March Music Madness

March Music Madness is an event that my school looks forward to during Music in Our Schools Month.  This bracket style tournament has one objective:  crown one song as the champion of music based on student votes.   There are several ways that you can host this event in your music classroom.  Keep reading to learn more.

There are three basic steps to take in planning and carrying out March Music Madness:

    1.  Song Selection

    2.  Experiencing the Music

    3.  Voting

Song Selection

There are several ways to go about selecting songs for March Music Madness.  

• You Choose - Select 16 songs that you think your students might like.  Consider choosing a variety of different genres and include pieces that are popular now and from several different decades (or centuries!).
• Staff Chooses - Invite staff members to recommend songs for the music bracket.  Send out an email asking for suggestions or maybe share a Google spreadsheet for them to record their recommendations.  When I do this, I add an extra incentive by rewarding the staff member that recommended the winning song with a gift card.  
• Students Choose - Have students share their favorite songs.  Be sure to check both the lyrics and any accompanying video for appropriateness if you choose to show videos.

I prefer to invite staff members to submit recommendations.  Their recommendations are already checked for lyrics and content, so that saves me time.  It also creates opportunities for great conversations in students' regular classrooms about the styles, genres and artists related to the songs.  Staff members love checking the bulletin board that I put up with the bracket each week to see how their song is doing.

I am a very theme oriented person and think that adding themes like "Music of the Movies", "Color Wars" (songs with colors in the title), "Heroes and Villains" or "Old and New" (originals and cover versions) can make this even more fun.  A friend of mine did a Disney Showdown theme and students and staff loved it!

Experiencing the Music

How will your students explore the March Music Madness bracket?  Here are a few options to consider:

• Lesson Plans - Add the bracket to your lesson plans.  The first week will probably take most of your class period to get through each song.  During the first week I usually only play about a minute to a minute and a half of each song.  The second week maybe 20-30 seconds more.  The last two weeks there is time to play all of the songs as the majority of songs have been eliminated by then.  
• Morning Announcements - Some teachers share their music bracket on the morning announcements.  Two songs per morning are played and then students vote on the songs with their homeroom teachers and the homeroom teachers enter their tallies on a shared spreadsheet.  The winners are announced the next day and this continues until there is only one winner.  If this works best for you, you will probably want to choose a smaller amount of songs so that you can get through the bracket in a month.
• Google Slides or PowerPoint - Another option is to create a PowerPoint or Google Slides presentation with the songs either linked to a playlist on a streaming service or to a music video.  Homeroom teachers present the songs, tally votes for their class and then send the count to you.  After the first round, send out a new slideshow with the winners and then repeat until there is only one winner.   If you teach older students, you could share the slideshow in Google Classroom or another digital classroom setting.

I usually present the songs to students using a video that I find on Youtube or Vimeo.  I add them to Google slides (because we can skip the commercials on YouTube that way) and present them in class and tally the votes myself.  Last year I had to miss a day in March, so I sent the slide show to the classes I would have seen that day and the homeroom teachers tallied votes that day.  The teachers that were involved loved this!

Voting

    I've previously mentioned voting as something that I do or ask homeroom teachers do.  In the past I have had students close their eyes and raise their hands to vote in my classroom.  I ask them to close their eyes so that they don't all follow the popular kid or try to see what a friend is voting for and vote that way.  This has worked for most classes but there are always kids that refuse to cooperate and then blurt out.  This year I am going to experiment with a couple of different ways to vote.

    I'll use pencil and paper with some classes.  They will circle their answers and turn their papers in on their way out of class.  This will require me to create a new page each week and tally all the papers myself.  That doesn't sound fun for nearly 500 students, but I'm testing it with a few classes that have demonstrated issues with self control and blurting. 

    In other classes, I will use Plickers.  Plickers are cards with codes on them.  Students hold them up to vote.  The teacher then scans the cards by taking a picture of the whole class holding up their signs in the Plickers app.  It isn't complicated to use and I think my 3rd, 4th and 5th graders can handle it.  You can learn more about Plickers here.  The best part about this method is that it is fast and FREE!

    You may consider collecting votes digitally using a poll or form in Google Classroom, Padlet, ClassQuestion or other online services.

Displaying the Bracket

I create a bulletin board that showcases the March Music Madness bracket and update it each week as winners are chosen.  It hangs outside the music room which is across from the cafeteria.  Each class passes it at least once a day.  

To set the board up, I type up the song titles (including artist or composer and the staff member that recommended it) and place them on the left.  Then I add the next columns of boxes for the winning songs that will move forward.  In the picture above I used a black marker to draw the bracket lines.  In the picture below I used colored masking tape.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the goal of this activity?

One of the goals of this activity is to explore the elements of different genres.  Students can fall in love with new artists, new instruments and new styles of music with this activity.  Another goal is to facilitate higher level conversations between students in which they compare and contrast songs, critique using music terminology and make choices about the kinds of music they want to consume or perform.

2.  What if I miss a day of school and can't leave this for my substitute to do? 

You could try sending the slideshow or links to the homeroom teachers of the classes you missed or just don't include their votes for that round.

3.  I can't use YouTube at school.  What else can I do?  

Use music you already own or link your bracket to a streaming service.

4.  What if my bracket is uneven?

It happens.  Select a song or two and just bump them up to the next round.  This is like getting a "buy" in a sports tournament.  You can select a song that you think will win or a couple of songs and have their first duel be in the second or third rounds.

Need some help getting started?  Check out my March Music Madness Starter Kit.  You'll find more than 50 song suggestions that you can link to your preferred listening media, editable brackets and bulletin board elements.

Have a great Music in Our Schools Month and may all of your March madness be filled with music!

Organizing Books in Your Music Classroom

 One of the things in my classroom that I have worked the hardest at is growing my music library.  No, not that one.  My books about music and musicians, not the sheet music and octavos.  I love my classroom library!  Here's the story of how it has grown and evolved over the last 10 years or so.  Read on to find solutions for your music room and a free resource to help you organize your books.

For several years I just piled my books onto a little shelf with no system whatsoever.  This worked quite well until I started buying duplicates.  As my collection grew, I needed a better solution.

The next step was to put SOME of the books into book bins with labels on them.  I picked a few categories that I had several books for and the rest I just tossed in a milk crate.  This worked beautifully for centers.  I created a small reading area with a rug and loved keeping this a permanent center no matter what group I was teaching.

During the next few years I gathered books from used book stores, discount sellers, Amazon and from authors in workshops I attended.  You can see some of my favorites in these posts:  Books You Need in Your Elementary Classroom Primary and Upper Elementary.  As my collection grew I needed a way to keep track of what I had.  At first I created a spreadsheet, but to be honest I just couldn't keep it updated.  It felt cumbersome and wasn't easy to edit from my phone.  That's when I was inspired by a post from Katie Wonderly on Instagram and downloaded Book Buddy.

Book Buddy allowed me to QUICKLY add books to the app and download a paper list only when I needed it.  I currently use Book Buddy Pro to catalogue my classroom library, keep it organized and to keep me from buying duplicates.  All I do is use my phone to scan the barcode and for most books the information about the book just pops up, including cover photos!  I can add custom categories too which is how I organize my books.

Current Categories:

BOOKS ABOUT MUSICIANS  In this category I put picture books with stories about musicians that may not be bibliographies or about musicians of a specific genre.

BOOKS THAT RHYME  I use rhyming books for drumming, for movement, to add instrument accompaniment and more.  In this bin students can re-read some of the ones we have used in class.

DANCE AND MOVEMENT  I guess this category is pretty self explanatory.  Titles like Giraffes Can't Dance and Boys Dance are in this category.

CAREERS IN MUSIC  I NEED more books for this category. Right now it contains one fabulous book called Mandy's Mom The Music Therapist.

COMPOSERS  In this category are the typical composer books that many of you may have.  I'm always looking for books about more contemporary composers.

INSTRUMENTS -There are mostly non-fiction books in this category, but some titles like The Remarkable Farkle McBride are also in there.

LEARN ABOUT MUSIC This category used to be pretty dull.  LOL.  Recently I have added books like When Step Met Skip and Tiger Tempo. My students love them!

MUSIC GENRES  In this category there are books about different genres of music like When the Beat Was Born and The Story of Country.

MUSIC HISTORY  I am currently not using this category as the books that I have all fit into other categories too.

MUSICIAN BIOGRAPHIES  In this category you'll find non-fiction books about musicians.

NON-MUSIC I have several books about character that go in this bin.  Also books that don't rhyme but that I may have used for some other purpose in class are here.

PATRIOTIC/AMERICN  Books about the Star-Spangled Banner, song lyric books with patriotic songs and books about songs like "America the Beautiful" are in this category.

SEASONAL AND HOLIDAY Books about holidays or about seasonal topics or music are in this bin.  My favorite might just be "Leaf Man".

SONG HISTORY  This category is one that I am introducing this year.  It holds books about the history of certain songs. 

SONG LYRIC BOOKS This category is SO full that I have 2-3 bins of books in this category.

THIS AND THAT  I don't have a category for everything.  Oh wait....this is it!  LOL.  If it doesn't fit anywhere else, it fits here.

WOMEN IN MUSIC  I am introducing this category this year and moving some books from the Books About Musicians category into this one.  I have a LOT of books about Dolly Parton.  This is almost a bin filled will Dolly books.

WORLD MUSIC  I don't like the name of this category, but I don't have enough books from one specific place or about one specific culture to create bins for them.  Yet.  I hope to one day.

Before students use the library, I remind the class that they should return the book to the SAME bin that they take it out of.  I didn't expect this to work.  I was surprised that about 80% of the books DID remain in the right container, but it is not foolproof.  This year I'll be adding color coordinating dot stickers to both the bins and the books that go in them so that they also have a colorful way to remember where they go.

To help you get started organizing your music room library, check out these colorful labels that can fit on a book bin, magazine box or basket.  The categories mentioned about are all included, but they are not in any particular order.  If you find these handy, please leave some feedback!

DOWNLOAD HERE:  Book Bin Labels for the Music Room

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5 Ways to Use Pop Tubes in Music Class

If you can't beat 'em, join them!  Pop tubes are a popular fidget toy in elementary schools across the nation.  They can also be a fun and engaging tool for music education.  

Pop tubes are plastic bendy tubes that you can pull and push to expand or condense.  They make a hollow popping sound.  When fully extended, you can swing them around in the air and they make a pleasant sound as well.

You can find pop tubes at local discount stores, dollar stores, Amazon and toy stores.  When searching for them you may find them named pop toobs, whirly tubes  or "expanding tube toy." 

When I have students use the tubes, I always have them place it on a drum stick or rhythm stick.  This allows students to move them back and forth quickly without the tubes bending wildly.  I also insist that students hold their sticks and tubes horizontally.  This curbs the giggles of 5th and 6th grade boys that arise when held vertically.

Ways to Use Pop Tubes

Use to Accompany

Pop tubes make a delightful and oddly satisfying sound and are fun to play with pieces like "La Raspa" and "Blue Danube" as the obvious "ti ta" response to these pieces.  I've also used the pop tubes in the place of clapping or snapping for songs like "The Clapping Song",  "Addams Family Theme" and "If You're Happy and You Know It".

If you're happy and you know it, pop your tube.

If you're happy and you know it, pop your tube.

Pop it high and pop it low.  Pop it fast and pop it slow.

If you're happy and you know it, pop your tube.

Rhythm Reading with Flashcards 

Practicing rhythms with flashcards is as boring as practicing multiplication facts with flashcards.  Add pop tubes as the instrument students use and suddenly flashcards are great fun!  This makes a great workstation.  Set out 4-5 pop tubes and a stack of flashcards.  Done.

Poison Rhythms

Pop tubes have made a fun addition to Poison Rhythm Games.  You can read more about how to play Poison Rhythm here: POISON RHYTHMS.  You can also purchase one or all of the ready to go games at my TeachersPayTeachers store The Bulletin Board Lady.

Assessment

I use these What Do You Hear worksheets with my 3rd-5th graders.  The process is to perform the patterns, then listen as I play the pattern on a drum, cowbell or other percussion instruments.  Next, they circle the pattern they heard.  I add pop tubes to the first step.  Students read and perform the patterns on the pop tubes, then listen, then circle.  It really adds some fun to assessment. Click the picture to take a closer look at this set of worksheets.

Four Rhythm Cards

I should really find a better name for these, but it is working for now.  You can download these cards for free and read about other ways to use them HERE.  Here's what I do with the cards and pop tubes:

After passing out the pop tubes, I choose a song with a medium to fast beat (which are much easier than slower songs) and start it while holding up one of the cards.  Students use the pop tubes to play the pattern as an ostinato until I change the card.  That's really it!  It is a fun way to use pop music in your classroom.  (See, what I did there?  POP music?  LOL). It also gets students excited about practicing rhythms and performing as an ensemble.

I store my pop tubes in a plastic shoebox container.  They are easy to clean.  You can have students expand them and then spray them with Lysol or they can go in a sink of hot, soapy water.  If you enjoyed these ideas, pin them for later.

Bulletin Boards for February ❤️

There are so many things to recognize and celebrate in February.  Valentine's Day, President's Day, Black History Month and Random Acts of Kindness Day are in February just to name a few.  Here are four bulletin boards that are easy to print and post during the shortest and sometimes busiest month of the year.

NOTEable Black Musicians from A to Z

This colorful bulletin board is great for Black History Month or to post and leave up all year. It features 26 amazing musicians. Each musician is featured in an ABC format (with a few liberties taken with the alphabetization). On each page there is a picture and a short synopsis of their careers and accomplishments.

All That Jazz

Celebrate Jazz with some of these amazing musicians: 

Duke Ellingon, John Coltrane, Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Thelonius Monk, Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, David Brubeck, Benny Goodman, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Wynton Marsalis, Count Basie and Jelly Roll Morton

Love Yourself

Let's change the way we talk to ourselves and make it more positive.  This bulletin board reminds students to do the same too.

What Does Kindness Look Like?

Random Act of Kindness Day is February 17th so it is a great month to inspire students to be kind.  This colorful bulletin board does that.  Check it out and you can pick up a free kindness bunting to decorate the halls too!

I hope these ideas have inspired you and I hope you have the best February ever!

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DIY Light Up Staff

I have wanted to create an interactive treble clef staff display for my classroom for such a long time!  Using just a few simple and easy to find supplies, my students and I now have a beautiful and engaging new tool in the music room.

I use this staff display to show melodies for sight reading, lighting up a specific interval that I want them to notice.  I use it to highlight the notes that we will be using on Orff instruments.  I've used it when grading pitch naming worksheets by having students come up and tap the light of the correct answer.  I've even used it for games and centers.

As a center, students have labeled the lines and spaces of the treble staff.  They have taken cards from my Pitch Match Up sets and created the words on the staff.  They have used it to create their own "words" with the pitches of the treble clef staff.  I really feel like I have just scratched the surface of using this in my classroom. 

Let's get started with the supplies that you will need to create a light up staff display in your room. First consider the space that you will have for this.  You'll need some kind of magnetic white board or something similar.  I used a portion of a long white board in my room for this display.

Next, you'll need some puck lights.  You can also find them named push lights, tap lights and under the cabinet lights.  They often come in the shape of a circle which works great for note heads!  You can find them at hardware stores, Walmart, Target and on occasion at dollar stores.  I wanted mine to change color and I found two packs of Energizer Coloring Changing Puck Lights at Target.  

You'll also need black masking tape or black electrical tape, scissors, a roll of magnetic tap (the thick kind) and batteries for your puck lights.  

I started with a portion of my white board that I hadn't used and added a bulletin board border.  This one is from Schoolgirl Style.  I used black masking tape to place the staff lines.  Be sure to measure the distance of your lines by placing one of your puck lights between them.

I also used the masking tape to create the treble clef.  I'm sure there are more eloquent ways to do this, but this was fast and efficient.

Next I placed the puck lights on the board by hot gluing magnets to the back of them and them putting them on the staff.  

I considered stopping right here and using the display as it was, but was concerned that students who struggled with naming the pitch names would not find this very helpful.  I found some letter stickers at a local store and added those.  This was a great decision and has been really beneficial to all students.  If you are proficient with a cutting machine like a Cricut, you could use that to make your letter stickers. 

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Music Room Tour 2021

I am excited to reveal my classroom this year.  I went with big, bold colors and a refreshing theme-Grow With Music.  Students have really enjoyed it and during Open House there were many compliments.  Best of all is that everything is organized for learning!

This is the back of my room.  I put the bulletin board paper up and then divided the board into three sections with borders from Schoolgirl Style.  Grow Your Musical Mindset is my yearly growth mindset focus.  I refer to it before we start any challenging pieces to remind students that just because they can't do it today doesn't mean that they won't be able to do it next time.  

The middle display is a reference for performance ensembles.  A few years ago I discovered that most 3rd-5th grade didn't know what to call a group of four performers, so I wanted to have something to remind them of the groupings.

The board on the right is mostly a reminder for me, but I don't mind if my students catch on to the idea either!  Being an ambassador of joy each day is such a privilege.  I am thankful that music is a wonderful vehicle for it.  This is a FREE download in my TpT store.

The pillows are my design.  I used my Bitmoji and Powerpoint to create what I wanted, saved it as a JPEG and then sent it off to VistaPrint to be turned into pillows! On the bottom shelf you'll see a couple of pillows from Target.

My library is on the bottom shelf this year because while doing centers at the end of the school year I realized that putting them on the top shelf wasn't convenient for kiddos that sat on the floor.  Now they are on the bottom shelf near the pillows and will serve as a workstation that it always set up and ready to go.

In the front corner of my room I have stored many things that we won't use right away this semester.  I love not using chairs so that transitions go faster during my lessons, but currently there is no place to store them in my building.  I'll use them some months so I'm just keeping them stacked and out of the way.  This rocking chair was my summer project last summer and I use it when I'm reading or chatting with classes.  The buckets contain drumsticks and light-up drumsticks.

I have wanted to create an interactive treble clef display for a long time.  I love how this turned out!  Using black masking tape I constructed the treble clef staff on a dry erase board that I didn't use very often.  The "notes" are actually push lights or tap lights, most commonly used for under cabinet lighting. Although you can find these inexpensively in dollar stores, I wanted something that could change colors. I picked these up at Target and then attached magnets to them.  The letters could easily be made with vinyl and your preferred cutting machine, but I chose to use letter stickers.  I plan to use them when we are learning to play only a few notes at a time, for instrument ostinatos, pitch naming games, etc...

This is the bulk of my classroom storage.  The cabinets are filled with centers, bulletin board supplies, miscelaneous instruments and props, office supplies and sheet music.  My ukuleles are on the rack near my door but I haven't taken them out of their cases yet.  My room gets very dusty throughout the year so until we begin ukes in the spring, I want them protected.

On the doors you see my music symbol posters (I printed them two to a sheet.) and my instrument families display. 

At the front of the room I store small percussion instruments in tubs.  They aren't in the picture but are just below the shelf you see at the bottom.  This bulletin displays tempo terms and dynamics terms.  I love that this set has backgrounds that progress from slow to fast and quiet to loud in color order.  I know.  I'm a nerd.

My desk with a little touch of Boho style.  Behind my desk I store my fridge and microwave, file cabinet, paperwork, cleaning supplies and things I need within an arm's reach.

I hope that you have enjoyed touring my room and wish you a school year filled with joy and peace.  If you are interested in using the Grow with Music you can find it in my TeachersPayTeachers store.

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Resources I'm Using for Distance Learning

Back to school feels different this year.  I am starting classes face to face, but I am already putting together plans for the possibility of moving to distance learning this semester.  I want to share some of the resources that I'll be using.

Boom Cards

Where have they been all of my life?  To students, they feel like a game.  A variety of activities ask students to name notes, identify note values, do musical math, identify and classify instruments and more. When students get an answer right they hear a happy "ding" and when they get it wrong a silly "ooops".  I love that!

Boom Cards are meant to be played online so I'll send students a link to their file via Google Classroom or email.  Some of the activities that I assign, I'll use as assessment grades.  Others will just be great review and practice.  

Depending on the kind of account you have, depends on whether or not you can track your students' progress.  For a small fee, you can assign a deck (that's a group of the question/activity cards) to your students.  They set up an account (easy and private) and you track their progress.  Assessment couldn't be easier!

With the free account, you don't get to track students but you assign a "quick link".  This allows students to complete the activity but you don't get to track the results.  I use this option often.

Boom Cards are hosted on BoomLearning.com but you can also purchase them at TeachersPayTeachers.  You can try each of the games in full screen mode to experience what your students will experience.  Check out my Boom Cards on TeachersPayTeachers or on Boom Learning.

Poison Rhythm Games

My students LOVE to play poison rhythm games in my classroom.  Poison Rhythm can be played but I play in two specific ways.  In the first way I clap a rhythm and students echo it.  I declare this the poison rhythm and once the game starts, they should echo clap every rhythm except the poison one.  Whoever does is out or we play so that if they get it right then the class gets a point but if anyone messes up the teacher gets the point.  FUN!

We also play with visuals.  I have several Poison Rhythm Games in my TeachersPayTeachers store.  These PDF files are fun to use and have fun clipart too.  The rules are the same except instead of clapping a rhythm I say "One, two, ready, clap" and students clap the rhythm they see unless it is the poison rhythm.

For distance learning I will either record myself with the cards like in this sample video or I will send them the pdf and have them practice themselves or a family member.

Check out some poison rhythm games HERE.

Google Slide Activities

My district is a Google Classroom district which I am learning to love.  My 3rd, 4th and 5th graders know how to use it and I can assign activities there, post questions, share videos and more.  Last year I created some activities to use in Google Slides. When I assigned these to students I forced a copy to them that way they weren't editing my original.  Learn more about that in this video by Sherry Stanton. Students use them in "edit" mode and then send their assignment back to my via Classroom.  It was so much easier than I imagined and I hope to use even more activities this year.

You can take a look at my Google Slide activities HERE.

Flip Grid

In the spring of 2020 the "teaching" I did felt more like emergency teaching than teaching virtually.  If the need arises this fall, I think it is important to find ways to let students sing some of our favorite songs!  Flip Grid is free for educators and allows teachers and students to create and share privately videos and video responses.  It is an easy and safe way to actually HEAR what students are composing, singing or playing.  Aileen Miracle has a great post that discusses FlipGrid.  Check it out HERE. 

You Can Do This!

I know that this year may seem daunting, but you can do this and I will help in anyway I can.  Best wishes, friends.  Stay safe!

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DIY Crayons to Use as Classroom Rewards

I keep a goody box in my classroom.  I use it to reward exceptionally great behavior, actions that demonstrate kindness and inclusivity and for brave performers that share with the class.  I'm always looking for cool things to put in the box and this year I'm filling it with custom designed crayons!  Read on to learn how to make them and to avoid some of the pitfalls that I fell into.

Several years ago, my friend Linda, from Floating Down the River, wrote about how much her students loved these crayons.  Recently David Row, from Make Moments Matter, also wrote about his experiences making crayons.  I was reminded of all of the molds that I bought and never used.  Armed with old crayons, inspiration and a few seasons of the Gilmore Girls I set out to make my own crayons.  Here's how to do it:

1.  Gather Crayons

I always buy 30 new packs of crayons each year for my classroom and at the end of the year I dump them all in a bag and take them home to craft with or donate or whatever.  If you don't have your own crayons, just put out an email at school or a post on Facebook requesting some.  It doesn't matter what brand, if they a broken or what size they are.  They all melt.

2.  Sort the crayons by color.  Don't get too picky here.  All the various reds can go together and all the variety of blues can go together.  I matched papers to decide what color group they belonged to.  This worked well for me.

3.  Get the paper off.  I've heard a few ways to do this and I've hated them all.  No kidding!  This part just stinks.  You could soak the crayons in warm water and peel the paper off.  Soggy, yucky mess.  You could take a knife or box cutter and cut the paper off.  A pain in the booty.  This is the method that I chose, but it made for a long, tedious task and I spent hours and hours doing it this way.  I'd love to say that I have a great solution, but cutting the papers off with the utility knife worked better than other ways I tried.

4.  Now you'll have baggies of similarly colored, paperless crayons.  If you chose to cut the papers off, you might also have your crayons in small pieces already.  If they aren't in small pieces, use a small hammer to break them into little pieces.  You don't have to have hammer them to dust, but smaller pieces work better in the molds.

MOLDS:  Before beginning this project you'll want to collect a few silicone molds in fun shapes.  Make sure that your molds were designed to go in the oven.  Most candy molds are, but you should check before you purchase them.  Most of my molds are made by Wilton and are very sturdy and easy to use.  Here are a few molds that I've used or can't wait to use on Amazon.

5.  Load your molds with the crayon pieces.  You'll want to put in enough so that it piles about the well.  When they melt, it looks like much less.

6.  Place the crayon filled molds onto a sheet pan and bake for 8-10 minutes at 350.  WARNING:  This stinks.  Literally.  It smells gross, but looks delightful.

7.  Let them cool before turning the mold over and popping them out.

8.  I decided to group my crayons together in little treat bags and add a themed saying to the bag.  Some examples of what I used:

These stickers are Avery Label 22806 (These are on my suggested Amazon list.)  You can get copies of the sticker templates that I created (and other freebies) by joining my email list.  Just print them on the sticker paper and they are ready to go!

Subscribe to my email list to download this freebie!  Enter your email address here:

I hope you have a great time coloring your students world with music!  If you like these ideas, PIN THEM for later.