Children begin their middle school years at the age of 11. They’re still pre-teens, and still have the curiosity of childhood. By the time the leave middle school at 13, they’re full-blown teenagers, many already on the path that will lead them to their future career. That makes middle school the best time to reinforce a love of music in them, and why it’s so important to help them maintain that love during these stressful times. As a parent, you can help set them up for life by fostering their creativity at this crucial age. One of the best ways to do this while cooped up at home, is with fun musical activities at home!
Think back to when you were becoming a teenager. I bet you’ll start thinking about all the bands you loved – and listening to that music now is sure to bring back a flood of strong memories, proving how important music is to a growing mind. As a parent, you can ensure that your children will have that music with them as they grow.
This week we’ll be presenting you with three musical activities you can do with your middle school-aged (or older!) kids to help keep them engaged with music – while transitioning through that difficult time of leaving childhood behind to become a teenager!
Describe What You Hear
This is a simple activity that helps to teach kids how to describe music and become more creative with language. It’s a great way to help them learn to listen and concentrate, skills which will become valuable in all parts of their lives. This activity is especially useful for students who already have some experience reading music.
Open Spotify, YouTube, or whatever music app you prefer, and prepare three or four songs. Try different styles and contrasting songs, like Marilyn Manson’s “Sweet Dreams,” Eminem’s “Lose Yourself,” and Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep.”
Play one of the songs without showing them the screen – they shouldn’t be able to see the name of the song. They then must use single words to describe that they hear. Rather than yelling out the words that come to mind, have them right them down.
By the end of the song, they should have a nice list of descriptive words. Next, work with them to categorize their words, identifying words that relate to rhythm, melody, tempo, instrumentation, and so on.
Compose a Rap
Composition is a key element of making music, and is easily one of the most creative musical activities there are. What’s more, it isn’t restricted to students who already have a handle on reading and writing music. With some basic adjustments, you can use composition with most any age groups. In fact, many middle school aged children don’t know how to read and write music – which makes rap the ideal genre for a creative composition activity.
Start by writing a list of four or five topics to choose from. Next, help them decide on some kind of rhyming scheme. Try different patterns, like ABBA and AABB. They can use any scheme they choose, but they should try to remain consistent and the pattern should stay obvious. Give them a set time to come up with their rap, and encourage them to try to finish within the time limit. Once time is up, it’s time for performances! Find a rap backing track on YouTube, and them they go to town!
Create a Rhythm Performance
This is another fantastic creative composition activity that is great for middle-school aged kids. But unlike the rap activity, in this game your kids can’t use their voices! Instead, they must create their own instruments and make a performance using them.
Check out Live Stomp on YouTube. Play a few examples of the incredible performances the group has put on. The Stomp ensemble uses things like brooms and garbage can lids, playing them like musical instruments to create unforgettable performances. Your kids will be amazed by the rhythmic and mesmerizing show.
Work with your kids to find objects around the house that they can use as percussion instruments. If you’ve got a patio or backyard you can use, it’s a great idea to let your kids go out and look for things in the garden.
Collect items for about 10 minutes, then work together to create a percussive composition, inspired by the folks at Live Stomp. Set clear time limits, and when you’re all done preparing the piece, perform it together!
Final Thoughts on Musical Activities at Home
These three musical activities and game for middle school-aged kids are also a lot of fun for anyone who has an interest in music, even if they’re older than 13. Teaching them to describe music, compose a short rap, and make music with everyday objects are all fun and engaging activities that help foster and build a lifelong appreciation for music. Activities like these help make music a part of your kids’ lives as they grow into teenagers, and the adults they’re destined to be!
Looking for a few more fun musical activities to do at home? Check out our Music Resources for Parents page! Discover content and videos on this page created by The Music Studio’s teaching staff that you can experience with your child at home. These fun, educational and entertaining musical skills, activities and games are organized by age group for children 2-13 years of age. We will be adding more resources so be sure to keep coming back.
And if you or your little one is ready to start out on a musical journey with lessons or classes, check out all our professionally taught programs! It’s never too early – or too late – to start!