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.