Explore an increased range of body percussion including additional fine motor movements, e.g. tapping the palm, flicking the fingers
Play a follow-my-leader echo game, with 4 beats played with each body percussion sound, e.g. claps, clicks, stamps, cheek pops, tongue clicks etc. Incorporate ‘silent’ actions, too, e.g. nodding, blinking, jazz hands.
This can work with the teacher as the model (child copies the teacher) and with the child as the model (teacher copies the child).
In a 4-beat activity, if the child presents more or less than 4 beats, respond with a positive but constructive comment, e.g. ‘That’s a lot of claps – can we do it again and all count out loud to 4?’
Play ‘copy me’ activities where children copy a single body percussion sound in a rhythmic pattern. Extend this by encouraging children to copy two sounds in a rhythmic pattern.
Play body percussion relay: Invite children to stand in a circle, invent a body percussion pattern (e.g. clap-stamp-snap), and pass it around, with other children adding new elements to create a long sequence.
This fosters rhythmic memory, sequencing and cooperation.
Use body percussion to enhance story/picture books, asking children to create sounds for different parts of the story.
Explore the progression of this Learning Descriptor
