We all know that off-the-bench piano games are beneficial for children. After all, kids learn best when there are frequent changes of focus within a lesson. But if you don’t have time to leave the piano, on-the-bench activities can be just as useful… especially when you pull out a set of Iwako Erasers for piano.
Iwako Erasers, often referred to as “Japenese Erasers”, are cute and inexpensive erasers shaped like food, animals, and objects. They are readily available in many different places (check out Amazon) and come in wonderfully fun, “themed” packages. They may even replace stickers as a piano teacher’s most valuable tool!
If you’re new to Iwako erasers for piano or have never used them before, we suggest you buy a couple of sets and then put them to good use with our 10 “quick and easy” Iwako Erase Piano Games below.
Note: If you are teaching online and your students don’t have Iwako Erasers, all of these games can be played with a small toy they have at home (LEGO men, Shopkins, etc.).
10 Piano Games To Play With Iwako Erasers
Once you’ve loaded up on Iwako Erasers (be careful, they’re addictive!) get started with these ten suggestions for on-the-bench, piano activities. Then, let your imagination take over as you find more and more ways to incorporate these fun little tools into your teaching.
1. Keyboard Awareness – If you’ve selected an eraser set with animals, you can use them to reinforce your young beginners’ abilities to name keys on the piano. Using the first letter of each animal’s name, have your student place the eraser on the correct key on the piano. For example, a giraffe would be placed on “G”, a frog would be placed on “F” etc.
2. Stepping and Skipping – When your primer-level book introduces stepping and skipping, grab two erasers and give them to your student. As you point to various examples of stepping or skipping in her music, have your student name the interval (a step or a skip) and then place the erasers on the piano to represent the step or skip.
3. Higher, Lower, Repeating – An early (yet important!) ear training skill is the ability to discern whether sounds are moving higher, moving lower, or repeating. To reinforce this skill with erasers, place one eraser on a key and then have your student close her eyes. Beginning one key above where the eraser is resting, play three sounds stepping higher, three sounds stepping lower, or three sounds repeating. Next, ask your student to open her eyes and then walk the eraser up or down the piano according to the sounds played. For example, if sounds were stepping higher they would take the eraser and walk it up the piano, making sure to “step” on each of the three keys played.
4. Key Signature Awareness – With an older student, you can use Iwako Erasers to increase understanding of key signatures. To play this activity, name a key signature and then have your student place erasers on the accidentals that are found in that key. For example, if you called out, “D major”, your student would place erasers on all of the F# and C#’s on the keyboard.
5. Interval Ear Training – For ear training fun, place an eraser on any key and then have your student close her eyes. Next, play any interval, using the key where the eraser is resting as the bottom note. Instruct your student to open her eyes, name the interval that was played, and then place a second eraser on the key that represents the top note of the interval.
6. Chord Inversions – To reinforce chord inversions, call out a chord name and an inversion and have your student place the erasers on the corresponding keys. For example, if you call out, “G Major, first inversion” your student would place erasers on B, D, and G.
7. Note Reading – Using your student’s current piece, place five animal erasers on the keyboard so that each is sitting on a key that corresponds with a note in her piano piece. Next, ask your student to name a key where an animal eraser is resting, pick up that animal and then use it to tap every note in her piano piece that corresponds with the animal’s key. Repeat this process for the remaining five erasers.
8. Major vs. Minor Chords – Place three erasers on keys that form a major or minor triad. Have your student examine the arrangement, name whether the chord is major or minor, and then play the keys to determine if he was correct.
9. Scale Practice – Pass your student a set of erasers. Next, name a scale and then have your student arrange the erasers on the keys in the correct order to represent the named scale… being sure to include the correct accidentals.
10. Grand Staff Awareness – To reinforce grand staff note reading, place three different erasers on three keys that correspond with the same note name. Have your student remove one eraser from a key and then draw its corresponding note on a blank grand staff.Β For example, place erasers on Bass C, Middle C, and Treble C and have your student remove the eraser on Bass C and draw a note in the 2nd space in the bass staff (etc.). Have your student repeat this process with the remaining erasers.
Let Your Imagination Create Piano Lesson Fun!
The sky’s the limit when it comes to how you can use these Iwako Erasers for piano teaching tools.
Do YOU use Iwako Erasers for piano teaching tools? Share how you use them in the comments below!
For more piano lesson fun, check out our WunderKeys Primer Level method books. Packed with off-bench activities, on-bench learning, enjoyable pieces, teacher duets, ear training, and even cut-and-play piano games, these books make filling a 30-minute piano lesson with beginners an absolute breeze! Find out more about this rapidly-growing method book series here.
Andrea says
I printed a large staff and have my students match erasers (which I love the holiday/seasonal erasers) with the notes on the staff and on the keyboard. This is great also for younger students that cannot draw the notes in very well – another tactile assessment! I just got out my pumpkins and candy corn erasers for October lessons!
Andrea says
Great idea, Andrea! Thanks for sharing π
Jen Wall says
I LOVE these ideas! I have been using the Iwako erasers for several years as markers for your games, but I hadn’t thought to bring them to the keys.
Andrea says
Hi Jen! Awesome π Glad you have some new ideas. They’re perfect if you have a spare 5 minutes or need to really solidify a concept. Kids just can’t get enough of them (and I don’t really blame them!) LOL
Heidi says
Thank you for this post. Last year I bought some of these erasers to use. My students are so enamoured with them! These game ideas will be put to use todayβ THANKS!
Andrea says
Hi Heidi – great! Glad you already have some and that you have some new ideas flowing! Enjoy! They really are super helpful little teaching tools!
carmen says
Love, love, loveeeeee these ideas. I purchased many and have used them as game markers and key identification and such with my preschoolers but not with my tweens and teens. Oh will they be surprised today :-). Thank you again Andrea!!!
Andrea says
Hi Carmen! Sometimes I think tweens and teens like them even more than the littles π Enjoy! Thanks for reading!
Judy Snow says
Love the idea of using these erasers to teach concepts! Will order some and begin using!
Andrea says
Hi Judy! We hope your students love it (actually we know they will!) Thanks for reading π
Diane Madsen says
I’m purchasing some today! Is there a way that I can print out your ideas for using them so that I have them in a hard copy. Thanks, Andrea, for sharing your great ideas!
Andrea says
Hi Diane – you can select the text with your mouse and “copy/paste” to a word document to print them – or you can screen shot the post on your phone for quick reference π Have fun!
Jayney says
Hi Iβve just read about your wonderful Iwako erasers they sound amazing! I have just started teaching for the year a. Iβve got three little girls coming who is six years old and have noticed that their motor skills at the piano are just about nil but their rhythm is great. From the research Iβve been doing it seems that piano games play an integral part. I need to upskill now! Also Iβm very interested in your books and what methods you use. Where can I get the erasers from please? Iβm in Australia. Thanks very much. Looking forward to your reply
Andrea says
Hi Jayney – Just emailed you π You can often find these erasers on Amazon (I checked and you can get them on the AUS Amazon) π
Linda Belden says
Love these ideas! I have a six-year-old student that will love these! I may try these ideas with all of my students! You have the BEST ideas, Andrea!
Andrea says
They are such a useful theory tool! We hope you have fun with the ideas π