Monsters in My Closet: Free Drumming Lesson Plan (K-3)

Music Lesson Plan

Step 1
Hook your students! Tell them, "Today, we’re going to learn a rhyme called Monsters in My Closet. As we say the words, we’re going to use the drums to play the rhythms made by the syllables."

Step 2
Let's read the rhyme together. Point to the words on the board and lead the students through the story:

There were monsters in the closet,
That I could barely see.
With super creepy eyeballs,
Staring back at me.
My heart was beating faster,
As the clock tick-tick, tick-tocked.
But then I remembered what to say,
When the night bump, bump, bumps,
and knocks.

"Hey Monsters! I'm not scared.
You're just in my head.
It's time to put a smile on,
And finally go to bed.
It's time to stop this spooky stuff,
Where you roam, and crawl, and creep.
It's time for every girl and boy,
to finally go to sleep."

Step 3
Demonstrate the proper form. Show the class how to play the first phrase on the drum. Remind them that a great drummer doesn't leave their hand on the drum head after they hit it. They should strike the drum and pull their hand away quickly to "draw the sound out."

Step 4
Go through all the phrases together. Students rotate to the drums moving in a clockwise circle, making sure everyone gets a turn.

Step 5
Perform! Ask the group perform the entire piece from start to finish.

Optional
Pick four students to be the "monsters" in the center of the circle. During the first half of the rhyme, they can move around showing their "claws" and "teeth." During the second half, they stand tall with hands on their hips to show they aren't scared anymore!