I love bringing some green and rainbows into March – when the weather teases us with hints of spring only to turn around and blast us with more ice and snow! And let’s be honest, kids love St. Patrick’s Day! There’s something about those little mischievous leprechauns and their tricky antics that sparks their imagination and gets their creativity flowing.
Holiday-themed music theory games are such a great way to add some variety to lessons while also reinforcing important concepts. Whether you’re working on rhythm, note reading, composing or more, these fun St. Patrick’s Day activities will have your students feeling lucky as they learn. So grab your shamrocks, turn the keys green, and let’s bring a little Irish charm into the piano studio!
- Pot of Gold Rhythm Game
- Two Sides of the Same Coin
- Mystery Note
- Magnetic Note-Naming Game
- Clover Craze: Chord Game
- Rainbow Manuscript Paper
Pot of Gold Rhythm Game
Students love this easy rhythm game for beginner/elementary level students. The value of each rhythm note or rest will determine how many gold coins go into the pot. Who can fill their pot the fastest?! With the mini-cauldrons this game can be played at both St. Patrick’s day or Halloween (just swap out the gold coins for Halloween themed mini-eraser or spiders!).
Check out the blog post on how to play.
Two Sides of the Same Coin
Two Sides of the Same Coin is an extremely versatile game about enharmonics. It can be played at least three different ways with many different combinations of coins to put your students’ knowledge of sharps and flats to the test! Check out the blog post for all the details.
Mystery Note
Mystery Note is another way to use the Two Sides of the Same Coin game pieces.
The teacher chooses a key on the piano but does not tell the student which one it is. The teacher then sets a timer for 1 minute (I love this timer by Teach Timers on YouTube). The student has 1 minute to pull coins out of the Leprechaun’s pot and play the corresponding keys on the piano to try to discover the mystery note. For example, the student pulls out an A-sharp, so the student must play the A-sharp on the piano in order to pull out another coin. If the student finds the mystery key, he/she must then name that key’s enharmonic in order to win! For example, the mystery key was C-sharp. The student pulls a C-sharp coin out of the container and plays the correct key on the piano. The teacher then says, “You’ve found the mystery note, what is the enharmonic of C-sharp?” The student must then say D-flat to win. For this version of Two Sides of the Same Coin, I would suggest using a smaller set of note coins depending on the student’s level and ease in naming notes on the staff.
Magnetic Note-Naming Game
This is by far one of the most popular games at my studio! All you need to play are some magnetic rocks (I have 2 sets) and a grand staff print out (available as a free download in the Toucan Piano Shop).
Players take turns placing rocks on the grand staff and naming the line or space as they go. But here’s the twist—if their rock connects to others, they must pick up the entire group and add it to their pile! Whoever gets rid of all their rocks first wins! It’s a game of strategy, skill, and suspense… it is SO fun!! And there is something so satisfying about fiddling around with those magnetic rocks while you play.
Plus, you can make it a St. Patrick’s Day game (or any other holiday for that matter!) by just adding a couple of stickers!
Clover Craze: Chord Game
Clover Craze is a chord building game where students test their knowledge of major and minor chords (12 total) while trying to complete their gameboards. But there’s a twist – and players could end up with WAY more clovers than they bargained for! Check out the blog post for all the details.
Rainbow Manuscript Paper
We are in the season of hearts and rainbows – Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day – and what better way to show your love for someone than with an original piece of music! The rainbow manuscript paper is available in the Toucan Piano shop as a free printable! Print as many as you like for your students. You can read more about how I use the rainbow manuscript paper with my students here.
- Slurs & Ladders: The Recital Prep Game
If there is one game my students beg to play year after year (and sometimes when we don’t even have a recital anytime soon!) is this recital prep game. It’s a great de-stressor and it shows students how prepared they are to perform while also injecting some fun and joy back into those recital pieces that may be sounding a little tired. - Top Practice Tools Every Piano Student should Have: #2 Manuscript Paper
No matter what type of manuscript notebook or journal you choose, one thing is always true: a manuscript notebook is an essential tool for effective, goal-oriented practice! It can serve so many purposes… it can be a communication tool for students and teachers, a practice journal, a troubleshooting tool, a place to be creative, and so much more! - Music Friendship Bracelets
Colorful friendship bracelets make great student gifts for your next recital or they could be a craft for your students to make at a group lesson or studio event! They are colorful, easy to make, and show off our piano pride! - Three-Chord Dash
Boost your students’ chord skills with this fun, fast-paced game! In Three Chord Dash, students race to build their chords quickly and accurately. Who will be the fastest?! On your mark, get set, go!
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[…] St. Patrick’s Day Piano GamesBring the luck of the Irish into your piano lessons this St. Patrick’s Day with fun and engaging music theory games that make learning feel like a celebration! […]
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