October Music Lesson Resource

Happy Halloween!

October’s resource of the month incorporates some of the mystery of the season with riddles, along with, of course, a pumpkin!

Table of Contents:

  • What’s Included

  • Set Up

  • How to Play

  • Expansion Idea

  • What theory concept does this support?

  • Link to PDF

What’s Included:

  • Blank jack-o-lantern with music riddles

  • Blank jack-o-lantern without music riddles

  • Jack-o-lantern face cutouts

Set Up:

  • Cut out the jack-o-lantern face cutouts

  • Laminate cutouts and pumpkin

  • Use a dry erase marker to write note names on the back of cutouts

How To Play:

The objective of this game is to make a jack-o-lantern face by solving the riddles on the pumpkin. Each riddle is asking the student to name the mystery note. For example, the riddle: 

“On the keyboard I sit

in between two black keys

If you start on G,

step down three.”

The answer to this riddle would be “D.”

On the back of each laminated face cutout, use a dry erase marker to write in the answers. Of course, most kiddos will be able to make a jack-o-lantern face just based on the shapes. To encourage solving the riddles, write extra note names on the backs of extra face cutouts, so they not only have to find the facial feature shape, but the answer to the riddle as well. For example, none of the riddles’ answers are B, so you could write that on some extra pieces for your students to sort through. This gets your students to work through each riddle, and there’s the added mystery of what kind of face the jack-o-lantern will be!

There is an extra blank pumpkin for you to write your own riddles on for easy re-use! 

Expansion Idea:

For a more challenging version, try flipping the game. Have your student solve each riddle on their own without telling you the answer. Once they solve it, they are the ones to write the notes on the backs of each feature cutout, writing the correct answer on the facial features they want you to use.

What theory concepts does this support?

  • Knowledge of notes’ locations on the staff in relation to other notes

  • Knowledge of notes’ locations on the piano in relation to other notes

Link to PDF:

Pumpkin Music Riddle Game

Mikaila Vieyra, LPMT, MT-BC

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