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Description

Fun and musical idea! Using Hungarian Dance No. 5 by Brahms to explore duration of sound (short vs long, staccato vs legato, fast vs slow) with Squirrels is a fantastic way to get them moving and listening actively.
To help the Squirrel Scouts explore the rhythm and duration of sound in Hungarian Dance No. 5 by Brahms, using hula hoops to mark a grid on the floor. The kids will step in the hoops according to the rhythm of the music, mimicking the fast and slow sounds (short and long notes).

Resources

Hula Hoops (at least 8-10, depending on your group size)

Music: Hungarian Dance No. 5 by Brahms (from 1:15 to 1:53)
https://open.spotify.com/track/1PKtuxuLUbXeJNa05bfAOT?si=4d4620fc30bf4396
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSR4PK0MIAQ

Space on the floor to lay down the hula hoops in a grid pattern

Optional: Some small "nut" props to give each child (like bean bags or acorns) to hold while stepping on hoops

Instructions

Setup:
Create a Grid of Hoops: Lay hula hoops on the floor in a grid pattern (4x3 or 3x3, depending on space and number of Scouts).
The hoops represent musical steps — each hoop will correspond to a beat or rhythm in the piece.
For the 1:16 to 1:53 section, focus on how the tempo changes — faster sections for short steps, slower sections for long steps.

Assign Roles:
You could have the kids take turns being "nut hunters" or "squirrel dancers" as they step on the hoops to the rhythm of the music.

Activity Instructions:

Warm-Up: Begin by playing a few moments of the music to get the kids familiar with the sound of Hungarian Dance No. 5.
Ask the Scouts to listen closely and clap or tap their feet to the rhythm.

Explain the Hoops & Timing:Tell them that the hula hoops represent where the squirrels must step to follow the music.
The short, quick notes (fast parts of the music) will mean they step quickly from hoop to hoop, while the longer, slower notes will mean they pause longer or step gently into each hoop.

Play the Music:
Start the music at 1:16 and let them step along with the rhythm. As the music speeds up or slows down, encourage them to match their steps accordingly.

For the first set of quick notes, they should scurry from one hoop to another quicker, forward and turning around (6) and out and heading to the end of the queue again(light, quick steps).

For the second set of 4 longer notes, encourage them to pause in a hoop or take bigger steps (slow, stretching motions as if they're climbing a tree) and then for the following quick ones continue forward to get to the other side of the room.

Incorporate Movement:

As the music picks up speed, they can scurry like squirrels around the hoops.
When it slows down, have them stretch and reach for the hoops like they’re trying to get to the highest branch.

You can add a fun twist by saying things like, "Quick, the nut’s escaping!" during the fast sections, and "Slow down, we’re reaching the top of the tree" for the slower sections.

Optional Challenge: After a few rounds, challenge the Scouts to step to the rhythm without rushing or to pause in the hoop for longer sounds. You could make it a race to see who can follow the rhythm most accurately.

Debrief:
After completing the activity, gather the Scouts together for a quick reflection: Ask them to share how they felt during the fast sections vs the slow sections.

You can talk about how in classical music, sometimes the tempo is fast, and sometimes it slows down — just like squirrels moving quickly and then resting in the trees.

Extension Ideas:
You could also introduce a "Squirrel Sprints" challenge where they race through the hoops during the fast parts, and a "Nut Hiding" challenge for the slow parts where they pause in each hoop as if hiding acorns.

For a visual twist, you can add colored paper strips inside each hoop that match the speed of the music: red for fast and blue for slow. This would help the kids visually connect with the different tempos.

Tags

• #movement
• #stretch
• #music

Badge Links

• Be Active - Move
• Musician - Interest
• Musician - Skill