Eggtivities Cards by Drums for Schools

Eggtivities (non-song)

Tags: Listening, Motor Control, Focus, Spatial awareness, hand-eye coordination

2 years+, Up to 20 kids, 5 minutes+

NSE1

Egg Rolls

Short Summary

Game: Rolling the egg shaker along the floor, becoming aware of body parts and senses involved in the action. Needed

Egg shakers

The Activity

1. Roll your egg from one side of the room to the other. 2. How does it sound? 3. Is there any difference in the sound between when you start the roll and when the egg slows down before stopping?

Notes/Suggestions

On Reflection: Draw attention and awareness to the senses required for the action e.g. What parts of ourselves do we use to make the egg roll? (Arms, Shoulders, Eyes, Ears) Science/Benefits

Eggtivities (non-song)

Tags: Listening, Motor Control, Focus, Spatial awareness, hand-ear coordination

2+ years+, Up to 20 kids, 10+ minutes

NSE2

Hidden Egg Rolls

Short Summary

Game: Similar to Egg Rolls (NSE1) but with the added fun of not being able to see what’s happening. Great fun for eager listeners! Needed

Plenty of egg shakers and clean cloths for making blindfolds. The Activity

1. Wearing a blindfold or with eyes closed, roll your egg from one side of the room to the other. 2. How does it sound? 3. Is there any difference in the sound between when you start the roll and when the egg slows down before stopping? 4. Are the sounds different if you take off the blindfold? 5. How?

Notes/Suggestions

Consider just having one or two children blindfolded at a time. Be sensitive if applying blindfolds. Whilst they can be fun they can also be scary to some. Focus on Listening to the egg roll. Science/Benefits

Ear-Hand co-ordination, reduced emphasis on visual information/ feedback, Listening, Motor Control, Focus, Spatial awareness soundchildren.com drumsforschools.com © 2018 Craig Traﬀord and Drums for Schools Ltd

Eggtivities (non-song)

Tags: Listening, Motor Control, Pin-pointing, Spatial awareness, hand-ear coordination

3+ years+, Up to 20 kids, 20+ minutes

NSE3

Egg Rolled

Short Summary

Game: Extension of Egg Rolls (NSE1) but this time just one player is blindfolded/eyes covered in order to emphasise and practice the use of “ears only”. Needed

Plenty of egg shakers and a clean cloth for making blindfold. The Activity

1. One ‘spotter’ sits blindfolded in the middle of a circle. 2. Everyone else has a shaky egg. 3. One person rolls their shaky egg towards the centre. 4. The ‘spotter’ in the centre has to guess from which direction the egg was rolled.

Notes/Suggestions

Be sensitive to covering the eyes and emphasise listening. Some children can be auditory-sensitive and it may be a little frightening for them, so well worth introducing the game slowly to these children. Feeling Safe is #1! Science/Benefits

Eggtivities (non-song)

Tags: Teamwork, motor control, listening, handeye, tactile and kinaesthetic awareness

2 years+, Up to 20 kids, 5 minutes+

NSE5

Scrambled Eggs

Short Summary

Game: Adding the parachute or fabric brings a more obvious element of togetherness and teamwork this game. Needed

Egg shakers, parachute or large sheet of fabric. Soft flooring (e.g. carpet or lino or grass) as very hard surfaces may cause eggs to crack if dropped repeatedly!! The Activity

1. A piece of fabric is required [parachutes are good, otherwise something big like a sheet or tablecloth.) 2. Everyone holds the outside of the fabric so it is stretched horizontally. 3. Place one egg in the middle of the fabric. Everyone shakes it from side to side [NO BOUNCING or FLAPPING as the egg can fly out and hit somebody!) 4. Now put two more eggs in the middle and repeat. 5. Now place the whole bag or box-load of eggs in the middle. 6. Do some fast scrambles. 7. Do some slow scrambles. 8. Is there any difference in fast and slow scramble sounds?

Notes/Suggestions

Watch for over-vigorous shaking of the fabric. Even though the egg shakers are very light, they still have a hard shell and can cause injury or may break if not responsibly handled. Science/Benefits

Teamwork, co-ordination, motor control, listening, hand-eye coordination, tactile and kinaesthetic awareness soundchildren.com drumsforschools.com © Craig Traﬀord and Drums for Schools Ltd 2018

Eggtivities (non-song)

Tags: Teamwork, Motor Control, Focus, Coordination Age Range: 3+ Children:>20 Length: 15 Mins

NSE6

Scrambled Egg Slide

Short Summary

Similar to Eggtivity 5 but with added co-operation and co-ordination, with the group being divided into sides. This game depends on the children taking turns and, though it may become chaotic, it will reward the children when they get it right. Needed

Egg shakers, parachute or large sheet of fabric. Soft flooring (e.g. carpet or lino or grass) as very hard surfaces may cause eggs to crack if dropped repeatedly!! The Activity

1. Repeat the previous activity [NSE5 - Scrambled Eggs] but in this instance, everyone on one side of the fabric bends down low, while on the other side everyone raises the fabric high. 2. The eggs race down the slide until all of them have stopped. 3. Repeat on the other side.

Notes/Suggestions

There will be an outpouring of eggs at one side so it’s perhaps a good idea to have a couple of designated egg collectors on each side of the fabric. This way you don’t have all the children rushing around trying to find their own egg to place back onto the fabric.

Science/Benefits

Individual and Team Motor control, synchronised hand-eye coordination, tactile and kinaesthetic awareness – all movements must be slow for safety reasons.

soundchildren.com drumsforschools.com © Craig Traﬀord and Drums for Schools Ltd 2018

Eggtivities (non-song)

Tags: Teamwork, co-ordination, patience, motor control

3years+, Up to 20 kids, 10 minutes+

NSE7

Scrambled Egg See-Saw

Short Summary

We pick up where the last eggtivity left oﬀ. The taking-in-turns principle having been established, we now focus on bringing the process into one continuous flow of movements. Needed

Egg shakers, parachute or large sheet of fabric, soft floor.

The Activity

1. Repeat the previous eggtivity but with continuous movement like a see saw. 2. How fast can this see-saw go without losing any eggs?

Notes/Suggestions

Great patience may be required but the result is well worth it!

Science/Benefits

Are we competing or co-operating or both? Are we working together or is one side against the other? Experiencing being part of a team. What happens if we are too bouncy? Motor control – all movements must be slow for safety reasons.

soundchildren.com drumsforschools.com © Craig Traﬀord and Drums for Schools Ltd 2018

Eggtivities (non-song)

Tags: Attention, focus, motor control, spatial awareness, listening, feeling, sensing

3 years+, Up to 20 kids, 15 minutes+

NSE8

Meggsican Wave

Short Summary

Probably the greatest challenge to date. If you have conquered the side to side movement of the previous eggtivities, you are now challenged to develop a smooth circular wave movement in order to help the eggs travel around the fabric. Can you do it? Needed

Egg shakers, parachute or large sheet of fabric that can be stretched/pulled taut, soft flooring.

The Activity

1. Start with all the eggs in the middle of the fabric. 2. The whole group performs a Mexican wave with the fabric so that the eggs travel around the fabric in a circle. 3. Begin slowly until you’ve got a good flow. How fast can you go? 4. Can you repeat this eggtivity in the opposite direction?

Notes/Suggestions

Play some Mexican Wave type games beforehand in order to convey the principle and movement. If you don’t have any, get in touch and we’ll share some with you! Science/Benefits

Attention, focus, motor control, spatial awareness, body parts identification, hand-eye co-ordination, listening, feeling, sensing [biofeedback]…

soundchildren.com drumsforschools.com © Craig Traﬀord and Drums for Schools Ltd 2018

Eggtivities (non-song)

Tags: Listening, Motor Control, Play in ensemble

3+ years+, Up to 20 kids, 15 minutes

NSE9

Soft Shoe Shell Full

Short Summary

The beginnings of creating and playing ‘scores’ or 'sound tracks’ for movements, actions and plays in the future. Watch the person move and then create sounds that interpret or describe the way they move. Needed

Plenty of egg shakers and plenty of space are needed for this activity. There are lots of variations that you can do too - it just requires a little imagination. Fortunately, children have this in bucketloads! The Activity

1. Two or three egg players and one ‘soft shoe shuffler’ are required. 2. The ‘shuffler’ walks in as many different styles as they can. [Giant dinosaur strides, tiny pin steps, side-to-side slide, jumps, stamps, stomps etc…] 3. The egg players ‘play’ (represent) the shufflers walking, stepping, stamping or shuffling style on their shaky eggs.

Notes/Suggestions

Sometimes it can be useful to offer a little challenge, for example, if a child is always shaking the same rhythm no matter the movement they are representing, perhaps suggest; “How might a dinosaur play those giant steps? How might a flea play those tiny steps?” See how the children play with these ideas.

Science/Benefits

This gives children the opportunity to interpret observed movement into sound and test response times and accuracy of interpretation. Listening, Responsive Motor Control, Play in ‘ensemble.’

Eggtivities (non-song)

Tags:Attention, focus, motor control, spatial awareness, body parts identification

3+ years+, Up to 20 kids, 20 minutes+

NSE10

Eggssembly Line

Short Summary

Game: Build an assembly line of eggs moving from one end to the other with everyone working in harmony with the beat. Needed

Plenty of egg shakers, seating for everyone in a line. The Activity

1. Everyone is seated in a line. 2. One person keeps the beat – on a drum or hand clapping… 3. With one hand in front, everyone sweeps their hand, close to the floor directly in front of them eg. from left to right as if they were picking up something that had been left on the floor by the person on their left, and passing it to the person on their right. It should look something like a line of little windscreen wipers wiping synchronously from side to side. 4. Feed’ in an egg shaker at one end of the line with the instruction to pass it along the line. Keep the rhythm of the line. Missed it? Pick it up next go. Can you pass eggs along the line without any stopping? 5. After a while of playing this game, [you will hear the egg shaker sounding each time it is moved along the floor] feed in another egg so that as one exits at one end, a new egg enters at the ‘feed’ end. 6. Can you produce a continuous flow of eggs? 7. This game can also be played in a circle or any shape where players can be next to one another.

Notes/Suggestions

Focus on establishing the rhythm before the action. Maybe have everyone clapping along in unison for a while first. Science/Benefits

Eggtivities (non-song)

Tags: Motor Control, Focus, tactile awareness, bio-feedback, hand-eye coordination

3 years+, Up to 20 kids, 5 minutes+

NSE11

Egg Body Roll

Short Summary

Focus on the tactile self by rolling the egg shaker all over your body in every nook and cranny that you can find. Needed

Egg shakers, your body

The Activity

1. Roll your egg all over your body. Take your time to feel it. 2. You can begin at your toes, roll your egg all the way up the front of your body, then back down again. 3. Roll it up one side, then down the other. 4. Start at your shoulder, roll it up your neck, over your head and down the other side. 5. Now roll it back again.

Notes/Suggestions

Do this activity slowly and feel the egg rolling over all these different parts of the body. Does it sound different in different parts? Why do you think this might be? Is it to do with distance from the ears or the surfaces of the body?

Science/Benefits

Attention on and stimulation of tactile awareness and biofeedback messages from your body letting you know how it all feels

soundchildren.com drumsforschools.com © Craig Traﬀord and Drums for Schools Ltd 2018

Tags: Motor Control, Focus, thinking, bodily awareness

Eggtivities (non-song)

3 years+, Up to 20 kids, 5 minutes+

NSE12

Egg Head

Short Summary

Using different parts of your body to make the egg shake.

Needed

Egg shakers, your body.

The Activity

1. Place your egg on your head and hold it there with one hand [or two if you wish]. 2. Now jump up and down to make the shaky sound. 3. Place the egg under your armpit, repeat the jumping activity. Can you get a rhythm going? 4. Now place the egg between your legs, mid-thighs so it doesn’t touch a bone. Jump and jump all over again. 5. How else can you make an egg shake?

Notes/Suggestions

Ask questions such as; “is it easier to use your hands to make the egg shaker work or your armpits? Why?” What happened when you used your head?” How about when you used your knee? Which other parts did you use to shake the egg shaker - can you name them?

Science/Benefits

Thinking outside the box. There are lots of ways to enjoy making sounds with instruments and they don’t always have to be conventional – an exercise in creativity and ‘silliness.’

Tags: Beat Awareness, Imagination, Music Dynamics Basics

Eggtivities (non-song)

3 years+, Up to 20 kids, 15 minutes+

NSE13

Eggspress Train

Short Summary

Objective: To make a shaky egg sound the rhythm of a steam train.

Needed

Egg shakers, your body. The Activity

1. We emphasise the ‘1’ with a vigorous shake, then follow with 3 x softer shakes. 2. Start slowly. 3. You might like to pause occasionally and give a “Whoo-whoo” in ensemble. 4. After a while, pick up steam and speed on. Get faster as you go. 5. See if you can go really fast. 6. Prepare everyone; “Ready to put the brakes on, we’re going to stop.” 7. Count “3-2-1-Stop!” 8. Try introducing gradual slow downs too.

Notes/Suggestions

To make this rhythm we have to have a 4-count “1-2-3-4” that we keep repeating. Science/Benefits

Beat awareness, imagination. Lots of musical dynamics are at play in this activity – stop/start, fast/slow, getting louder-faster/softerslower etc…

Eggtivities (non-song)

Tags: Bonding, teamwork, coordination

3 years+, Up to 20 kids, 15 minutes+

NSE14

Egg Stamp

Short Summary

Synchronise the group to shake one shake together in this Australian Aboriginal sound game. Needed

Egg shakers, your body, enough room space for your circle. It’s important to have a soft floor for this one as the eggs are not indestructible!

The Activity

1. Sit in a circle with everyone holding their egg shaker. 2. Set a medium-paced count of “One – Two – Three-and-Four” 3. On count ‘One’ everyone steps forward and ‘throws’ their egghand into the centre of the circle enough to make a shaky sound (but keep hold of your egg whatever you do!). 4. On ‘Two’ everyone steps back with one foot. 5. On ‘Three-and-Four’ everyone stamps on each count (so there should be 3 x stamps with alternating feet here). 6. How long can you keep this going? 7. Can the group gradually speed up or slow down (challenging!)?

Notes/Suggestions

Do everything without the shaker first and maybe use a sound such as “Huh!” when throwing your hand into the centre. Then repeat with the egg shakers and no vocal sounds. Science/Benefits

Synchronising body movements, as done in so many tribal traditions, can have a wonderfully bonding effect on a group. This activity is challenging and fun.

Eggtivities (non-song)

Tags: Listening, Looking, Sound Cue, Anticipation

3 years+, Up to 20 kids, 5 minutes+

NSE15

Meggsican Wave n Shake

Short Summary

Everyone listens intensely for their sound and visual cue from their neighbour before the relief of being able to play their own part. Needed

Egg shakers, your body.

The Activity

1. Stand in a circle holding your egg. 2. Everyone shakes their own egg once, one at a time in Mexican wave style. 3. Go round and round the circle, one player playing at a time. 4. Can you get faster? 5. Can you slow down? 6. Can you do just as well going in the opposite direction?

Notes/Suggestions

Wait for your neighbour to make a sound before you take your turn.

Science/Benefits

Teamwork, taking turns, anticipation [an essential component of musical and body awareness and intelligence…]

Eggtivities (non-song)

Tags: Motor Control, Focus, tactile awareness, self-expression, discussion, listening

3 years+, Up to 20 kids, 15 minutes+

NSE16

Meggsican Wave-alanche

Short Summary

Similar to the previous Meggsican Wave’n’Shake – this activity adds sustained control and a cumulative effect. Needed

Egg shakers, your body, sound recorder [even your mobile phone will do].

The Activity

1. Repeat the previous Eggtivity [Wave ’n’ Shake] with one difference: the starter starts and continues shaking for a few moments while the follower counts silently to three before joining in. 2. Starter continues shaking, as does the next, and the next… 3. When your turn comes, keep shaking so that the whole circle builds to a crescendo of all eggs shaking together. 4. When all are shaking together, the initial starter counts to 3 and then stops. 5. First follower then counts to 3 and stops. 6. Next counts to 3 then stops and so do the others, all the way around the circle until silence. Notes/Suggestions

A complex idea to communicate at first. Wonderful to record and playback and then listen to comments from the group. Try videoing too. Science/Benefits

As in the previous exercise and with additional components requiring greater listening and manipulative skills, plus eggspressing thoughts and feelings afterwards.