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This Halloween music lesson is especially effective because it:

• Connects literacy and music through story and chant

• Introduces triplets naturally alongside ta and titi rhythms

• Uses interactive activities to get students moving, listening, and creating

• Builds toward minor tonality in a way that’s simple, spooky, and fun

• Provides options for assessment and differentiated practice

Rhythm Foundations: Ta, Titi, and Triplets

The lesson begins by anchoring students in a steady beat pumpkin chant, helping them internalize pulse before layering on rhythms. From there, students analyze the chant text, replacing words with ta, titi, and triplet rhythms. Triplets—often tricky for beginners—are introduced gently, giving students a first taste of rhythmic subdivision in context.

Create Your Own Jack-O’-Lantern Rhythms

After chanting and moving, students design their own jack-o’-lanterns with ta and titi rhythms. Using visuals or Smartboard animations, they add eyes, noses, and smiles—each paired with simple rhythmic phrases. This activity balances creativity with literacy, reinforcing rhythm patterns while letting students personalize their jack-o’-lanterns.

Why Teachers Love It

This isn’t just another Halloween activity. It’s a musically rich, literacy-centered lesson that sneaks in:

• Rhythm analysis with ta, titi, and triplets

• Creative rhythm composition through jack-o’-lantern building

• Aural skills in major vs. minor mode

• Expressive singing through spooky solfege games

• Movement and storytelling for full-body engagement

And the best part? It’s low-prep, high-impact, and can flex across multiple grades (perfect for K–3, with triplet extensions for older students).

Wrapping Up: Creepy or Not?

To close, you’ve got options. Some days, a quick rhythm play-along with In the Hall of the Mountain King is the perfect send-off—ta and titi patterns layered onto Grieg’s creepy classic.

Other days, you may choose the included assessment(printable or digital), where students drag rhythms, color pitches, or reflect on what they’ve learned while tying it back to The Runaway Pumpkin.

Either way, students leave smiling, singing, and maybe just a little spooked.

Final Thoughts~

Halloween is one of those magical times when music class can feel downright enchanted. With The Runaway Pumpkin, you’re giving students more than a seasonal activity—you’re giving them a memorable musical experience they’ll connect back to for years to come. Rhythms, solfege, minor mode, movement, and creativity all rolled into one (just like that runaway pumpkin barreling down the hill).

So if you’re still hunting for your October music lesson, let this one roll right into your classroom.

Happy playing,
Leanna O’Brien
Founder of The Soaring Scarves Academy

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