Darla Hanley's Music Room
Creative Teaching for Students of Today (& Tomorrow) PK-8
Today’s Teaching Strategy: Rain, Rain, Rainbow Scarves
(Movement Exploration/Scarf Game)
Lower Elementary (PreK-1)
© 2026 Darla S. Hanley
This teaching strategy is all about rainbow colors, scarves, moving, listening for turn taking, and an iconic song. It goes with “Over the Rainbow” by Judy Garland (1939), Israel Kamakwiwo’ole (2001), and Pentatonnix (2017).
Note: There are many other recordings/interpretations of this song from which to choose. Take a look/listen and add others that resonate with you and your students.
Pedagogical Foundations
Pick me!
Call on me!
I want to…!
Have you ever noticed how every student’s hand is raised when a teacher asks for a volunteer to do something cool? I have. In fact, depending on the teacher, I’ve even seen students eagerly raise their hand to be chosen—without fully knowing—what they will get to do because they trust the teacher so much and are recalling prior (awesome) experiences in that teacher’s classroom.
Building a classroom environment that supports all students and inspires them to “raise their hand to XYZ” takes time. Students need to be positioned to be successful, and know when are... This is such an important part of teaching. So how does this happen? Try these 3 things:
Ask students to do something you are 100% sure they can do at first—like instrument or movement exploration with a recording. In this context students need to not bump into each other or mistreat the instruments (I know… of course), but other than that give them freedom of expression and opportunity to “Go” and “Do” as they respond to music. There is no wrong artistic answer!
Make calling on students a natural and regular component in class. If something happens all the time it is expected and can feel comfortable and familiar. AND, better yet, find ways to call on students that are playful like selecting student leaders within a game; choosing students based on colors, instrument groups, rows, etc. A playful and creative approach invites students informally and organically. They will be eager to take a turn (lol).
Demonstrate and ask students to engage, sure, but also let students call on you, the teacher, to do something! What???
Oftentimes we are so focused on telling, directing, and asking that we forget we can turn the table and expand the learning experience for students.
Having students call on a teacher to perform a body percussion movement, play an instrument, or sweep their scarf in a particular direction, for example, empowers them as leaders while building a classroom dynamic between teacher and students that is a 2-way street of trust, fun, and willingness to “Go” and “Do” when called.
Today’s teaching strategy (“Rain, Rain, Rainbow Scarves”) includes the opportunity for movement exploration based on the color of a manipulative ;-) and both high and low sweeping rainbows. I hope you give it a try with your students. But first, let me remind you who I am:
Hi! I’m Darla, an experienced PK-12 music educator, college professor, and former Berklee College of Music Dean looking to connect with teachers, parents/caregivers, and others seeking to advance creative music making for today’s students—and their teachers. In Darla Hanley’s Music Room you will find teaching strategies, advice and teaching tips, playlists, and more.
Distribute 2 scarves (of the same color) to each student.
ProTIP: This movement exploration can happen with 1 scarf per student, or with bandanas, ribbons, or streamers if scarves are unavailable. The “key” is to have a variety of colored manipulatives with a few+ students receiving the same colored item (so multiple students respond together).
Today we are going to move like beautiful rainbows! We see rainbows, if we are lucky, following a rain storm so our game is called “Rain, Rain, Rainbows!”
ProTIP: Demonstrate sweeping/arching rainbow movements for students as an example. Vary how this happens (e.g., 2 hands/arms sweeping in the same direction; alternating arms sweeping; sweeping high, sweeping low).
Play the recording of “Over the Rainbow” by Judy Garland and invite students to move their scarves like sweeping rainbows with the track.
ProTIP: The feel of this music is fluid and gentle. Guide students to move their scarves in this manner during this free/movement exploration part of the game.
ProTIP: This movement exploration can happen in place (non-locomotor) or move around the room (locomotor)… or both!
Prepare students for the color-based movement game by asking them to respond when their scarf color is called:
Hold your scarves way up high—like a rainbow in the sky—when I call your color. Call individual colors and observe students to check their familiarity with color vocabulary and connection to the scarves in their hands.
ProTIP: Call colors more than once to keep students focused and ready to raise their scarves. (Mix it up and unexpectedly call the same color twice in a row to really keep them focused—lol!)
Move your scarves like this to make low rainbows like they are sweeping the floor and painting it in beautiful colors!
ProTIP: Demonstrate and practice low-sweeping movements without the recording to provide time for students to become familiar with what is being asked of them.
ProTIP: Sweeping low results in all students moving scarves the whole time AND offers a contrast in movement (low/high) when colors are called later in the game.
Play the recording of “Over the Rainbow” and lead students to perform the low-sweeping movements with the track.
Now we will add something FUN! When I call your color you get to sweep your scarves WAY up high like a rainbow in the sky until I call another color. When a new color is called you go back to sweeping low until your color is called again!
ProTIP: You may want to practice this without music at first. Do what works best in your teaching setting.
Play the recording and invite students to move scarves (sweeping low) and way up high based on the color called.
Materials/Set Up
Space for Movement Exploration
Scarves
DHMR Downloadable Color Cards
🎵 Judy Garland "Over the Rainbow” Link to Track on Spotify
🎵 Israel Kamakawiwo’ole “Over the Rainbow” Link to Track on Spotify
🎵 Pentatonix “Over the Rainbow” Link to Track on Spotify
EXTEND the Learning:
Perform the game using the recordings of “Over the Rainbow” by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole and/or Pentatonix.
Call 2+ colors at one time (e.g., green and blue scarves are sweeping high while all others sweep low).
Grade 1: Invite a student to call the colors!
ProTIP: Distribute colored scarves to the students but keep a separate (1-of-a-kind color) for the teacher. This way the student leader can call the teacher’s color as part of the game!
ProTIP: Repeat with as many student leaders calling colors as time permits.
Draw DHMR Color Cards from a bag or hat to identify which scarves are sweeping high.
Learning Targets
Move, Connect
Learning Outcomes
Respond with movement
Create personal interpretations
Perform a movement game with a manipulative
Assessment
Informal Observation/Formative Assessment
Thanks for checking this out. If you use this teaching strategy, be sure to leave a comment to let me know how it resonates with your students!