Toy Spiders (plastic, rubber, stuffed animals or puppets)
Instructions
Listen to the song, while snapping your fingers on beats two and three.
Can you name the movie or TV show that made this song popular? (The Addams Family)
Practice the three spoken words: neat, sweet and petite. Neat and Sweet are spoken on beat three. Petite is spoken just before beat three. Note: no word is spoken on beat two.
Distribute drums, rhythm sticks, woodblocks and castanets for the Addams Family band.
Transfer this rhythm to the drums.
While the drums rest, play the rhythm sticks, woodblocks and castanets with the finger snaps.
Switch parts until everyone has had the chance to play both instruments.
Pass the spider game. Sit in a circle. Give every person a toy spider. Designate several spiders as the Itsy Bitsy Spiders by marking them in some way (tape, bow, sticker, etc.). At the end of the song, whoever has these marked spiders must leave the game and join the Addams Family band that was rehearsed earlier. Continue playing until only a few people are left.
On triplets, pick up the spider.
On the quarter notes, pass the spider to the person on your right.
Snap fingers on the rests. (These are beats two and three.)
This rhythm will stop and start throughout the music so that you can stop and sing the song. Be ready to continue the game whenever the rhythm is heard!
Additional resource: For additional fun, look under the Essential Elements Music Classroom's Browse tab and click on Books. View the book called Rhythm Cups by John Jacobson. Inside, there is a rhythm cup routine called Addams Family theme with directions.
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