How to play BUMP with your Elementary Music Students

I am always looking for new games to add for review, sub tubs, and music centers, so when one of my colleagues talked about sight word bump and how much her students loved it I knew I had to adapt it for the music classroom. 

I use bump games to practice reading solfege patterns, reading notes on the staff, learning music symbols, introducing orchestra instruments, and reviewing classroom instruments.

​Bump games are easy enough to make, but if you want some that are ready to go and all you need to do is print make sure you check out these ones in my TPT store!

How to play 
Depending on what you have available in your classroom you can play these bump games with spinners or dice. 

• If you choose to use spinners you’ll want transparent ones, like these that go overtop of the game board to make a spinner.
  
• Put students in groups of 2-4 
  
• Each student needs their own game pieces, think bingo chips, gems, mini erasers 
  
• On each student’s turn they spin the spinner
  
• Then they cover a bubble that matches what they spun.
  
• For instance, you’re playing an orchestra instrument bump. The student spins and lands on strings, they would then cover a string instrument with their colour of bingo chip on the board.
  
• On the next student’s turn, they land on woodwind, they can cover any woodwind instrument 
  
• Then on the third student’s turn, they land on strings. They then have the option to cover another string instrument on the board OR bump off the first student’s chip and replace it with theirs. 
  
• The student who runs out of bingo chips is the winner 
  
• If you are using dice the same process for covering and bumping applies. The difference is students use the chart on the side with numbers to determine what to cover. For instance, if they roll a 5 they cover a string instrument.
  

Why my students and I love this game 
My students love this game because they get to bump each other off, and just when they think they’re about to win they get bumped off. 

I like this game because it makes a great music center. I have also used this game as a whole group game and I just print multiple boards and put students in groups. Once we have played it a couple of times it is a good game to leave for substitute teachers because there aren’t too many materials. It can also be used to review so many different concepts, which is a big bonus! 

If you’re ready to try it out make sure to check out my ready-to-go games on TPT and save yourself some time!

Buy BUMP games here!

Enjoy!
Jayna

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