Ideas For Boomwhackers®

Boom-A-Rhythm

Submitted by Tami Mangusso, Aurora, Colorado

Idea posted 2004-06-03

Here is an activity that I have been using to assess my students in note reading and rhythm reading.

Boom-a-Rhythm
Materials: Two sets of diatonic Boomwhackers®, note cards, rhythm cards
Objective: To play the rhythm with the correct Boomwhacker®

Divide the class into two teams. Each team will set the Boomwhackers® on the floor in order. I stand in the middle of the playing area, and I have one team on either side of me. The teams have their backs towards the middle of the playing area. One team member from each class comes and sits in front of their Boomwhackers®.

The teams start by facing the teacher. The teacher shows a note card. The students then grab the appropriate Boomwhacker®. (For example, if the card was line E, they must grab the yellow E Boomwhacker®.) Once the students grab what they think is the correct Boomwhacker®, they hold it up in the air. (It's okay if they have grabbed the wrong one at this point.) The teacher then shows the players a rhythm card. (I let the team who grabbed the Boomwhacker® first go first this time.) After each student has played the rhythm (the same one), the teacher asks the class to give a thumbs up or down if Player One/Team One whacked the rhythm correctly. If they were correct, their team gets a point. The teacher will also ask the class to give a thumbs up or down if the team played with the correct Boomwhacker®. If they did use the correct Boomwhacker®, their team gets another point. Use the same point application with Player Two/Team Two. Continue the game until everyone has had a turn.

My goal for this activity was to assess every individual, so I needed both players to play. However, if your objective is just to have fun, here are some variations to make it more of a challenging game:

1. Players buzz in before they play. (I use different rhythm instruments for buzzers.) Only the team that buzzes in first may play the rhythm. The teams must be ready to play before they buzz in (i.e., they must have the Boomwhacker® selected).
2. Play with more teams. The number of teams would depend on how many sets of Boomwhackers® you have or on your level of patience.
3. Use chords: Have three players at a time and assign them a number (i.e., one, three, and five). The teacher shows three cards, and each player must find the appropriate Boomwhacker®. (I put numbers on each card so that the student knows which card is for them.) Players can help each other find the correct Boomwhacker®. Then the teacher shows a rhythm card, and the three players play the rhythm together. Ask the teams if they know what chord they have and give bonus points for identifying the correct chord. You can also just show the cards and not assign numbers. Have the three players work together to get the appropriate Boomwhacker®. Once the teams have the Boomwhackers® and have decided who will play which one, have them buzz in to indicate they are ready.