Find your heartbeat, find your rhythm

Music

Build your own rhythm shaker using items from around your house. For inspiration, look for an old Easter egg, a toilet paper roll or an empty jar and fill with rice, lentils, beads, etc.

Once you have made your shakers listen to “Get Rhythm” by Johnny Cash. See if you can shake to the slower beat (1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4) or the faster rhythmic pulse (1ee2ee3ee4ee).

Mindfulness

I often teach about the steadiness and constance of the musical beat by having kids recognize their own heartbeats which are naturally steady and constant. It is much easier to feel your heart beating after some heavy physical movement. So, after listening to and shaking your new instruments along with “Get Rhythm”, ask your child to place his or her hand on his or her chest to find the heart beating. While being very still and quiet, see if your child can feel their heartbeat go from beating pretty strongly and quickly to beating slowly and steadily.