Is your studio looking festive for the fall season? With this “Pump-kin” up the Practice incentive program you’ll be ready to launch an explosion of everything orange! Your piano kids will be excited to see something new and this is just the right time of year to really set up some great practice habits.
If you’re looking to try a fun and yet stunningly easy practice incentive event in your studio, we’ve got it all here for you. You literally need to click a few buttons and you’ll be done. Gotta love it.
3 Steps to a Super Fun Piano Practice Incentive Event
1. How it works: Your piano students are sent home with a ‘Pump-kin’ up the Practice Sheet (download it here) that explains how the incentive program works. Each week (for 3 weeks) they complete “spells” created from a combination of different practice routines. The final task is completed in-lesson with you. For each completed “spell” your student gets to colour in eyes, a nose and a mouth with a black marker on a jack-o-lantern which is displayed on your studio wall. A fully-completed pumpkin face by the end of the month means they win a prize!
2. You’ll Need…: A Jack-o-lantern face template (I actually used pumpkin plates I found at Oriental Trading but if you don’t have time to order these, this will work just as well), copies of the ‘Pump-kin’ up the Practice home sheets from above, some push-pins to display the pumpkins on your wall, and some fun Halloween-themed prizes.
3. Announce Your Incentive: We created a poster for our studio walls to announce the event and increase hype (yes, you can have that too!) and I shared images like this one on our studio Facebook page. The ‘Pump-kin up the Practice Sheet looks after giving the parents all the instructions they need.
It’s that simple! This piano practice incentive gets your students on the piano regularly in ways they may not normally have previously done. It also gets their family involved in their home practice and it provides a focus for the month of October (which can sometimes be a bit routine). I went all-out with the decorations in my studio too… and at this time of year finding pumpkin decor is easy as pie… pumpkin pie 😉
Just One More Way To Involve The Family…
With practice incentives like these, the families of your piano students can’t help but become involved. They catch some of the excitement that is happening at your studio through the decorations and “event” atmosphere and they become more aware and involved in their child’s practice routines at home.
Another fabulous way to involve family is by using our technical exercise book TEDDtales (Technical Exercises Dramatically Different). So many piano teachers have written to us to tell us how this book has truly made home practice a family affair… and their students’ technique and note-reading skills are flourishing as a result! Check it out here.
Not Into Halloween? We Have A Solution!
If you don’t celebrate Halloween you can still encourage fabulous practice habits this fall! If you have a student who would benefit from this, you can find our “Apple-tite’ for Practice” printables below!
Student hand-out sheet for “Apple-tite for Practice”
Printables set for “Apple-tite for Practice”
Fiona says
Great idea ! I used a similar idea last year except I put up everyones pumpkin on my studio wall and they added in eyes, mouth etc on the wall. This year I am doing a Halloween apple incentive and your “spells” are so much fun, I may just have to use it 🙂 Thanks for sharing …
Kristen Smith says
What a neat idea, I was trying to think of something simple that would last for just a few weeks. This will work perfectly. I am going to start this next week. Would you mind sharing what you are giving for prizes? I have such a hard time coming up with a new prize is not too expensive but that the kids will enjoy.
Thanks
Andrea says
Hi Kristen – I’m making up little goody bags… halloween eraser and pencil, some treat-sized goodies, a glow stick and some stickers. Almost all of of it is from orientaltrading as it’s so inexpensive for bulk quantities (i’m buying for over 300!) Everyone who completes the incentive has their name placed in a draw for our Fall Incentive Trophy.
Cheri says
I don’t have very many students, so I’m using the $1 coupon treat books from McDonald’s for my prizes. Some of the Wendy’s restaurants have these as well. They are good for children ages 12 and under.
Kristen Smith says
Thanks Andrea and Cheri great ideas!
Cheri says
This is awesome! I teach several students through the after school care program at a local elementary school. Since I use the music teacher’s classroom, I don’t have a studio in which to hang the pumpkins. Any suggestions? What are your thoughts on using this incentive with middle school aged students? Would they think it is too juvenile?
Andrea says
Hi Cheri – You could always stick their pumpkin on a piece of card stock inside their binder? Some of my middle school and even high school kids were into it (when you get that age sometimes “baby stuff” is cool again!) and other’s weren’t. I don’t push these things as they’re meant to be fun, so anyone who wanted to participate could. It’s all in the prizes too… I modify my prizes a bit for teens so they actually care 🙂
Jeanette says
What kind of prizes do you recommend?
Andrea says
Hi Jeanette,
I’m making up little goody bags (more details in the answer I posted just above this one) but it doesn’t need to be extravagant. Kids like this just because it’s fun too. I don’t go all out with prizes or else the fun of the exercise itself gets lost in the greed for prizes!
Miriam Higginson says
Heavens! This is so close to what I was trying to work up on my own…and you’ve made it way cute!! It’s even for 3 weeks which is just what I was going to do. This will save me tons of time – Thanks!
Andrea says
Great minds think alike Miriam! 🙂 Glad to help.
Dorla says
So cool and just in time!
Laura says
Hallelujah! This is fantastic! I just had a parent ask me this week if I had any tips for motivating her daughter to practice, and I said I would have something next week. I didn’t exactly have anything specific in mind…but knew I was going to check your blog for inspiration! I didn’t even have to check, because your blog arrived in my in-box just in time! You guys rock, thanks for sharing!
Leanne says
Love this simple practice incentive! I love short-term, seasonal ideas like this, and my students will totally get into it. I know I have a few parents that will object to the “spell” idea, but I really like the pumpkin theme. Is it possible for you to post a version of the pumpkins, but with “task” (or some other word) instead of “spell”? Thank-you so much!
Renee says
This is fabulous! Thanks so much. Eyes are lighting up, and they don’t seem to realize it’s going to be hard work!
Roxy says
We are going to draw the face parts on oranges or small ornamental gourds (depending on which are cheaper). Then they can take these and goodie bags (as per above) home with them. I plan to put them in the windowsill (I have a huge studio room window). Thanks guys!
Alice says
The poster has 2013. Is there any way to have this poster with the date deleted so that could be used this year or any year?
Thank you for such a great idea. Oh and did you come up with an alternative to “spell?”
Carolyn Nelson says
I love your ideas — but want to change apples to fall leaves – do you have a template where I would be able to do that? Thank you for being such a tremendous help in my studio — I have so many ways I want to help my students and only so much creative time and energy – and it is refreshing to open your blog and see something you’ve put together that totally answers my needs for my students. A HUGE thank you!
Anola says
I’m excited to start this next month! Do you happen to have a blank template where we can add in our own “spells”? I would love to gear this to the students that I have. Thanks for all you do!!
Andrea says
Hi Anola – I don’t have a blank template, but feel free to take our ideas and modify them as you like 🙂
Alyssa says
This was AWESOME in my studio last fall. Practicing went through the roof! Do you have any similar programs for different times of the year? I would do these monthly! (but lack the creativity to come up with something this cool!)
Andrea says
Hi Alyssa – so happy to hear that it was a success and that your practicing hours went crazy! Yes, we actually have quite a few incentives that are free on the blog. Links below and stay tuned for more this coming year!
E-FISH-ent Practice Incentive Event
https://www.teachpianotoday.com/2014/05/07/we-have-an-e-fish-ent-piano-practice-incentive-just-for-you/
Wild-West Themed Incentive Event
https://www.teachpianotoday.com/2014/09/30/practicing-piano-students-wanted-a-wild-west-themed-practice-incentive/
Pirate Themed Incentive Event
https://www.teachpianotoday.com/2015/02/05/arrrrr-ye-ready-everything-you-need-for-a-pirate-themed-practice-challenge/
iPhone Themed Event (There’s an App For That)
https://www.teachpianotoday.com/2013/01/31/a-great-printable-incentive-program-for-your-tech-lovin-piano-kids/
Elizabeth C says
I used this incentive this October. It was the first time I have done a studio wide “theme” and it was a great success! Some of my older students weren’t as into it, but they still liked the idea of a prize, so they completed the spells for the most part. Sometimes I had to adapt for crazy busy sports schedules (which I refused to at first, but when a kid practices basketball four days a week, you have to be flexible or they will get discouraged.)
Thank you for providing these items for free!
Andrea says
So happy you were able to use it Elziabeth! 🙂
Krista says
Thank you for including the apple-tite version. I was looking at the pumpkin one and thought it would be nice to have one that didn’t use the word spells in it since many of my students don’t do Halloween. Or at least the witches, ghosts, and goblins bits.
Andrea says
Hi Krista – you’re welcome! Yes, it’s nice to have an alternative for some families 🙂