Instrumental sounds activities for Phase 1 phonics in Nursery and Reception.
Rhyme Town Week 11: Instrumental and body sounds
Linked to The Grand Old Duke of York and a castle marching theme
Rhyme Town Week 11 focuses on instrumental and body sounds (Phase 1 phonics) for Nursery and Reception. Pupils create and copy sound patterns using instruments and body percussion, explore beat and tempo through marching, and develop careful listening skills through rhythm games. This pack is ideal for strengthening attention, developing sound awareness, and building confidence with repeating patterns.
What’s included in Week 11?
This pack includes five pre-reading phonics lessons and five pre-writing mark making activities, alongside a detailed lesson plan, an interactive presentation and ready-to-use resources. The pre-reading lessons focus on creating and copying sound patterns using drums, instruments and body movement, while the pre-writing activities support writing readiness through practising diagonal lines and crossing lines (/ \ x).
- Drumming – follow the pattern (copy simple rhythms and stop on cue)
- Pass the pattern (copy a movement pattern along a line of “soldiers”)
- Marching to the beat (march one step per beat and respond to fast/slow tempos)
- How many beats? (count drum beats and show the number on fingers)
- Make your own drums (create a kitchen band and march to your own beat)
- Soldier finger puppets linked to / and \ shapes
- Drawing drums and drumsticks using diagonal and zig-zag lines
- Crown jewel formation using loose parts on pre-writing lines
- Pre-writing shape crowns (roll the dice and add / \ x to decorate)
- Gross motor marching shapes (wear crowns and march along chalk shape lines)
Want to see how this week fits into the full sequence? Download the Rhyme Town progression document or explore the complete Rhyme Town scheme here.
