Music mats

Example activity

What will the children do?

Use the music mat in turns to move from one end to the other, exploring the different sounds that they can make.

Areas of learning

• Creative development
• Mathematical development

What do we want the children to learn?

• Begin to move rhythmically
• Recognise and explore how sounds can be changed, recognise sound patterns and match movements to music
• Count reliably up to 12
• Count in 2’s
• Say number names in order

Resources

• Music mat

You will be able to obtain the resources used from the companies listed here.

Information and communications technology (ICT) levels of differentiation

• Able to press the mat in recognised places to create a sound using increasing control
• Associate the colours with the sounds and use their knowledge to build a pattern

Children’s individual targets, that this activity could meet

• To be able to use 1-1 correspondence in stepping and counting
• To be able to count to 5
• To be confident to try a new activity
• To have fun in learning within a small group

Adult input (including language to be introduced)

• To help the children take turns in moving along the music mat
• To encourage counting steps
• To encourage varying movement patterns and pointing out the connection with sound patterns
• Numbers 1-12, colours, pattern, turns, step, dance, jump, left, right, light up

Areas & resources inside & out for spontaneous learning

• Musical keyboards
• Software: 2Music and Musical Leaps and Bounds
• Using a tape recorder to listen and move to music both inside and outdoors

Questions for assessment opportunities

• Can you...?
• What happens if...?
• How did you do that?
• Can you make another pattern?
• Can you jump, hop?
• How many steps will it take you too..?

Observation

• Do they move purposefully, listening to the sounds, creating patterns, using rhythm?
• Do they explore the different sounds?
• Can they count using 1-1 correspondence?
• Are they able to use number names in order?
• How far can they count accurately?