Kidding Around With Johnette Downing

Welcome to Kidding Around! This page is filled with fun activities, games, riddles, poems, coloring pages, and links. I hope you enjoy kidding around with me!

Activities

Mardi Gras Maracas
String is the Thing
Marvelous Maracas
Crazy Kazoos
Word Search Puzzle
Riddles
Games
Haiku For Kids
Coloring Musical Instruments

Mardi Gras Maracas © 2005 By Johnette Downing
Materials:	Dry, empty and cleaned plastic water bottle with lid Mardi Gras beads
Instructions:	Place three or four Mardi Gras beads in an empty and clean plastic water bottle. Shake!
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String is the Thing
By Johnette Downing

String is the thing
Strings can sing
Can you count the strings
On these musical things?

A violin we begin
With melodies galore
How many strings do I have?
I have __________

A guitar we strum or pick
With cool and groovy licks
How many strings do I have?
I have ___________

A mandolin small and bright
With tunes sweet and great
How many strings do I have?
I have __________

Answers: A violin has four strings, a guitar has six and a mandolin has eight

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Marvelous Maracas By Johnette Downing
Activity:	Making Maracas
Subject:	Music and Art
Materials:	Cardboard tubes Paint Beans or Mardi Gras beads Stapler Yarn or colored tissue
Instructions:	Have children paint tubes and let dry over night. Staple one end of the tube. If using Mardi Gras beads, cut beads into little pieces. Place a small handful of beads or beans (about ten beads or beans) into tube. Do not fill tube. Fewer beads sound better. Staple the open end of the tube perpendicular to the stapled end. This will allow more room inside the tube for the beads to move around. Staple yarn or colored tissue to the stapled ends as fringe for decoration. Play music, shake maracas and enjoy
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Crazy Kazoos By Johnette Downing
Activity:	Paper Kazoo
Subject:	Music, Art and Science
Materials:	Wax paper Scissors
Instructions:	Cut wax paper into a small rectangle. Hold ends of wax paper lightly with index fingers and thumbs Dry your lips and pucker. Lightly place wax paper on dry lips. Say "Dooooo" in a high pitch.


Activity:	Tube Kazoo
Subject:	Music, Art and Science
Materials:	Wax paper Cardboard tube Rubber band Hole punch
Instructions:	Make one hole punch in the cardboard tube. Place wax paper on the opposite tube end from the hole punch. Place a rubber band tightly around wax paper to hold in place on tube. Place dry mouth in open end of tube. Say "Dooooo" in a high pitch.


Activity:	Comb Kazoo
Subject:	Music, Art and Science
Materials:	Wax paper Comb
Instructions:	Fold wax paper over comb. Hold comb in front of your dry lips. Hum or say "Dooooo" in a high pitch.
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Word Search Puzzle

Click on the puzzle you would like to do. A new window will open. Print the word search puzzle. Have Fun!!

Instruments Word Search	Music Word Search

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Riddles
By Johnette Downing
© 2003 Johnette Downing

What kind of bird likes to sing?
A hummingbird.

What fish plays music?
A drum.

What kind of insect likes to dance?
A jitterbug.

What is a squirrels' favorite ballet?
The Nutcracker.

Why did the bird play his flute on a beach?
Because he was a sandpiper.

Why did the triceratops join the band?
Because he had three horns.

What do you get when you cross a bull, a rhino and a pyramid?
A band - three horns and a triangle.

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Games

Unscramble the Orchestra!

Unscramble the words below.

1. Sumic	___________________
2. Cheortrsa	___________________
3. Downoiwd	___________________
4. Trsnigs	___________________
5. Rsbsa	___________________
6. Rescupsoin	___________________
7. Danb	___________________
8. niwd	___________________
9. tondocucr	___________________
10. corse	___________________
Answers: 1) music 2) orchestra 3) woodwind 4) strings 5) brass 6) percussion 7) band 8) wind 9) conductor 10) score

Unscramble these musical instrument words.
1. urmd	___________________
2. artnigle	___________________
3. asmraca	___________________
4. tgiaru	___________________
5. lelbs	___________________
6. eurtamobni	___________________
7. nopia	___________________
8. lnivoi	___________________
9. sasb	___________________
10. tmeptur	___________________
Answers: 1) drum 2) triangle 3) maracas 4) guitar 5) bells 6) tambourine 7) piano 8) violin 9) bass 10) trumpet

Missing Letters

Fill in the missing letter(s) of these music words:

Tu__a
Be__t
Dr__m
Gui__ar
Ta__bouri__e
Tru__ __ et
Ba__ __ oon
O__oe
Pi__ __olo
Ce__ __o

1) b 2) a 3) u 4) t 5) m, n 6) m, p 7) s, s 8) b 9) c, c 10) l, l

What Is In A Name?

Fill in the blanks.

A person who plays the flute is a ___________.
A person who plays the piano is a ___________.
A person who plays the drums is a ___________.
A person who plays the percussions is a _____________.
A person who plays the guitar is a _____________.
A person leading the orchestra is a _____________.
A person who sings is called a _________ or _________.
A person who writes lyrics is a ___________.
A person who composes music is a ____________.
A person who plays a musical instrument is a __________.

1) flautist 2) pianist 3) drummer 4) percussionist 5) guitarist 6) conductor 7) singer or vocalist 8) lyricist 9) composer 10) musician

All In the Music Family

The orchestra is divided into four sections or families: string, brass, percussion and woodwind. List the instruments that make up each family in an orchestra.

1) The string family is made up of four stringed instruments. List four below:

__________ ____________ ___________ ____________

2) The woodwind family is made up of several wind instruments. List four below:

__________ _____________ ____________ ___________

3) The brass family if made up of four brass instruments. List four below:

__________ ___________ ____________ _____________

4) The percussion family is made up of many percussive instruments. List four below:

__________ ___________ __________ _____________

1) violins, violas, cellos and double basses. 2) piccolos, flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, and cor anglais. 3) trumpets, trombones, horns and tubas. 4) timpani, drums, bells, xylophones, glockenspiels, cymbals, triangles, hand bells, wood blocks, gongs and rattles.

Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin

Read Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin by Lloyd Moss and answer these questions:

One musician playing alone is playing __________.
Two musicians playing are a _______.
Three musicians playing are a ________.
Four musicians playing are a _________.
Five musicians playing are a __________.
Six musicians playing are a ___________.
Seven musicians playing are a _________.
Eight musicians playing are a __________.
Nine musicians playing are a __________.
Ten musicians playing are a ___________.

1) solo 2) duo 3) trio 4) quartet 5) quintet 6) sextet 7) septet 8) octet 9) nonet 10) chamber group

Jump Rope Rhymes

Here are some fun jump rope rhymes to learn, jump and share. All you need is the rope! Check out more rhymes in Anna Banana – 101 Jump Rope Rhymes by Joanna Cole and The Jump Rope Book by Elizabeth Loredo.

Starters rhymes:

Bluebells, cockle shells
Eevy, ivy OVER.

Counting rhymes:

Bubble gum, bubble gum in a dish
How many pieces do you wish?
One, two, three….

My little sister dressed in pink
Washed all the dishes in the kitchen sink
How many dishes did she break?
One, two, three….

Alphabet rhymes:

ABC and vegetable goop
What will I find in my vegetable soup?
A, B, C….

Fortune teller, fortune teller please tell me
What will the name of my true love be?
A, B, C….

Partner rhymes:

I like coffee, I like tea
I’d like ______ to jump with me.

Rooms for rent
Inquire within
As I move out
Let _____ move in.

Fast "pepper" rhymes:

Mabel, Mabel set the table
Just as fast as you are able
Don't forget the salt, sugar, vinegar, mustard
And red hot peppers!

Musical Matching Game

Try to match these musical terms with their definitions!

Term	Definition
1. Tempo	A. High or low
2. Rhythm	B. One beat
3. Pitch	C. Fast or slow speed
4. Rest	D. The number of beats per measure
5. Whole Note	E. One half beat
6. Half Note	F. A period of silence
7. Quarter Note	G. Two beats
8. Eighth Note	H. Four beats
9. Time Signature	I. The beat of the song
Answers: 1-C, 2-I, 3-A, 4-F, 5-H, 6-G, 7-B, 8-E, 9-D

Nursey Rhyme Matching Game

Try to match these phrases with their picture! Click on image to enlarge and print.

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Haiku is a short, "word picture" poem of Japanese origin. In English, a haiku is made up of two images separated by a pause usually in three unrhymed lines of fewer than seventeen syllables.

dark bayou
a fish jumps
through the moon