Set up chairs in musical chair-like fashion (back to back).

Put a piece of paper on each chair.

a. Provide each child with a different color marker. Children walk, march, skip, hop around the chairs until the music stops. When the music stops they draw on the piece of paper until the music starts again.

b. Put several math problems on chair that the students have to complete when the music stops. They have until the music starts again to finish the problems. You can ask how many problems they finished as well as check the answers before the music starts the musical chairs again.

c. Hula Hoops Musical Chairs: Start by having 4 to 6 hula hoops that kids march around until the music stops. Kids sit in the closest hula hoop. Eliminate one of the hoops every few minutes until they are sitting in only two hoops. By the time you get to 2-3 hoops, they are having a lot of fun.

d. You can use musical chairs for speech sound stimulation and language development. On the seat of each chair, place a picture of shapes, letters, etc. face down. The children march around and everyone has a chair (none are ever removed). They then present you with their card and say what it is. Some children (3 year olds) will want to go to the same chair, so you have to change the pictures with every round.

e. Separate the children into two groups, each with one chair less than person. When the music stops, the two children without chairs simply switch groups. This way everyone gets to stay in the game.

– Gene Bedley