Pitch Activity Book - Hot Cross Buns

The 'Hot Cross Buns' activity book presents a delightful and educational way to engage children with music. The traditional song serves as a foundation for a series of interactive games and learning exercises. In the partner game, children stand in pairs and perform specific actions in time with the lyrics: clapping hands high on 'hot', clapping each other's hands on 'cross', tapping knees on 'buns', and clicking fingers on the silent beat that follows. This physical interaction not only makes the activity fun but also helps to reinforce the rhythm of the song. For the circle game, children form two concentric circles and execute the same actions, with the twist being that those in the inner circle move to the right after the final click, adding a dynamic element to the game.

As part of the musical education, children are introduced to the solfa syllables Do, Re, and Mi, which correspond to the notes of the song. They practice singing with hand signs and even attempt singing in a canon, where the second group starts at the word 'buns'. This activity can be further extended to playing the melody on chime bars, and once mastered, to playing in canon on the instruments. The character Raymond (Re) is introduced as a new note to learn, with a backstory that helps children remember his musical and physical position. Various patterns using Do, Re, and Mi are practiced, including silent patterns that challenge the children to internalize the pitch and rhythm before singing or playing back. The activities culminate in more complex patterns using a pentatonic scale and encourage children to lead the group in singing and playing back melodies, fostering confidence and musicality.