If You're Wearing a Red Shirt

One thing I’ve noticed when I give a child a pair of rhythm sticks is that it’s extremely difficult for him or her not to make some kind of noise with them. So I made a game out of it.

“If You’re Wearing a Red Shirt” is a simple, repetitive song that directs children in a group to play their rhythm sticks only if they fit the description in that particular verse. It goes like this:

If you’re sitting down,
Tap your sticks just like this.
Tap-tap-tap-tap, tap-tap-tap,
Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap.

If you’re a girl,
Tap your sticks just like this.
Tap-tap-tap-tap, tap-tap-tap,
Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap.

If you’re a boy,
Tap your sticks just like this.
Tap-tap-tap-tap, tap-tap-tap,
Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap.

If you’re wearing a red shirt,
Tap your sticks just like this.
Tap-tap-tap-tap, tap-tap-tap,
Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap.

{Continue, using different descriptives}

The kids with whom I’ve used this activity get a kick out of the descriptions I choose for each verse — they are usually much more specific and creative than the very basic ones I included in the recording. Sometimes only one child will fit a description, and other times just for fun I’ll choose a description that nobody fits.

The best part is that everyone actually listens carefully and plays their rhythm sticks only when they should be playing. After all, that’s the goal!