Earlier this week, I wrote a blog post sharing the importance of musical play in the classroom.  As I brainstormed all of the games I love to play with my students, I realized is that I have favorite games for every grade level!

The fun thing about singing games and folk tunes is that they are typically shared without notation.  You might find variations on the melody or the games presented but it’s most likely because the games were learned by ear.  Adaptations are made over time by region or as needed for different students.  I loved researching these singing games to see all of the different ways they are played.  Here are my three singing games for second grade music!

Black Snake

I forget where I first  heard this song, butI know there are several versions of it.  It’s just a “Duck-Duck-Goose” kind of game, but the kids love it all the same.

Directions

• Teach the song to your students.  It’s so short and simple, it’s easy to teach either by Rote Song Procedure or phrase by phrase method.  With my K-1 students, I often help carry the melody, but by second grade, I expect the students to do all of the singing during our singing games.
• Students stand in a circle formation.  Select one student to be the snake.
• When a child is selected to be the snake, I allow them to choose any color they like to sing in the song.  My only rule is that we only sing one color.  So if the child wants to be gold snake, so be it.  It’s fun to hear the children’s favorite colors!
• As the students sing the song, the snake walks or skips around the outside of the circle.  On the word “me,” this snake will tap one child on the shoulder.  That child will chase the snake one time around the circle.  If the child is tagged, you can choose to have them sit in the middle or simply go back to the other child’s spot in the circle.
• Repeat the game with the new snake.

Musical Content

• Major tonality (resting tone: Do)
• Duple meter (beat divides in 2s)
• Musical phrases (compare/contrast: 3 use the same words, 2 use the same melody)
• Rhythmic content: half note, prep syncopation for later lessons

Black Snake

Paw Paw Patch

As a Michigander, we have a special connection with this song.  Did you know that the Paw Paw fruit grows in southwest Michigan?   And we have a city named Paw Paw!

Directions:

• Teach the song using the Rote Song Procedure so that students can sing the song independent of you.
• Invite the students to stand in a circle formation.  Choose one person to stand on the outside of the circle.
• First verse of the song: the student outside of the circle skips around the circle.  I often sing the name of the child instead of “Nellie” to make it more personal.
• Second verse of the song: if the child skipping around the circle is a girl, then we sing “C’mon boys, let’s go find her.”  If the child skipping around the circle is a boy, then we sing, “C’mon girls, let’s go find him.”  All the boys (or girls) skip one time around the circle then return to their place in the circle.
• Third verse of the song: everyone acts out the lyrics.
• At the end of the song, a new student is selected to skip around the circle.

Music Content:

• Major tonality (resting tone: Do)
• Duple meter (beat divides in 2s)
• Form  (verse)
• Rhythmic content: quarter, eighth, and sixteenth notes

Paw Paw Patch

Verse 3

Pickin’ up paw paws, put ’em in your pocket,

Pickin’ up paw paws, put ’em in your pocket,

Pickin’ up paw paws, put ’em in your pocket,

Way down yonder in the paw paw patch.

Tideo

Tideo is another beloved singing game!  I learned this version while teaching in Philadelphia.  It really reminds me more of “Cut the Cake,” but my kids love it.  To learn a more traditional version of Tideo, click here.  

Directions:

•  Teach the song to your students using Rote Song Procedure.  Make sure they can sing the song independent of you before you begin playing the game.
• Students stand in a circle formation holding hands.  Choose one person to stand on the outside of the circle.
• As the song is sung. the person on the outside skips around the circle.  A the first “jingle,” the student taps the hands of two people holding hands.  Those two people drop hands and begin to run around the circle in opposite directions.  The first person back their place becomes the new person to skip around the circle.
• Repeat game.
• Note: There is still part of the song to be sung while the two people are running around the circle.  You will need to remind your students to sing instead of cheer during this section.  

Musical content:

• Major tonality (resting tone: Do)
• Duple meter (beat divides in 2s)
• Phrases (compare/contrast first three phrases of the song as same/different)
• Rhythmic content: quarter, eighth, sixteenth notes

Tideo

Do you have a favorite game for your second grade students?  Leave me a comment below!

Related Blog Posts