Swamp Rhythm Memory Game
I loved to play the game “Memory” as a kid. So I thought I would create a rhythm memory game with a swamp theme for my students. Growing up we had a couple different versions, but the one I remember best was animal memory. There was an animal on each card, and one animal was a picture of the full grown animal. While on another card was a picture of a baby animal. The players set all the cards out face down, and then would take turns turning over two cards. Your goal was to turn over the full grown animal and its baby animal on the same turn. If you didn’t get a match then you had to turn the cards back over and the other player then took a turn.
The goal was to get as many matches as possible. This was also how my brother and I learned the names for the baby animals. “Calf” went with “cow.” “Lamb” went with “sheep.” “Puppy” went with “dog.” We could play this game for hours!
I found an updated version of the game on amazon! Check out how clear and crisp these graphics are. Much different than the version from the (cough..cough cough….)
Louisiana Swamps
I was out running along the Red River today, and there is a section that’s rather stinky. It’s right by all the stagnant water that is left from the river flooding its banks. There is some green “something” growing on top of the water. And Spanish moss is drips from the low branches on the trees. There’s little gap in the trees where you can see the grey and white egrets quietly stand in the green murky water or on a floating log. I’m sure that one day I’m going to see an alligator in there. AND…I’ll probably run a little faster the day that happens.
Swamp Rhythm Memory
So that you can enjoy the swamp life too, I included a couple fun cards in this version of rhythm memory. Loose a turn when you get bite by a mosquito. Get another turn when you play jump like frog. Or, Loose your turn when you stop to watch the egrets.
But the real point of this game is to reinforce what the rhythm symbols mean. Match the note or rest with its name. The student will be need to be able to read since the definition is written with words.
If you are working with a beginning student who is not a confident reader yet, check out Susan Paradis’ blog, Susan Paradis Piano Teaching Resources. Her New Fish Rhythm Matching Cards. These are super cute. Students love to look at her great artwork and I haven’t had a student yet, who doesn’t smile when looking at these fish! For this game you match the rhythm symbol with the number of beats.
I will choose which ever rhythm symbols the student knows and we will play with those cards. I will often send the game home with them to play a couple times during the week at home.
I typically print these cards out on card stock so that students can’t see through the paper. The 5th page of the download is the cover design to help disguise the card. We don’t want any cheating and being able to see through the card. So you can print this design on the back of the first four pages. Sometimes if I use colored card stock, I skip printing the cover design, if I know that there is no chance of them seeing through the card.
Directions
Set out all the cards face down.
The first player turns over two cards. The goal is to match the note or rest with its definition. If the two cards match then take those two cards out and stack them up next to you. The player then takes another turn turning over two cards.
If the two cards do not match turn them back over so that they are face down.
The play then goes to the next player.
If you turn over one of the swamp cards, take the card out and follow the directions on the card.
The game ends when all the cards have been matched.
The player with the most sets of matches wins.
Options
Flashcards – You can just use the rhythm symbols as flashcards and skip the game aspect.
Matching – Leave the cards face up and time the student to see how quickly they can match the symbol with the definition. This will not take as much lesson time as the memory game version.
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