8 Ways to use Pom-Poms in Summer Piano Lessons

If you’re teaching this summer, chances are you’re looking for some easy, inexpensive, no-prep ways to add some color, pizazz, creativity and a little something extra to your lessons, classes and camps. If this is you, then today’s blog post is just for you! And if you’re not teaching this summer, save this idea for fall lessons or share with a teacher friend who might enjoy! 

Why I love Pom-Poms

From years and years of research into child development and how children learn, we know that children learn best by doing, especially when that is combined with a physical skill like including a tactile element. Even better when it adds to the sensory aspect of the learning process, too! Pom-poms are the perfect inexpensive, easy-to-find item to add to your studio teaching toolbox and you’ll be shocked at just how many ways you can use them! 

These are perfect for neurodivergent students, young learners, ADHD students, and yes, even your typical students will gain immense benefits from this added sensory element in music lessons. Use them to spice up anything from technique to theory to ear training, and just about everything in between! (You can even use them as game pieces for Bingo and so much more!) If you want some easy-to-use game ideas for your students, check out this blog post.

How to use Pom-Poms in Music Lessons

Key Signatures

Putting pom-poms on the keys to match the key signature in your students’ new music, turn to a random page in the book to practice those key signatures, or pull out some dusty flashcards and see how quickly students can put the poms on the keys to match- there are so many fun ways to use them with keyboard theory! 

Scales/modes/finger patterns

Pretty self-explanatory, but there are so many ways to use these colorful little fluffy poms to add some fun to finding all the half/whole step patterns of scales, modes and finger patterns on the keys. You could also use them to assist with music reading by putting the poms on the keys to match a pattern in the music! 

Chords (inversions, major/minor)What a fun way to learn, practice or reinforce chord qualities (major/minor) or inversions than with pom-poms! Use your imagination and see how many ways you can use them for chords in your lessons- it’s incredibly fun, even for the pre-teens, and teenagers may even smirk a little when using them (which means it’s pretty cool.)

Starting position

Do you have some students who struggle to remember where their fingers start on the keys for their pieces/songs? Use pom-poms to help them remember and recreate their finger placement on the keys for their pieces! (Extra tip: If I have a neurodivergent student who needs a little extra help, I’ll snap a quick photo of the pom-poms on the starting position and text to the parents with the title of the piece. Sometimes the visual can really help them when playing at home.)

Keyboard geography/key names

If you’re teaching beginners or young learners over the summer (or just reviewing these concepts with other students), what a better way to review keyboard geography and key names than with cute little colorful pom-poms! You can create speed games (or use the all-time favorite, Bubble Timer!) to have students put poms on all the 2 black keys, all the D’s, etc. It’s terrific fun! 

2-note slurs

Teaching technique can be a complex aspect of piano lessons, but pom-poms can help make one aspect of technique much more fun and engaging (and memorable!) for you and your students. 2-note slurs can be tricky, but they’re much more achievable when students can really sink down into the keys with little/no tension on that first long note and then gently release on the second key. Try placing a pom-pom (just one!) on the key for the long note/first note, really letting the student sink their finger down into the soft, squishy pom-pom before releasing with the second note. You can try this off the keyboard first, or however you like- but adding this tactile and sensory tool can really add a sense of playfulness to technique and I hope you give it a try! 

Improvisation

Add a sense of fun and playfulness to improvisation in piano lessons by using pom-poms! Choose 3-4 piano keys (or 2-3 for each hand, whichever fits best for your student) and put the pom-poms on the keys as a reminder of which keys each hand will play. You can level-up the fun and sillyness by having the student close their eyes and randomly drop pom-poms on the keys- using however many poms you’d like, and whichever keys they land on, those are the pitches used for the improv! How fun would that be?

Ear-training

If you’ve followed this blog or instagram/Facebook for very long then you know I love adding ear training into piano curriculum! Ear training + pom-poms= match made in the heavens! Just think of how many ways you could use this- you’ll be surprised at how handy these little poms are for ear training! From playing intervals and having students replicate with poms on the keys to playing short musical patterns (ex: C E G A) and having students listen/clap/sing back and then put poms on the keys to match- just a few ways you can incorporate tactile and hands-on learning in your summer lessons! 

Hopefully this gives you a few ideas and inspiration for how you can bring a little creativity and color to your summer lessons with these little fluffy poms! If you’re curious to try using Pom-Poms in your lessons, this pack of assorted sizes is fantastic. I also love the larger-sized Poms for activities, and students love them, too.

If you enjoyed these ideas, then I think you’ll love the rest of the summer-themed blogs with similar no-prep activities! Also, don’t forget to check out the Summer Series “So, I have this student…” on the Creative Piano Pedagogy Podcast where we answer thoughtfully submitted questions by piano teachers from all around the world.

What’s your favorite teaching tool/manipulative in your studio? I’d love for you to share in the comments! If you’re curious about using other similar tools, you can browse my favorite fidget toys/tools here on my Amazon Storefront!

Until next time,

Elizabeth

*As an Amazon Affiliate, I may receive a small commission if you purchase through these links (at no extra cost to you).