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Egg shaker activities for preschool and elementary music classes. Free activities for preschool, kindergarten and music classes for egg shaker activities.

EGG SHAKER ACTIVITIES

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Egg shaker activities for preschool through elementary grades to shake out wiggles and learn music concepts.

Egg shaker activities for preschool through elementary grades to shake out wiggles and learn music concepts.

When spring comes around you can count on flowers and wiggles blooming! And that makes it the perfect time to get out the Egg shakers! My student get so excited when they see the colorful sound makers.

That’s why I like to use egg shaker activities in the springtime. Egg shaker activities are perfect for creative movement and teaching music concepts.

EGG SHAKER HOW TO’S

This post has links and activities you can use with Egg Shakers. But first- let’s make sure you have some!

You’ll need to purchase or make some kind of maracas or egg shakers for your students to use in the activities. 

No budget? No problem!

If you’re on a tight budget, or don’t have many instruments, this blog post is going to help you solve those two problems.

Keep reading to learn how to make and do music class egg shaker activities.

Don’t have any? no problem.  

This set of shakers has 5 of each color. So if you are purchasing for a large class, then this mayi be the set to buy. I get a kickback from the link when you purchase something.

EGG SHAKER SET WITH 40 EGG SHAKERS

 

 

Or, this set onAmazon by CLICKING ON THIS LINK. (affiliate link)

WEST MUSIC EGG SHAKERS

EGG SHAKER ACTIVITIES FOR PRESCHOOL

Egg shakers are hand percussion instruments like Maracas.

They are found in Caribbean and Latin American Music resources.

Some music styles that depend upon this fun percussion sound are Samba and Mariachi.

Students will love exploring these kinds of music styles while moving and playing games with the egg shakers.

And this style of music really gets the kids moving.

Here’s a YouTube video with some steel drum Caribbean style music.

You can play the music through your speakers so the students aren’t distracted by the video.

I put together some egg shaker activities that you can download from the Sing Play Create Free Resource Library.

FREE DOWNLOAD  list of things you’ll need and also the activities when you subscribe to the Sing Play Create Resource Library.

 

Don’t have any? no problem.  Grab some from the dollar store, or your favorite shop.

Open them up and put in a bit of rice and some dry beans, like pinto or kidney, put them back together using hot glue.

I also wrapped packing tape around mine.

Or, you can purchase egg shaker musical instruments on amazon with this LINK

HOW TO MAKE EGG SHAKERS

A really fun home school project is making them from recycled containers. Here’s what to do:

  1. Have your students gather containers like soda pop bottles, oatmeal canisters, small boxes, plastic food containers, paper towel and toilet paper rolls and kleenex boxes.
  2. Take off any stickers or labels that are loose and seal the edges.
  3. Fill them with rice, beans, spaghetti or other (dry) noodles and
  4. Glue or tape them together. Use duct or packing tape. Then cover with paper.
  5. Decorate your new instruments with tempera (water based) paints, stickers, paper, fabric, and other craft items. (Duct and Packing tapes are difficult to paint over unless you use spray paint or metal paints which are not suitable for children).

Now that you’ve got the egg shakers, you’re ready to do some egg shaker activities!

Remember to give students a chance to get to know their “shakers” and how to treat them. I tell my students that instruments are like best friends and need a lot of care.

During the first experience, give students some leeway in the way they use the shakers. As you continue to do the activities, you can guide them to use them more appropriately.

Ask students to place their shakers on the floor in front of them and to pick them up when the activity or music  begins.

Try using some of these activities after a lesson, or as a transition/brain break activity to channel students’ energy and keep them focused during learning activities.

Free Egg Shaker Activities from Sing Play Create

Click Here to get the full list and activities for FREE.  

Already a SUBSCRIBER?  CLICK HERE TO GO STRAIGHT TO THE FREE RESOURCE LIBRARY.

EGG SHAKER ACTIVITY #1 FEEL THE STEADY BEAT

Here are 2 different ways to play the steady beat.

I start with having the children play the STEADY BEAT. 

You can play a drum or pat your knees  for students to follow along.

Ask them to play when your hands go DOWN and challenge them the stay together.

I ask my students to use their EARS and EYES and HANDS to play the egg shakers.

My friend Jane at Silly-O-Music wrote a wonderful article on Egg Shaker Activities for Preschoolers.

SHAKER EGG ACTIVITIES THAT PRESCHOOL AND KINDERGARTNERS LOVE 

Ask students to sit in a circle. Pass out all of the eggs to your students. Put on some of your favorite music that has a strong beat, and ask students to play the steady beat.

Keep your egg shaker in the air! For more fun, have them walk in a circle and play their eggs.

An all time favorite for younger students is “The Ants Go Marching”.This cute cartoon of ants in a marching band is perfect for the music classroom.

Have your students sing about “fruit” as they play their egg shakers in this fun song.

EGG SHAKER ACTIVITY #2 SHAKE THE RHYTHM

Older students in the first and second grades can experience feeling and identifying the steady beat versus rhythm. Start by teaching a simple rhythm to the whole group. I like to divide the class into small groups and ask group #1 to play the beat and group #2 plays the rhythm. Then we switch parts.

I do love to use classical music too! I found this pretty video with spring flowers to Vivaldi’s Spring from The Four Seasons.

Or this one with a picture of Mt. Fuji at the end.

Each video is about 4 minutes long which is perfect for the younger students.

Older students might enjoy shaking eggs to some Latin Music.

This video features some fancy guitar playing.

EGG SHAKER ACTIVITY #3 HOT EGGS!

Make a big circle. Ask one student to sit in the middle of the circle with the egg shaker. That student shakes the egg when the music is played. When the music stops. That student gives the egg shaker to another student.

VERSION #2

Place a bucket of egg shakers in the middle of the circle. Begin with one student playing. Instead of passing the egg shaker, the student in the middle chooses another student to join them in the middle of the circle. Activity ends when all of the students are in the middle playing shakers.

Love this brass version of “Flight of the Bumblebee” by Rimsky Korsakov

EGG SHAKER ACTIVITY #4 EGG DANCING

Students can stand in a circle or in spaces around the room. Pass out a shaker to every student. Ask students to dance with their egg shakers.  Suggested musical selections:  Latin, Mariachi, Mexican and Caribbean music.

“Three Little Birds”

“Bonjour Pra Voce”

EGG SHAKER ACTIVITY #5  EGG SHAKER FREEZE!

This activity will help students to listen to music and musical cues. Play the music. Stop the Music. When the music stops, students must stop shaking. I like to let everyone keep trying to start and stop playing their egg shakers. After we play the games a couple of times, you may want to tap the students who didn’t stop and have them sit down-or let everyone keep trying.

I love this song that Miss Nina sings while kids shake their eggs.

EGG SHAKER ACTIVITY #6 SINGING SONGS WITH EGG SHAKERS

Here are the lyrics sung to the tune of “London Bridges”.

Lyrics:

1-Shake your shakers in the air

Shake it here, shake it there

Shake your shakers in the air

Shake your shakers.

2- Shake it high and shake it low (I change my voice to

reflect High/Low)

3-Shake it yes, shake it no

Shake it high and shake it low

Shake your shakers.

4-Shake it up and shake it down (Hold it up high and then

down low)

Shake your shaker on the ground

Shake it up and shake it down

Shake your shakers.

5-Shake it near and shake it far

Drive your shaker like a car

Shake it near and shake it far

Shake your shakers.

6-Shake it fast and shake it slow

Shake it stop, shake it go

Shake it fast and shake it slow

Shake your shakers.

 Remember- You can get ALL of these ideas in the FREE BOOKLET by SUBSCRIBING to the Sing Play Create Library.

Sung to the tune of “LONDON BRIDGES”

Need an easy to learn version?  Try playing this song using 2 simple chords on the Guitar or Ukulele: C and G7…Or on the xylophones have students play the steady beat on C and G as other students sing the song.  Here are my easy to learn and play lyrics:

“Let’s Shake Shakers!”  By Sandra Hendrickson

LYRICS

Verse 1:

Shake your shaker in the air, in the air, in the air.

Shake your shaker in the air.

Let’s shake shakers!

Verse 2:

Shake your shaker high and low, high and low, high and low.

Shake your shakers high and low.

Let’s shake shakers!

Verse 3:

Shake your shakers up and down, up and down, up and down.

Shake your shakers up and down.

Let’s shake shakers!

Verse 4:

Shake your shakers ‘round and ‘round, ‘round and ‘round, ‘round and ‘round.

Shake your shakers ‘round and ‘round.

Let’s shake shakers!

Verse 5

Shake your shakers in and out, in and out, in and out.

Shake your shakers in and out.

Let’s shake shakers!

And if you want to really get your students shaking eggs and connecting to literacy, you’ll want to check out my song “Shake Your Egg!” for Music Class spring activities.

https://youtu.be/rLU8UPDYW4c

“Shake Your Egg” 
ACTIVITY SONG:

The song that also reinforces colors.   I have students play only when it’s their “color” turn. It’s a great activity for those visual and kinesthetic/tactile learners. The video keeps student attention focused and engaged.

You can find it in my store: “SHAKE YOUR EGG-ACTIVITY SONG” WITH VIDEO and MP3.

How can you NOT have a great time with egg shakers?

They’re perfect for any time of year- but especially in the spring around the Easter holiday time,  to get the  spring “wiggles” out transition activity song.

Now you’ll want to be sure to get your FREE Egg Shaker Activities Download HERE!

free egg shaker activities

Looking for more creative movement activities?

You’ll want to check out this series on CREATIVE MOVEMENT:

Creative Movement Activities

“Parachute Activities”

“Scarf Activities”

“Stretchy Band Activities”

“Balls in the Classroom”

I’m hoping these ideas help you with egg shaker activities!

Sandra from Sing Play Create

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Meet Sandra

Hi there!  I’m Sandra, one of the authors behind Sing Play Create.  My goal is to provide teachers with interactive resources and activities to improve the effectiveness of their teaching and enhance student learning.

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