Last week, I posted about doing a December challenge in your studio. A monthly challenge is a great way to finish off the year with your students. It helps keep your students engaged while families get busy before the holidays. I made sure to add something to the challenge that would have students thinking about what they’d like to accomplish next year.
I usually do a few other incentives in my studio to keep up the holiday cheer. Here are a few holiday incentives to motivate your students
#1 – Make a Holiday Chain
This idea came from Joy at Color in My Piano. Each time students learn a holiday song, they add a piece to the studio chain. when I did this incentive, my students really enjoyed seeing how long we could make the chain.
#2 – Make a Christmas Tree
I asked one of my students to make a Christmas tree from a poster board for me. I then printed paper ornaments. I also asked students to help cut out ornaments while they waited for their lessons.
When students learned a holiday song, they wrote their name and song title on the ornament.
Download my free ornaments printout.
#3 – Make a Holiday Youtube Playlist
I don’t have a recital in December like some teachers, so one year I made a Youtube playlist of my students’ Christmas music. I don’t like to put videos of children online, so I did this all with only audio records. You can read about how I took Apple voice memos and turned it into Youtube videos here. Parents loved it and this is a project I still cherish!
#4 – Make a Holiday Music List
Some students learn a lot of music in one holiday season while other students have learned a lot of holiday music over several years. This year, I’m having my students make a list of all of their holiday music. So when the holidays come, they will have a list to play at home for their friends and family.
Download the Holiday Music List Printout for Students
Lauren teaches piano to students of all ages. She enjoys creating resources for her students and teachers. She is the author of Ready for Theory®. For personalized help, check out the consultations page for teachers.
