8th Grade Music Games

Are you ready to introduce (or reintroduce-let’s face it, we all know they forget from year to year) your students to the captivating world of the Elements of Music? Then you’ll enjoy the Elements of Music Vocabulary Mystery Word Match Activity! This engaging lesson is designed to help students familiarize themselves with some essential music vocabulary associated with the elements of music in a fun and interactive way. We all know that students generally love games so they’ll enjoy the gamification of this activity. As they match vocabulary words with their definitions, they’ll discover some letters that they will need to unscramble to find a mystery word.

Activity Overview:

In this activity, students will match vocabulary words to their corresponding definitions related to the elements of music. Each correct match will reveal a letter, allowing students to unscramble and discover the mystery word. This interactive feature adds an extra layer of excitement and challenges to the vocabulary learning experience.

Included in this Activity:

With this activity you will get an interactive worksheet with some words related to the elements of music (e.g., Elements of Music, Duration, Pitch, Dynamics, Timbre, Texture/Harmony, Form and Tempo) and the corresponding definitions and explanations for each mystery word.

When students have completed and found the mystery word, you can provide them with a blank template and have them find additional words related to the elements of music and their corresponding definitions so that they can create their own. You can use this for earlier finishers, as an extension activity or to dig a little deeper for everyone into the elements of music.

In this SPEEDY game, your violin students will see a white dot appear on one of the violin strings (as shown on the powerpoint) corresponding within a tape (first finger, second, third, and so on)

They will then see a multiple choice selection of note names (A, C#, F#, etc) and have to guess which not appears on the white dot -- AS FAST AS THEY CAN!

Advance the slide to show the correct answer!

Towards the end of the presentation, the multiple choice disappears and there will be just the white dot on the violin string and the student will have to guess

Of course... as fast as they can

You can do it team vs team, side vs side, or even have them rally it up and try to name as many in a specific amount of time. Have a great time with this!

Hello Music Maestros!

Are you ready for a musical adventure for your students like no other? If so, gather your pitch-perfect pals and let's dive in!

Imagine an enchanting music academy where something extraordinary has happened. The Elements of Music have vanished! Without them, the musical universe is in chaos. But fear not, task your students with recovering these stolen Elements and restore harmony to the world of sound.

Have some fun in your music classroom today with an Elements of Music themed Escape Room! Everything is ready to go. Simply make a copy of the Google Form, send it to your students, and let the fun begin! Each question needs to be answered correctly until students move on to the next question. The elements of music that students will need to be familiar with are pitch, tempo, rondo, general dynamics, harmony, general note value names, and timbre. You can always change the questions if you need to!

I hope you and your students have a ball with this!

A game that will keep your kids entertained, engaged, and competitively charged, here's SOLFEGE IMPOSTER inspired by "Among Us"**!

_________________________________________**

_IN SOLFEGE IMPOSTER, YOU WILL SEE MULTIPLE CREWMATES ASSIGNED WITH DIFFERENT SOLFEGE HAND SIGNS.
_

_YOUR TASK IS TO DECIDE WHICH CREWMATE IS THE IMPOSTER BY SELECTING THE CREWMATE WHO IS HOLDING UP THE WRONG HAND SIGN

THERE WILL BE ONLY ONE CREWMATE WHO IS THE IMPOSTER?

_________________________________________
_
Included in this resource are

• A printout where you can replicate and cut out cards (if you want the students to place on the floor or hold up to show which one was the imposter)
• Solfege Hand Signs
• 3 Levels of Solfege Identification (3 crewmates, 4 crewmates, multiple syllables)

Have a terrific time with this while your kids study and reinforce solfege!

Welcome to MsNerdWood's Classical Music Escape Room!

Want to introduce your students to the Classical music era in a fun and engaging way? Need a supply teacher activity? I've got you covered!

Introduce your students to the elegance and refinement of the Classical music period with this engaging and interactive escape room activity! Ideal for grades 6-8, this escape room will immerse your students in the world of Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven (and more) while they work together to solve challenges and unlock clues.

Key Features:

• Engaging Content: Students will explore the Classical period (1750-1830), learning about key composers, musical forms, and the cultural context of the era.
• Interactive Challenges: Includes a variety of puzzles and activities designed to reinforce knowledge while keeping students actively engaged.
• Flexible Grouping: Can be completed in pairs or small groups, making it perfect for collaborative learning.
• Minimal Setup: Easy to use with minimal preparation, making it an excellent option for regular classroom use or as a go-to activity for substitute teachers.
• Versatile Use: Ideal for introducing the Classical music period or as a review activity. It’s a great fit for music history units, general music classes, or cross-curricular lessons involving history and the arts.

Why You’ll Love It:

• Student-Centered Learning: Promotes critical thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving skills in a fun and interactive way.
• Easy for Teachers: With clear instructions and all materials included, you can focus on facilitating rather than preparing.
• Great for Substitutes: The ready-to-go format ensures that substitute teachers can seamlessly continue instruction with engaging content.

What’s Included:

• Detailed Teacher’s Guide with step-by-step instructions
• Printable student worksheets and challenge cards
• Answer keys and optional extension activities included!

Bring the Classical period to life in your classroom with this escape room activity that’s sure to captivate and educate your students!

Get ready to Boom it up with your Boomwhackers in this new game that will get your kids engaged from minute 0!

In BoomBastic Rhythm Remix, students will all receive Boomwhackers (either 1 or 2, at the teachers discretion). They will see a series of notes on the bottom of the staff (F space) and the top of the staff (E space).

The notes on the bottom of the staff are designed to be played on the ground (either at an angle, perpendicular, however you choose). The notes on the top of the staff are designed to be played on their hand in the air.

If the entire class plays the rhythm correctly (on the correct area, air or ground), they receive 50 points as you advance the slide onto the next rhythm!

There are 6 rounds

Round 1 - Quarter Notes with Air and Ground signs

Round 2 - Quarter Notes
Round 3 - Eighth Note Pairs

Round 4 - Quarter Note Rests
Round 5 - Adding in playing on the knee on lap (A space with the "Knee" sign)

Round 6 - Continuation

The game is over at 3000 points -- congrats!

I like to play this with background music at around 90-100bpm for some of my older grades and give them a 4 count cue to play the rhythm. The teacher decides the level of mastery before advancing onto the next slide.

Have a great time with this and BOOM IT UP!

Are you looking for something fun and different for your students? Maybe you need some extra activities for early finishers...well look no further!

Entertain your class while integrating music and language with Music Wordle! This resources includes 46 Music Wordles that you can assign to your students or play together as a class. You could even hold a competition to see who can solve each Worldle first! There is lots of flexibility on how you can use this resource. I created this in Google Sheets. Your Music Wordle Google Sheet will include links to each of the 46 Music Wordle Puzzles. I've included a solutions tab as well as a table that includes puzzle hints, if you choose to share with your students. Each hyperlink is set up for you to make a copy of the Music World Puzzle before you play.

Focusing on the timbres of the Trumpet, Trombone, Horn, and Tuba? Try "Brass with Class" on and let your kids zero in on differentiation between each... and more!

In "Brass with Class!" will hear the brass instruments in all sorts of orders (immediately following each other's segment) and their goal is to put them in order they hear them. Students will get a brief review in the beginning by playing the examples of a Trumpet, Trombone, Horn, or Tuba.

After reviewing the timbres, go onto the game where the options will be shown at the top and blank spots at the bottom for the instruments to go. Students can either have printed cards with the instruments, write it in on the whiteboard, call it out, or however you wish! I like to do the printed cards on the floor so the students can line them up and I can assess from the top.

Included are

• Reprintable cards with a clip art of a Trumpet, Trombone, Horn, and Tuba on them
• 12 musical examples with synthetic brass instruments
• Easy, moderate, and difficult modes in the examples (2 instruments to 4 instruments)

Have some class -- Brass with Class!

Welcome to MsNerdWood’s Baroque Music Escape Room!

Want to introduce your students to the Baroque music era in a fun and engaging way? Need a supply teacher activity? I've got you covered.

Transform your music history lessons into an unforgettable adventure with this engaging escape room activity, designed specifically for grades 6-8. Perfect for regular and substitute teachers alike, this escape room introduces students to the wonders of the Baroque era, making music history fun and exciting.

Why Choose This Baroque Music Escape Room?

• Educational and Fun: Students will discover the key elements of Baroque music, learn about famous composers, and understand musical concepts while engaging in thrilling puzzles and challenges.
• Interactive Learning: This escape room is designed to captivate students’ attention, turning traditional music history lessons into an immersive and interactive experience.
• Teacher-Friendly: Easy to set up and facilitate, this activity is perfect for any classroom, especially for supply teachers needing an engaging lesson plan with minimal prep.
• Curriculum-Based: Aligns with curriculum goals, ensuring students gain valuable knowledge about the Baroque period through hands-on activities.

What’s Included?

• Detailed Teacher Guide: Comprehensive instructions to help you set up and run the escape room smoothly, ensuring a hassle-free experience.
• Student Challenges: A variety of engaging tasks, including matching games, true/false questions, and more, focused on the music, art, and culture of the Baroque era.
• Printable Resources: High-quality, visually appealing printables that make learning fun and keep students engaged.
• Answer Keys and Solutions: Complete answer keys for each challenge to support easy facilitation and student success.

Learning Objectives:

• Discover Baroque Music: Students will explore the distinctive features of Baroque music, including its emotional and dramatic qualities.
• Learn About Key Composers: Gain insights into the lives and works of influential composers such as Bach, Handel, and Vivaldi.
• Master Musical Terminology: Understand essential Baroque music terms like fugue, basso continuo, and ornamentation.

Ideal for Any Classroom:

• Versatile Use: Suitable for regular classroom activities, substitute plans, or enrichment programs.
• Engages Diverse Learners: Designed to cater to various learning styles, ensuring every student is involved and motivated.

Bring Music History to Life!

This Baroque Music Escape Room is more than just an educational activity—it’s a dynamic way to make music history fun. By combining learning with adventure, this escape room will leave a lasting impact on your students and ignite their curiosity about the Baroque era.

Download Today!

Enhance your music classroom with this captivating Baroque Music Escape Room and watch your students embark on an exciting journey through the Baroque period.

Bring the fun of "Where's Waldo?" into music class with "Where's Notation?"!

Students will see squares with a single quarter note positioned on the treble clef staff (E,F,G,A,B,C,D,E, and F) and will be asked "Where's __?" (Where's C? Where's E? etc...).

Students will have to work to quickly find the letter on the board (either time limited, group vs group, individual vs individual, however you'd like it!)

As soon as they find it, illuminate the box by pressing the advance button on the slide!

Round 1 has 8 boxes
Round 2 has 10 boxes

Round 3 has 23 boxes (phew!)

Have a great time with this!

Being able to identify rhythms being played is a key essential in any music classroom. How'd you like to make it extra challenging, partner?

In Rhythm Roundup, you'll have a variety of 1, 2, or 3 beat rhythms on the screen of all various notation (quarter, eighths, sixteenth, and rests). A musical example will be played and your little cowpokes will have to identify which rhythm is being played. Tap the right answer and it will illuminate green (all you need to do is advance the powerpoint or PDF!)

Included are 17 different music examples and tons of challenging rhythms to get your kids to think what they heard and line it up with what they see!

RHYTHM FOUR CORNERS!

· To play Four Corners, ensure all students understand quarter notes, eighth note pairs, half notes, and quarter rests.

· Number each side of the room 1, 2, 3, and 4 (or alternatively, color code it green, blue, red, or purple with floor tape)

· They will hear a 9 second timer. Students will have a chance to walk to one of four corners and stay there for the duration of the round.

· On the next slide, the rhythms will appear in each corner and you will play back one of four the rhythms (provided on the Teacher Guide powerpoint). You can use that or you can play a rhythm of your choice (up to you!)

· The students will have to guess which rhythm the teacher played by showing it with their fingers (1, 2, 3, or 4)

· The teacher then reveals to the students which rhythm it was (#1, #2, #3 or #4) and the students who are in that corner are OUT!

· Keep repeating until no kids are left!

Included are 18 examples (you can switch it up each time and do different rhythms each time), the teacher guide, the 9 second timer embedded in the powerpoint file, and instructions

Want to engage your competitive 4th and 5th graders (and even some younger grades) towards the end of the year (or any time of year for that matter?) Try on this brand new game "Boom in a FLASH"

In "Boom in a FLASH", students will see one Boomwhacker color appear on the screen (PowerPoint presentation). The student who is holding that Boomwhacker must play the note (on the ground, hand, elbow, desk, whatever have you!), and then they automatically advance to the next slide...

... to another color!

Keep it going, keep reading because... they're being timed! They will have 30 seconds to amass as many notes as they can (timer included) before the time runs out and they look at their high score (which is kept below).

There are 4 "50" score levels in this presentation. All you do as a teacher is start the clock, start the presentation, and manually press the "next slide" button to advance each time they get it correct. Tally up the points at the end for the high score!

You can play this....

• As a grade level (Class vs Class vs Class vs Class vs Class)
• Side A vs Side B
• Boys vs Girls
• Or however you wish!

It sure gets these kids paying attention (because they're held accountable for playing their note when their color is up!).

Looking for a fun, exciting, challenging, and engaging way to reach students in your upper elementary or lower middle school grades? Try this all-inclusive lesson that will get your kids racing against the clock and each other with The Great Escape!

In “THE GREAT ESCAPE”, students will be given a specific amount of time to perform tasks successfully (as designed by the teacher). Each one of these tasks is a musical task and the theme for this escape room are the notes of the treble clef staff.

There are five rooms, and in each room are several "tasks" students will have to perform (either individually, as a class, A vs B, side by side, or however you wish). As soon as the task is completed, advance the slide for the correct answer (the teacher will control the game).

After a certain number of tasks, a key will be issued to exit the room and head into another room with a different set of tasks.

The five rooms and tasks are as follows:

• Room One: Bedroom (Name the instrument)
• Room Two: Lounge (Classify instrument family)
• Room Three: Kitchen (Classify lowest or highest sounding instrument)
• Room Four: Guest Room (Put instruments in order)
• Room Five: Hallway (Classify instrument accessories into the correct family)

If students complete all tasks and open the door to all five rooms they win the game!

You can play this one of four ways

• Set a timer (5 minutes, 10 minutes, etc). You can designate how long students should receive to complete the entire game
• Keep track of time to beat another class or grade level
• Keep track of time and try again during another class to name it faster
• Play it side vs side, boys vs girls, and see who can get to the end the fastest (or before time ends)

If you would like music to accompany this to make it a bit more engaging, try using this in the background:

Escape Room Background Music

Have a terrific time with this and let us know how it goes!

Looking for a fun, exciting, challenging, and engaging way to reach students in your upper elementary or lower middle school grades? Try this all-inclusive lesson that will get your kids racing against the clock and each other with The Great Escape!

In “THE GREAT ESCAPE”, students will be given a specific amount of time to perform tasks successfully (as designed by the teacher). Each one of these tasks is a musical task and the theme for this escape room are rhythms.

There are five rooms, and in each room are several "tasks" students will have to perform (either individually, as a class, A vs B, side by side, or however you wish). As soon as the task is completed, advance the slide for the correct answer (the teacher will control the game).

After a certain number of tasks, a key will be issued to exit the room and head into another room with a different set of tasks.

The five rooms and tasks are as follows:

• Room One: The Library (Perform the Rhythm shown)
• Room Two: The Kitchen (Identify Rhythm)
• Room Three: The Den (Perform the Rhythm BACKWARDS)
• Room Four: The Boiler Room (Identify Rhythmic Value)
• Room Five: The Lobby (Perform Polyrhythms (1-4 groups of class split)
• Room Five: The Lobby (Diagonal Rhythms and Shapes)

If students complete all tasks and open the door to all five rooms they win the game!

You can play this one of four ways

• Set a timer (5 minutes, 10 minutes, etc). You can designate how long students should receive to complete the entire game
• Keep track of time to beat another class or grade level
• Keep track of time and try again during another class to name it faster
• Play it side vs side, boys vs girls, and see who can get to the end the fastest (or before time ends)

If you would like music to accompany this to make it a bit more engaging, try using this in the background:

Escape Room Background Music

Have a terrific time with this and let us know how it goes!

Looking for a fun, exciting, challenging, and engaging way to reach students in your upper elementary or lower middle school grades? Try this all-inclusive lesson that will get your kids racing against the clock and each other with The Great Escape!

In “THE GREAT ESCAPE”, students will be given a specific amount of time to perform tasks successfully (as designed by the teacher). Each one of these tasks is a musical task and the theme for this escape room are the notes of the treble clef staff.

There are five rooms, and in each room are several "tasks" students will have to perform (either individually, as a class, A vs B, side by side, or however you wish). As soon as the task is completed, advance the slide for the correct answer (the teacher will control the game).

After a certain number of tasks, a key will be issued to exit the room and head into another room with a different set of tasks.

The five rooms and tasks are as follows:

• Room One: The Office (Name one note on the staff)
• Room Two: The Laboratory (Name two notes on the staff)
• Room Three: The Library (Spell out the word)
• Room Four: The Lounge (Pick the correct note to match the letter)
• Room Five: The Foyer (Pick the correct tile to match the word)

If students complete all tasks and open the door to all five rooms they win the game!

You can play this one of four ways

• Set a timer (5 minutes, 10 minutes, etc). You can designate how long students should receive to complete the entire game
• Keep track of time to beat another class or grade level
• Keep track of time and try again during another class to name it faster
• Play it side vs side, boys vs girls, and see who can get to the end the fastest (or before time ends)

If you would like music to accompany this to make it a bit more engaging, try using this in the background:

Escape Room Background Music

Have a terrific time with this and let us know how it goes!

In this MEGAPACK of Jeopardy, you will get everything you need run a Jeopardy! style game of review with 5 different games with 4 categories each game!

Instrument Jeopardy

Woodwinds
Brass
Percussion
Strings

Percussion Jeopardy

Pitched Percussion

Unpitched Percussion

Percussion FX

Percussion Techniques (How to Play)

Solfege Jeopardy

Give me a Hand - A description of the hand sign and students will have to guess which syllable
Take a Look - Students will see the sign and have to guess which syllable
Scale it - The following and preceding notes in the solfege scale

Extended Solfege - Lowered and raised versions of common solfege

Notation Jeopardy

Level 1 - Easy
Level 2 - Medium

Level 3 - Medium Difficult
Level 4 - Difficult

Notation Jeopardy 2.0

Spell it out! (Spelling words with treble clef notation)

Add it up! (Adding notation values up to arrive at an answer)

Give it a rest! (Questions about rests, rest names, and durations)

Duration nation (Identify duration of notes)

Students can elect to pick $200, $400, $600, $800, or $1000 answers. After clicking on the amount, the answer will appear on the next slide. Students (keeping in true Jeopardy! fashion) can answer in the form of a question

After the money is awarded (You can split sides of your class, boys vs girls, class vs class, however you want it!), there is a link in the bottom right hand corner to go back to the title screen and game board.

After extracting the ZIP file, make sure to install the Jeopardy! font included, or else you'll see random characters all over -- not good eats!

A game that will keep your 4th and 5th graders entertained, engaged, and competitively charged, here's AMONG INSTRUMENT FAMILIES inspired by "Among Us"!

_______________________

IN THIS FAST PACED GAME, STUDENTS WILL SEE SEVERAL CREWMATES WITH INSTRUMENTS IN A SPECIFIC FAMILY (WOODWIND, BRASS, STRING, OR PERCUSSION)

ALL OF THE INSTRUMENTS BELONG IN THAT FAMILY, EXCEPT FOR ONE. THE STUDENTS' GOAL IS TO IDENTIFY WHICH CREWMATE IS HOLDING THE INSTRUMENT THAT IS NOT IN THE SPECIFIED FAMILY.

WE WILL CALL THAT CREWMATE THE **IMPOSTER!
**
Advance the slide and check your answer and go through the rounds!

Included in this resource are

• A printout where you can replicate and cut out cards (if you want the students to place on the floor or hold up to show which one was the imposter)
• 3 levels of difficulty (4 crewmates, 6 crewmates, and 9 crewmates)

Have a terrific time with this while your kids reinforce the instrument families (and which instrument don't belong in it) ;)

A game that will keep your upper elementary and middle school students entertained, engaged, and competitively charged, here's STAFF IMPOSTER inspired by "Among Us"!

__________

Directions of the game:

_IN STAFF IMPOSTER, YOU WILL SEE 2 OR EVEN 3 CREWMATES ON DIFFERENT LINES OR SPACES OF THE STAFF.

THEY WILL ALL REPRESENT THE LINES AND SPACES OF THE TREBLE CLEF STAFF WITH THE NOTE NAMES, A THROUGH G.
_

_YOUR TASK IS TO DECIDE WHICH CREWMATE IS THE IMPOSTER BY SELECTING THE CREWMATE WHO IS ON A LINE OR A SPACE THAT DOES NOT MATCH THE CORRECT LETTER OF THAT LINE OR SPACE

THERE WILL BE ONLY ONE CREWMATE WHO IS THE IMPOSTER_

Included in this resource are

• A printout where you can replicate and cut out cards (if you want the students to place on the floor or hold up to show which one was the imposter)
• 4 levels of imposters (2, 3, 4, and 6)

Have a terrific time with this while your kids study the treble clef staff!

This one will get the kids on their edge of their seats!

You will need 1 thing for this particular game:

• A sticky suction cup ball (or maybe a soft squishy ball)

The students will see a rhythm at the bottom of their screen and memorize the rhythm or say it back in their head (just make sure the rhythm is not spoken out loud). They will then hear a musical example of an endless loop of rhythms separated by 4 beats each in between rhythms. (Teacher will click the speaker icon to play)

Take a listen...

....

....

One of the rhythms will be the rhythm that is on the screen. AS SOON AS THEY HEAR THAT RHYTHM, they throw their suction cup ball at the target. The first kid who gets it correct is the winner (and make sure you advance the slide to make the target turn green) :)

Obviously, we cannot play this as a class because of

1. The amount of suction cup balls tossed at the screen would be insane

2. Boys vs Girls would be a bit more competitive and only two balls would be launched at once

If you don't have a whiteboard/projection screen, you can alternatively have the students raise their hand when they hear it and choose the kid who has their hand up the fastest.

Quarter Notes, Eighth Note pairs, and Quarter Rests are covered in this lesson.

Have a great time with this fast paced game!