In our classes, we typically do a group drumroll to end our warm-up. It’s a great way to transition to skill-focused work, and rolling gives students a chance to focus on relaxation and form. In our kids’ classes, we have two approaches that turn the roll into a game, boosting engagement. They’re both effective in person and in virtual classes.
Red Light Green light
If you’re not familiar with the children’s game Red Light Green Light, you can find tens of thousands of explanations of it through a Google search. We use a piece of red paper and a piece of green paper. If Kristin holds up the green paper, students roll; when she holds up the red paper, they stop. In Zoom, the paper can also indicate dynamics. If it’s close to the camera, students roll loud; if it’s farther away, they roll quietly. I play along with the 4-5 year olds (they need an example to follow), but not with the 6-7 year olds.
MaruBatsu
Maru means circle in Japanese, and Batsu means X. It’s relatively common in Japan for someone to hold their arms above their head, fingers touching to make a circle, indicating that something is good or correct. They hold their forearms crossed in front of their bodies in an X to indicate the opposite. For drumrolls, Maru means go and Batsu means stop.
Simple and effective tricks to get your younger students excited about playing a drumroll. Let us know if you try them in your classes, and happy teaching!