Guest Post: 20+ Piano Games Parents Can Play With Their Kids

20+ Piano Practice Games from TakeLessons.com

As the parent of a budding musician, you know that it’s not always easy getting your child to sit down and practice week after week. Nonetheless, regular practice is essential to your child’s musical development.

It’s common for parents to feel unsure of how they can help their child practice in between lessons. This is especially true for parents who don’t know how to play an instrument. However, there’s no need to get discouraged, as there are ways in which you can help your child practice.

At TakeLessons, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of over 20+ piano games, all of which focus on a particular skill, such as reading music, ear training, and hand positioning. Below is a sample of a few games both parents and teachers can play with their little ones.

Musical Jenga: A musical take on the popular block-stacking game, Musical Jenga is great for teaching kids how to read and recognize notes. Take an old Jenga set and label the blocks with different notes, accidentals, and symbols. The more your child plays the game, the better he or she will become at recognizing the symbols and reading music.

Spot the Mistake: Proper piano hand positioning is essential for beginners. Start by showing your child the proper hand and finger placement. Then, ask him or her to turn around while you set up your hands and fingers with one obvious mistake. Once you’re ready, ask the child to turn back around and spot the mistake. If they get it right, reward them with a special treat!

Pick a Card: Create 5-10 flashcards with different notes and rhythms and place them in an old baseball hat. Ask your child to close his or her eyes and pick a card from the hat. Whatever card he or she chooses, he or she will have to play on the piano. Mix it up by throwing in a few bonus cards with fun activities; for example, “snack break” or “bust a move.”

With these fun piano games, your child will start looking forward to practice time rather than dreading it. To discover more fun and educational piano practice games, click here to see the full post.

This article originally appeared on TakeLessons.com. Brooke Neuman is a piano and violin editor at TakeLessons, an online marketplace that connects thousands of teachers and students for local and live online music lessons.

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