3 Ways to Use Christmas Piano Bingo in Music Lessons

December is a busy month for all who celebrate the Christmas holidays, and it's especially hectic for piano and music studios with all the concerts, recitals and events happening. Lots of excitement, but lots of busyness!

If you're looking for a fun, no-prep resource to help your students...

• stay motivated to continue practicing at home

• share their music with friends and family

• prepare for upcoming performances

• keep engaged in lessons

...then Christmas Piano Bingo is just what you and your students need! (Don't forget to scroll down and grab your free download!)

What is Christmas Piano Bingo?

Inspired by traditional Bingo, Christmas Piano Bingo has challenges and tasks specific to piano and the holidays to help students keep playing their instrument, memorize or prepare music for performances, share their music with others, or just stay engaged in lessons.

How can my students use it?

In Lessons

Have students keep their Bingo in the music folder they bring to lessons, and see how many the student can accomplish during the lesson together, such as "play your favorite holiday song 3x," or "create your own arrangement of a holiday song," or "play a song with your eyes closed." What a fun way to spend time together in learning piano during the holidays! If you need a bit of inspiration, here are a few of our favorite holiday fidgets and activities to include during holiday lessons.

Home Practicing

It can be challenging for students to find time to practice during Christmas holidays, but with the added motivation of a Bingo challenge, many students look for extra opportunities to play at home so they can check off the boxes! This works well for hyperactive and competitive students, neurodivergent learners who like a challenge, or students who needed that little nudge of extra motivation.

You can even give students a specific goal of completing 10 tasks before their next lesson, or whatever works best for your studio.

Performance Preparation

One of the best ways to prepare students for performances is to give them opportunities performing and playing in a performance mindset, even for their own siblings and family. Christmas Piano Bingo is the perfect way to help students practice performing by recording videos of themselves practicing and sending to their teacher or friends, playing their holiday music for family after dinner, etc.

You may find that your students work well with this kind of motivation and specific practicing strategies and it unlocks the competitive nature to check things off the list, creating better home-practicing routines!

Final Tips

You can use it as strictly or loosely as you like! Some teachers like to make a goal of 'blackout' for this Bingo challenge, to see how many students can cross out all the boxes/as many as possible by Christmas Day or December 31, or whatever date you choose. Other teachers give students a goal of completing a specific number of challenges/boxes by the recital date, etc.

Several teachers last year shared that they did a monetary or gift card prize for 1st and 2nd place winners in their studios, others recognized students at their recitals for completing it. The goal with this resource is simply to use it in the way that works best for your students, your studio, and your current teaching season! We shared about this theme of flexibility during the holidays on a recent podcast episode, too.

Last tip: We have found that printing the Bingo on *cardstock paper works well so it holds up for the entirety of the challenge!

However you use it, we hope it brings you and your students a bit of added joy this busy holiday season! 😊

--> Don't forget to download your FREE Christmas Piano Bingo here! (and feel free to share this blog post with a music teacher friend who might enjoy this freebie!)

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