Activity Idea: Top Ten Lists




Create Top Ten Music Lists

Materials Needed:
CD player and CDs (with headphones if possible)
Wide variety of different types of music (screen ahead of time for appropriateness)
Comfortable places to sit (large pillows, beanbags, rugs, etc)
Paper and pens
Posterboard and markers

Create a comfortable area where children can sit and listen to music. Invite children to visit the area regularly to listen to a wide variety of different types of music. Point out that music can communicate many different feelings and moods. Also, point out that the same music can communicate different things to different people. As children visit the area each day to listen to music, have them build individual lists of the music they really like a lot-music that really speaks to them. Encourage children to rank the music on their lists from 1 to 10, with 1 being their facorite piece of music or theme song. Have each child transfer his/her list to posterboard and write a brief description of why he/she likes each piece on the list. Display the posters in the quiet listening area to encourage others to check out the music on the Top Ten Lists.

Note: Younger children may want to come up with a word, a phrase or even a drawing to describe each piece of music on their lists rather than writing full descriptions.



(Source: Communication Connection 100+ activities by Roberta Newman)



**A variation on this activity would be to have children listen to music and vote or rate what their favorite to least favorite songs are. Post it. Let children discuss what appeals to them, or what they do not like about certain music.