A Fun and Free Music Game for Children: The Imaginary Marching Band

If you are short on funds but want to engage your children or students in a fun and exciting music game, the Imaginary Marching Band Game is perfect. It is an easy game to play whether you are teaching in a classroom setting, outside in a playground, working at a camp, or even planning a birthday party for your child.

What you will need for the Imaginary Marching Band Game

You will only need a CD of marching tunes, a CD player, and children that have a wonderful imagination. The music of Sousa is always great for this game, since most children are familiar with the patriotic music he wrote. If you do not have a CD player available, choose a song like Yankee Doodle for the children to sing. I have played this music game with my students before, and both the CD and the singing method have led to a fun and musical time!

Identify Instruments of the Marching Band

Before you begin the music game, ask the children to tell you what music instruments are in a marching band. Some music instruments they may mention include the marching drums, the sousaphone, the flute and piccolo, trumpets, cymbals, and many other music instruments. Designating yourself as the music conductor, assign each student a music instrument to "play".

Marching Band Practice

Have the children pretend to play their music instrument. If the children do not know how to play their music instrument, help them out by demonstrating yourself. Have the children make the sounds that their music instruments make. If you are a little shaky on what music instrument does what sound or you are not sure how one would hold a French horn, just have the children play music instruments that you are familiar with. Use a song like Yankee Doodle or play your music CD and have the children practice playing their imaginary marching band instruments.

The Parade!

In a classroom setting, you can have the students march around the classroom. If you are outside or have access to a gym or larger space, stage the marching band parade in that area instead. I usually pretend to be the conductor, but sometimes I will allow a responsible student to play the important role of leading the marching band through their imaginary parade.

Group the children according to the marching band instrument they are pretending to play. Playing or singing the marching music loudly, have the children begin their fun and exciting marching band parade.

Variations

For fun, you may want to incorporate more than just marching band music in the parade. You might want to play some world music, classical music, or even jazz in the parade, and encourage the children to change their instrument according to what they are hearing. Another fun variation is playing a music freeze game with them. As they march, turn the music on and off. When the music stops, the parade must freeze in its tracks.