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You’ve signed your kids up for music lessons, excited to give them all the benefits of music lessons you’ve heard so much about! They love playing their new instrument. But now the honeymoon period is over, has practice become a chore, or even worse a daily argument? Here are a few ideas to help you keep practice fun. They require some of your time, but will make such a difference, especially for younger children!
For even more information and ideas on supporting your kids music lessons, click here.
If you have a young child, or one that tends to argue about practice, I’d really encourage you to try a practice game. If you have middle school age children, they might enjoy reading Not Until You’ve Done Your Practice by Philip Johnston. It’s a great little book that explains how and why they should practice in a hilarious way. There are also a number of suggestions on how to turn practice into a game even when they are practicing by themselves.
The practice games I suggest below do need your (or a sibling’s) participation. But they can take kids from outright refusal to playing and having fun! So it’s worth it to give these a try, even if your child doesn’t complain about practicing. We all need some fun once in a while!
If you’re creative, you can absolutely create your own practice game as a craft, on the computer, or out of an old board game you already have. There are endless possibilities. If you’re not the creative type though, or just really don’t have any more time, I get it. Here are a couple ideas to get you started, and two free printable practice games to use with your kids.
Tic-Tac-Toe
Take turns playing an excerpt from the music your child in practicing. It’s okay if you don’t know how, ask your child to show you how and give it a shot. Beware though. Your child will probably win every time, unless you already know how to play their instrument 🙂
If you are correct, place a piece on the board. If incorrect, the other person places a piece on the board. The first person to get three in a row wins. As a variation, you can just let your child play, and only put your own piece on the board if they make a mistake. Get the printable game board pictured below here
Practice Board Game
This game is especially good for kids who are easily overwhelmed or have low confidence in their abilities. Breaking their music into tiny pieces takes a scary page of black and white lines and make it not just manageable, but fun!
You will need:
- Game board
- Dice
- Game pieces – I love using Lego people or the cute erasers you can find at the dollar store, but anything will work. If you’re a fan of erasers, these are just too cute!
- Your child’s music
- A pencil
Get the free printable board game below. I’ve included for you:
- Full length board game
- Shorter board game for younger kids or days when you have less time.
- Instructions
Instructions:
- Number the music 1 through 6. A number could be for 1 or 2 measures. Make number 6 a challenge! Perhaps the whole first line, or even an entire short piece
- Take turns rolling the dice and doing the activity.
- If you perform correctly, move up the number on the dice. If you are incorrect, do not move
Variation: Only the student performs the activity. If correct, the student moves up. If incorrect, the parent moves up instead.
When I play this game with my students, they are the only ones who play, and I only get a turn if they make a mistake. ‘Mistake’ doesn’t necessarily have to mean the notes. Read what their teacher has assigned. Do they want curved fingers? Better posture? Dynamics (loud and soft)? Make these the goal of the game. Pick one or more things to work on before starting the game.
Have fun!
Now you’re ready to help your child get the excitement back into music practice! Don’t worry if you don’t know anything about music. It’s 100% not necessary. Remember to get your free printable practice game above. Have fun, and I’d love to hear how the game works for your family!
For even more information and ideas to support your kids music lessons, click here.
One Response
Thanks for these ideas! 🙂