Popsicle Stick Music Rhythms

Using craft sticks to make rhythms is a really fun way to give students a unique hands on experience notating rhythms in music class. Here are some ways I use them with my students.

Music Rhythm Composition

I give each student a handful of craft sticks. Sometimes I do this as a whole class activity or as a center. Students can create rhythms out of the popsicle sticks. This only works for using quarter notes, eighth notes, quarter rests, and sixteenth notes. My students haven’t learned sixteenth notes yet, so I stick to quarters and eighths. I ask the students to create a 2, 3, or 4 beat pattern with their sticks. They can clap or play the rhythms after they have created them. You could also have them write down the rhythms they created.

Guided Rhythm Notation

Sometimes my students aren’t ready yet to make their own rhythms. A great step in that learning process is to project rhythms, say the rhythms, and then have students use their popsicle sticks to make the projected rhythm. The video below shows my students trying this method out.

Try it in your music classroom!

My students have a really fun time using manipulatives in music class. Popsicle sticks are a super cheap way to give every student a hands on learning experience.

If you are interested in the slides I made for my students, you can take a look at them on Teachers Pay Teachers: Popsicle Stick Rhythms. My TpT product also includes a Smart Board version so your students can create rhythms by dragging and dropping on the board if you don’t have the craft sticks available. You can also print the slides and use them as a music center.