Fun with Rhythm Sticks

Twirling:

Let your child hold one of the rhythm sticks in his/her right hand (vertically). Let your child use his/her fingers to move the stick in a circular clockwise direction. Now let your child move the stick in a circular counter-clockwise direction. Repeat with the left hand.

1. Show your child how to use his/her fingers to move up and down the stick, “crawling” up and down.
2. Let your child hold the stick horizontally and use his/her fingers to move it in a circular motion (like riding on a log).
3. Let your child sit on the floor and hold one stick horizontally across the fingers of both hands. Let your child hold both arms close together straight out from the shoulders, letting the stick roll across his/her hands and arms to his/her shoulders and then back down to the fingers without dropping the stick.

Balancing the stick:

Let your child use four fingers of his/her right hand to balance the stick. Then do the same using three fingers, two fingers and then only one finger. Repeat with the left hand.

1. Let your child balance the stick on his/her head.
2. Let your child balance the stick on his/her forehead.
3. Let your child balance the stick on his/her nose.
4. Let your child balance the stick on his/her chin.
5. Let your child balance the stick on his/her left shoulder.
6. Let your child balance the stick on his/her right knee.
7. Let your child balance the stick on various parts of his/her body and walk forward, backward and sideways while maintaining the balance.
8. Balance one stick on each shoulder, walking a figure of eight.
9. Make a “T” by balancing one stick on the floor and placing the other stick horizontally on top of it. Jump over the “T” without knocking it down. Take the top stick of the “T” without knocking down the bottom stick.
10. Let your child hold one stick vertically in his/her non-dominant hand, balancing the end of the other stick on top of it.

Limbo:

Mom and dad hold the two rhythm sticks together, making a longer stick. Let your child and his/her siblings/friends line up behind the stick. Hold the stick as high as your child’s head and let him/her walk under the stick, bending over backward to get under it. The child may not touch the stick or the floor with any part of his/her body – if he/she does he/she is out. After each player goes under the stick, the holders lower the stick and everyone goes again.

Stick jumping:

Put three sticks an equal distance apart. Each child gets a turn jumping over the sticks in the spaces in-between. The person jumping last has to jump as far as possible. The stick is moved according to his/her jump. Everyone jumps from the opposite side.

Tossing:

Let your child toss his/her rhythm stick from hand to hand.

1. Lift the stick up, let your child release the rhythm stick above his/her head and catch the stick with the same hand. Repeat with the other hand.
2. Let your child flip the stick in the air, turning it over one time only and catch using the same hand. Repeat with the other hand.
3. Let your child flip the stick in the air, turning it over two times and catching using the same hand. Repeat with the other hand.
4. Let your child hold the stick in front of his/her body at eye level (horizontally) with one hand at each end. Release and catch with one hand before it hits the floor. Alternate hands when catching.
5. Let your child hold the stick in front of his/her body at eye level (horizontally) with only one hand. Release and catch with the same hand before the stick hits the floor.

Passing the stick:

Let your child pass the stick around his/her body exchanging hands. On your signal s/he has to change direction.

1. Let your child pass the stick around his/her knees exchanging hands. On your signal s/he has to change direction.
2. Let your child pass the stick in and out of his/her legs in a figure eight pattern. On your signal s/he has to change direction.
3. Let your child hold one stick horizontally in front of his/her body with one hand at each end. Let your child quickly step over the stick with each foot without releasing the ends and then reverse the procedure by stepping back again to the starting position.

Tapping:

Tap out a sound pattern. Let your child repeat the pattern. Try different patterns.

1. Let your child hold the stick, tap the end on the floor, flip the stick in the air and catch it with the same hand. Alternate hands. Then do with two sticks, both hands together.
2. Let your child hold the stick, tap the end on the floor, flip the stick in the air, catch it and taps the bottom end on the floor. Alternate hands. Then do together with both hands together.

Fishing:

Tie the rope with the magnet to the middle of one rhythm stick. Let your child hold the rhythm stick in front of his/her body (horizontally) with one hand on each end. Using his/her fingers, let your child roll down the rope, using the magnet to catch a fish, reversing the movement to roll up the string with the fish.