For teachers · grades 1 to 4 · one phone, no materials
Rhythm games for kids: from the pulse to their own rhythm.
Five steps from the pulse to ti-ti, each with a game for the class and a round with Mika. First, the pulse:
Mika: I count to four, then I clap first. I hear what you clap back, and I don't give marks.
Clap along, once on every beat. You can change the tempo while the pulse is running: that's step 3.
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Step 1 · PulseFind the pulse
The pulse above is on; everyone pats it on their thighs, then walks to it around the room. Grades 3–4: the pulse travels hand to hand round the circle, and when it stops, everyone keeps counting in their head.
Grades 1–4 · 3 min · medium Clap it back: set it to Slow. Mika's first rhythms are almost just the pulse. -
Step 2 · EchoI clap, you clap it back
You clap four beats, the class claps them back without a gap. Then Mika takes over: he claps two bars, one child claps them back into the phone. Grades 3–4: a child leads, the others answer.
Grades 1–4 · 4 min · loud Clap it back: Normal and Class mode. After each round, tap “Next child”. -
Step 3 · Fast and slowCreep, walk, run
Switch the pulse above between Slow and Fast: on slow everyone creeps, on normal they walk, on fast they run on the spot. Grades 3–4: the tempo changes mid-bar, and nobody stops.
Grades 1–4 · 3 min · loud Clap it back: the same rhythm on Slow, then on Fast. -
Step 4 · RestsSilence has its place
Ta ta ta sh: on “sh” everyone opens their hands without a sound. Then the rest moves somewhere else in the bar, and the class says where it was. Grades 3–4: two rests in one bar.
Grades 1–4 · 3 min · medium Clap it back: the gaps in Mika's rhythms are the rests. Under the lanes it says “sh”. -
Step 5 · SubdivisionTa is dog, ti-ti is Mi-ka
Ta is one step, ti-ti is two quick ones. With words it comes by itself: “Dog, dog, Mi-ka, dog”. Grades 3–4: each child makes up a bar from words, the class claps it back.
Grades 1–4 · 4 min · medium Clap it back: clap it right and you go up a level; that's where the ti-ti come in. -
Next · with notesThe pulse gets notes
For classes with Boomwhackers: a child hums a short tune, the page shows it as a row of coloured tubes. Each child with that colour plays their note, one tube per beat, with the pulse above running.
Grades 1–4 · 10 min · loud Boomwhacker colours: set the tempo there to Slow, and “Show it big” for everyone. -
To finish · with a beatBrumm Kids: a beat to clap along to
Press Play in the app and Mika makes the beat. The class claps the pulse, a child hums two bars, and the tune plays along in time.
Grades 1–4 · from 5 min · medium Open Brumm Kids: press Play once and the beat is loaded.
Five minutes: to start a lesson
For the start of a lesson, or when the class needs to move in between. The phone lies at the front, loud.
- 0–1 · Pulse
Above, “Pulse on”, Normal.
Can you hear the beat? Pat along on your thighs. Don't speed up.
- 1–3 · Echo with Mika
Clap it back in class mode: two or three children in turn, the others clap quietly on their palm.
Mika claps first, you clap it back. Everyone else listens and claps with one finger.
- 3–4 · Fast and slow
Back to the pulse, Slow, then Fast.
Now we're creeping. And now we're running, but on the spot.
- 4–5 · Pulse in your head
Pulse on; after four beats tap “Pulse off”. Everyone keeps clapping quietly, and after eight beats you switch it on again.
I'm turning the pulse off, you keep going. Are we still together when it comes back?
Fifteen minutes: the whole way
All five steps in order, for grades 1–2. What's different in grades 3–4 is below.
- 0–2 · Pulse
Above, “Pulse on”, Slow. Pat first, then walk in a circle.
Our heart beats, and so does music. We walk exactly on the beat.
- 2–5 · Echo
First you clap, then Clap it back in class mode, Normal.
I go first, you copy me. Exactly like that, not louder. And now it's Mika's turn.
- 5–7 · Fast and slow
The pulse above changes: Slow, Normal, Fast.
Listen closely: is it getting faster or slower? Your feet will tell me.
- 7–10 · Rests
Ta ta ta sh, hands open without a sound on the rest. Then one round with Mika: where did he leave a gap?
A rest isn't a mistake, it belongs there. On “sh” we open our hands very quietly.
- 10–14 · Ti-ti
Say “Dog, dog, Mi-ka, dog”, then say and clap it, then only clap. Two or three children clap with Mika.
A dog takes one step, Mika takes two little ones. Who can hear where Mika is?
- 14–15 · Quiet ending
Pulse on, Slow. Everyone claps with just one finger on their palm, then off.
Very quietly, just one finger. And now: silence.
Grades 3–4: with the pulse, play “pulse in your head” with eight silent beats. In the echo, a child leads after two rounds. The tempo changes mid-bar. Rests in two places. With ti-ti, each child makes up a bar from words and the others clap it back. If there's time, Brumm Kids with a beat as a sixth step.
At the desk, quietly
When nobody can get up or the class gets restless: every step works at the desk. Instead of patting, children tap two fingers on the desk; instead of walking, they nod; the rest is a hand raised in the air. Clap it back works with taps on the screen instead of claps too.
How to tell it's working
No marks, no comparing children. Three questions for the whole class: does it stay together on the pulse, even when the pulse is briefly off? Can it clap a rhythm back without anyone starting early? Can a child make up a bar of their own that the others clap back? If so, the class is ready for the next step.
What you need
A phone with an up-to-date browser (Safari or Chrome), volume up; on an iPhone, the silent switch off. A Bluetooth speaker helps in a big room. No account, nothing to print, no sheet music.
Only Clap it back uses the microphone, and only once a child taps; it listens only for claps and closes after two bars. Nothing is recorded or uploaded (Privacy at Brumm Kids). The pulse above needs no microphone.
This sequence is new and hasn't been tried in a class yet. If you try it, tell us what worked: hello@brumm.ai.