One of my studio’s favourite activities is group lessons. Specifically group lessons right before the holidays! There is something about doing crafts at a Christmas group lesson that always brings a smile to students’ faces.
If you are looking for a last minute idea for group or private lessons, making a Christmas ornament might be a great option! Especially since the prep time is fairly short (& you could catch up on some podcast episodes while working)!
Christmas Tree Ornaments
Jennifer, over at Music Educator Resources, posted a video on how to make a sheet music ornament. It looked like the perfect craft activity to do right before a Christmas group lesson snack time. Look how cute they turn out! (The one on the right side is the size my students will be making in group lesson.)
A few tips
Printing music on both sides of the page (8 1/2″ x 11″) means you will always see music as it hangs on the tree!
Use music from the IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library to keep it public domain. Focus on the “carols” genre for the best fit for the season.
I highly recommend watching the video to see exactly how to make the sheet music ornament! Perhaps it will be just the right activity to do with your students this upcoming week.
Origami Piano
One of my kids learnt how to make origami from a friend at school. Suddenly, we were inundated with origami everything! Did you know you can make an origami balloon that can be used again & again? I didn’t!
For our Christmas group lesson this year, I opted to include an origami piano craft. To make it even more special, it became “Bring a Friend to Group Lesson”!
Keeping things simple was a must with my students & their friends ranging in age from 5 – 16 years old.
This was the easiest tutorial that was also short enough to hold the attention of little ones (& if I’m honest, be as well).
A few tips
You could have students cut out the paper, but I would recommend purchasing origami paper. It saves the time & hassle of sharing scissors to but the paper. Plus, it just looks so pretty!
Rather than having students draw the keyboard on the piano, just print off keyboards that can be stuck on at group lesson. This saves the inevitable “I messed up the black key groups!” (much like in the video above).
Become very familiar with the steps beforehand so you can demonstrate for the students. Video is great, but not everyone will keep up.
Do one step at a time as a group so everyone gets a great origami piano at the end of it.
Favourite Christmas Group Lessons
The best Christmas group lessons are the ones in which students leave with a smile & great memories. In fact, these are the best group lessons period!
What are your student’s favourite Christmas group lesson activities?
Let us know in the comments below!
NOTE: The original article was published Dec. 15, 2017. All the original ideas are included, the article has been expanded to include even more ideas!