Nursery World - Basic patterns

Don't overlook music in your 'pattern' project, as rhythms or repeated patterns form its very basis. Note

Note

* While clapping comes naturally to children, it is hard for them to clap a rhythm. Start with someone tapping a pulse/beat and have the children copy you clapping some simple rhythms.

Rhythm exercises

* Divide the children into groups.

* During the exercises, include a leader drum or ask an adult to point at the pictures of instruments so the children have to play in time.

* Start with untuned instruments to produce purely rhythmic patterns. Give each child an instrument and ask them to draw a shape that represents it, say a circle for a drum.

* Have each group make a recurring pattern of shapes, then play their instruments when the corresponding shape occurs in the pattern. You may need to write down the sequence.

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