Yes, I’m aware that the picture features a romantic mouse couple, not rhythm sticks… Here’s the thing though –  rhythm sticks aren’t as cute as mice giving each other flowers.

This activity appears in my book “Shake, Rattle and Roll: Rhythm Instruments and More for Active Learning” (Gryphon House, 2015).

“Oh My Darling Valentine” 

 Tap sticks and sing to the tune of “My Darling Clementine”:

Oh my darling, oh my darling,
Oh my darling Valentine,
It’s so nice to tap together,
Oh, my darling Valentine.

 Additional verses:

            … it’s so nice to scrape together…
           (scrape sticks)

            … it’s so nice to hammer together…
            (hammer sticks)

            … it’s so nice to slide together…
            (vacuuming motion)…

            …it’s so nice to draw together…
            (Hold one stick and “draw” on the floor as if it’s a pencil or crayon)

Ask children for more suggestions for how to play the sticks.

Learning benefits of “Oh My Darling Valentine” include:

Curiosity (exploring music and instruments)

Patterning (three phrases of “Oh my darling” followed by “Valentine” in first three                 lines – AAAB pattern)

Fine motor skills

Vocabulary – “valentine”

Improvisation and creative thinking

Social skills (sharing ideas and respecting those of others)