next worksheet, Turkey Find the Notes, can be put in a sheet protector and used with a wet erase or a dry erase marker. That way you only have to print one copy and you can use it over and over. Also, this is big enough to use with your iPad or Kindle Fire.

Turkey Find the Notes (black and white)

Color the Feathers is a quick worksheet to review treble clef notes.

Color the Feathers

I also made a black and white version. This is good to use at a group lesson with the students who come early.

Color the Feathers (black and white)

I posted my revised version of Funny Thanksgiving Food a few weeks ago. Two versions are available, one in color like the example below, and one in black and white. I made the color version to be used with an iPad or Android tablet.

Funny Thanksgiving Food

I made the Turkey Egg Worksheet to help my beginners learn the alphabetical order of notes on the staff. Some of my younger students are amazed to learn that turkeys lay eggs!

Turkey Egg Worksheet

Thanksgiving Group Lessons

If you have ever wondered how to make sure everyone has the same amount of lessons the week of Thanksgiving without taking the entire week off, try having group lessons or a Christmas performance class on Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving week. It is too late to consider it this year, but you can put it on your calendar for next year.

Funny Thanksgiving Food for Printing/iPad, and Some Sad “Skitch” News

Funny Thanksgiving Food for iPad and/or print

Some time ago I made a worksheet called Funny Thanksgiving Food, and recently I drew a version  to use on the iPad or Android, and it is also a printable. This  worksheet is a review of the notes around middle C. Click on the link above for this colorful version that looks good on a mobile device. However, since it is a PDF so it can be printed, laminated, and used with dry erase markers.

I also significantly updated the print-friendly version below, which has keys instead of notes on the staff.  Funny Thanksgiving Food has been a very popular coloring printable over the years, but I think I draw better now. The coloring version is good to use with younger children at a group lesson while waiting for everyone to show up. What child can resist coloring food all the wrong colors! (I also have a version where the pilgrim has to be colored, which might be useful for parents or a group class. Email me and I’ll send it to you.)

Funny Thanksgiving Food

The mention of the iPad brings up the subject of Skitch, my (used-to-be) favorite app to use with worksheets. Imagine my disappointment a few weeks ago when I discovered the company that bought Skitch, Evernote, has totally revamped the app in version Skitch 2.0, so that it is no longer useful with my students!  As a matter of fact, it has created a lot of resentment and angst among long time Skitch users. You can do a search on the web to read about it. If you have the first version of Skitch, I advise you to keep using it and DO NOT update it! Once you update it, you cannot get the old version back.

I am looking for a replacement app for Skitch that will work in my piano lessons, and when I find one that is as easy as the first version of Skitch, I’ll let you know.  So far I have tried many apps, and none are simple and easy enough for my needs.

All I want is an app to import and open PDF’s from the web, with some easy tools to draw lines and circles on  the PDF.  It should have an eraser without erasing the PDF, and/or an un-do button. There should be a way to clear the screen to start over. It needs to be so easy that even *I* can quickly figure out how to use it. Please leave a comment or email me if you know of one! I’ve tried various PDF reader apps that can be marked with annotations, but none are simple enough for what I am looking for.  I’ve also tried various whiteboard apps and drawing apps. I’m still looking!

I wrote Evernote very politely asking if they could put the first version back in the app store for those of us who use it for education, but they never bothered to reply.

Father We Thank Thee and Other Thanksgiving Hymns

Father We Thank Thee For the Night

Have you ever noticed the lack of Thanksgiving music for elementary piano students? Today I am posting an arrangement of one of my favorite hymns for children. I even wrote a teacher duet! I remember as a child singing this in elementary school and in Sunday school, where all the children would get together in a large group and sing before we gathered into our age groups. I think this hymn makes a wonderful Thanksgiving song for your students. Maybe they can sing along while they play! Let me know if you see any mistakes. I usually try to get another teacher to check out my duets for errors, but I was not able to do that for this one.

If you are looking for other Thanksgiving music for beginners, check out my website. All of these are Primer level and written on the staff, unless noted. Some of these use clip art rather than my own art.

All Things Bright and Beautiful

American the Beautiful

All Creatures of Our God and King

Bless Us O Lord, and These Thy Gifts That We Receive  Also, check out the easy duet part for this that can be played by a family member. Click here for a pre-reading version for beginners.

Hurray, Thanksgiving Day – Pre -Reading was written for a beginner who really wanted a Thanksgiving piece. I had many teachers ask me for the same 8 measure song but on-the-staff, so here is the staff version. Hurray, Thanksgiving Day – on the staff

There are also several Thanksgiving seasonal games posted on my website, so check them out if you’re interested.

Do you have a favorite public domain Thanksgiving him you want arranged for Primer level? List it in a comment here and depending on the hymn melody, I’ll work on it for next year.