Name Games

Use rhythm, melody, and actions to explore and remember names. Check out these fun and easy games and songs. ​

Name Rondo* by Kay Lehto

“A” Section

Names, names, remembering names, if you forget;           who could blame you about
              S                                   S                              S            
        C           C                 C               C            C             C
 P                            P                                 P                         P


Names, names, remembering names, ready, set, here we go!
              S                                    S                              S            
        C           C                 C                C             C               C           C C C
P                              P                                 P                              P


“B” Section

  C C C    C C C     C C C    C C C
P            P            P           P     


Perform the “A” section, do the “B” section twice, and then return to the “A” section. During the P’s in the “B” section, four children will say their names (one child per P) following by the entire group saying all four names on the P’s in the same order (then return to “A”). After all children have had a turn saying their name, perform the “A” section one more time. You might have the children choose words to replace “ready, set, here we go” to give more finality to the chant.

*A “rondo” is a musical form with a reoccurring “A” section (ABACADA etc.)

Extension: Play a name-memory game. Choose one student to be the leader or head of the circle and someone to be at the end. Perform the “B” Section only. The leader begins with her/his own name and then says someone else’s name on the next pat. That student then says her/his own name on the next pat and someone else’s on the pat after that. When someone “messes up” they move to the end of the circle and everyone “below” them moves up one place.

Hello, How Are You? (Skip to My Lou)

This game is a pure delight with little children (preK through 2). Begin with children sitting on the floor in a circle. Sing to the tune of Skip to My Lou:

Hello (child's name), how are you?
Hello (child's name), how are you?
Hello (child's name), how are you?
Skip to my lou my darlin'. 

This verse can be about just one of the children or about three different children. Wave at each child and encourage the children to wave too. Eventually the other children can sing along as you all sing hello to all of the children. This works especially well on the first day of class as you greet all of the children in the circle and they get to see that you already know all of their names. (If you don't know them yet, just ask.)

Then, sing the verse as follows:

Skip with me, I'll skip with you.
Skip with me, I'll skip with you.
Skip with me, I'll skip with you.
Skip to my lou my darlin'. 

During the verse, the three children whose names were called can skip around the outside of the circle, around the inside of the circle, or around in a circle holding hands. Adapt this idea however you would like relative to the needs and ages of the children. ​

Here We Are Together (The More We Get Together)

This game works especially well with third and fourth grades. Begin with children sitting in a circle on the floor and sing:

Oh, here we are together, together, together.
Oh, here we are together all sitting on the floor.

Actions: Oh (fist on floor) here (throw it in the air) together (move hand in a circle in the air) floor (touch the floor). For teachers teaching solfege the first two actions correspond with do and so. 

Then sing the next part:

There's (child 1's name)
with (child 2's name) 
and (child 2's name)
with (child 3's name)
Oh, here we are together all sitting on the floor. (This last part could, of course, be replaced with all standing on the floor, in our music class, this fine afternoon, etc.). 

It is also fun to keep going all the way around the circle with the names before completing the verse with Oh, here we are together all sitting on the floor.

I like to have the kids point to each student as their name is sung, but I don't particularly like the action of pointing fingers, so I have the children gesture to each other with whole hand and palm up; it seems more welcoming.