Suzuki Pre-Twinkle Games

Violin | Viola
A set of 75 Suzuki pre-Twinkle game cards to be used by the teacher in the lesson, or by parents at home.

Ideas to use them

★ ‘Go Fishing’
○ Put a paperclip on each card and place them face down, catch the ‘fish’ using a magnet strung on the end of the bow (make
sure you have a good bowhold!) and play the game you catch.
★ ‘Hide & Seek’
○ Hide the cards around the room, find one and play the game before looking for the next card.
★ ‘Tasty Challenge’
○ Place the cards face down with a treat on top, eat the treat once the card is completed!
★ ‘House of Cards’
○ Pick enough challenges to build a tower with the completed cards.
★ ‘Dice Roll’
○ Assign a number to each card and roll the dice to decide the order to play the games.
★ ‘Up The Stairs’
○ Put a card on each step of the staircase and try to get to the top, completing each challenge on the way up.

secret handshake: ​holding the bow hand in front, shake the twinkle marble run: ​small, foil-covered chocolate balls work well for this
rhythms. Introduce the squeezy bow thumb, by holding hands in a game. With instrument up, parallel to the floor, rest the ball on the
circle, passing a secret rhythm with bow thumb squeeze. lower strings near the bridge, it should roll towards the scroll.

walk the plank: ​draw the bow lightly along the bridge, making a ‘shhh’ rainbow fingers: ​putting fingers down on the fingerboard or shoulder
sound like the waves, keep the bow straight, don’t fall off! Then move of the instrument, make sure they are sitting up on the fingertips to
the bow onto the string, keeping the bow stroke parallel to the bridge. create a rainbow. Balance a counter on each of the fingers.

crab fight: ​to make sure fingers are strong and firm, make a circle spock hands: ​to practise different finger patterns, stick 1 & 2 together,
with the thumb and each finger in turn, interlocking with someone else. gap, then 3 & 4 together. Switch to different positions, and move the
Give it a pull and make sure the circle doesn’t break! 2nd finger to touch 3 or 1 to introduce low 2 position.

stir the soup: ​with a beautiful bowhold, point the tip to the ceiling and helicopter landings: fly the bow from the air to the string at the
stir the soup, adding ingredients, and remembering the sequence. balance point, with a silent landing.

stroke the elephant’s trunk: ​imagine you are an elephant, with your swimming swans: ​rest your bow elbow in your violin hand in front of
bow hand, stroke your curvy trunk out from nose and in front of the you, imagine it is a swan swimming on a river. With a relaxed bow
body, a whole arm movement. wrist, the water might become a bit choppy!

tricky bow: ​you need a soft bowhold, pull the tip of the child’s bow to stations: ​as a group listening game, define stations around the room
take the bow out of their hand while they maintain a bowhold hand for the different variation rhythms, articulation, or dynamics you want
position. Success? ‘Tricky bow!’ they run to give parent (or toy) a hug! them to listen for, running to the station when they hear the cue.

bow through the tunnel: ​with a beautiful bowhold, make a circle with touch your nose and your ear: waddley archer, a brain gym,
hands for the child to drive the bow through without bumping into the cross-over exercise using bow hand first to touch nose and crossing
sides. Try decorating a toilet roll tube for the tunnel. left hand over the top to touch right ear, and switch.

superstore lift: ​balance a counter on the flat back of the bow hand to train journey: g​ ive the balance point, middle, and tip of the bow
demonstrate arm movement for string crossings. Start on the ground station names, and travel between them on an open string. Vary the
floor of the shop, lift the hand up to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd floor and back, speed/direction - don’t let the train jump, make sure it stops at the
keeping the elbow in a good bowing position. stations.
Suzuki Pre-Twinkle Flashcards by TheCreativePractice

copy cat
plant your feet like
the roots of a tree

the floor is lava!

tricky feet

musical
statues

time challenge

musical bow
bow in a
different
language
animal bow 1​ ​2​ 3!

follow the sing

musical Stop the
instructions make a crocodile Traffic
sandwich
touch your scroll
get your instrument
look left your bridge
ready in 1 2 3!
look right your nose
like a
robot
Suzuki Pre-Twinkle Flashcards by TheCreativePractice

secret handshake
walk to the
door with your
instrument on
your shoulder
balancing act

marble instrument
run thief
chatterbox

naughty teacher sing the Wheels on

fix bowhold & the Bus
up like posture
a rocket

stir the soup

tricky bow tip

bow flick test

sing
Around We Go bow
bow the
through
rhythm
the
in the air
tunnel
Suzuki Pre-Twinkle Flashcards by TheCreativePractice

naughty teacher
spot the mistake sing Song of the
Wind
with
SNAPS
pass it round

sing Allegro with

actions
clapping
echo
pass the sound

keep the beat

show your
BEST
posture
thinking twinkle

pick up instrument balance a counter

pat your on your instrument
for rest position x5
head
rub your
tummy

touch your nose

and your ear

stroke the
swimming swans elephant’s trunk
Suzuki Pre-Twinkle Flashcards by TheCreativePractice

superstore lift balance a counter

on your bow hand
bouncing
balls

get your bowhold

behind your back!
tap each
fix your own finger on
bowhold x5 your bow x5

silent see-saws on do 10 helicopter

the bridge landings
bow
duel!

train journey
bow any
walk the variation
plank on
your
shoulder

play play play

on each string x5 on each string x5 on each string x5

Suzuki Pre-Twinkle Flashcards by TheCreativePractice

play play play

on each string x5 on each string x5 on each string x5

show your BEST

play any variation I play
bowhold
rhythm x10 you play

finger tapping

spock hands rainbow fingers

crab fight!
play
play I’m
0-1-0-1-0-1-0
a Little
1-2-1-2-1-2-1
Monkey
2-3-2-3-2-3-2

stations play your favourite choose a sticker!

piece
Suzuki Pre-Twinkle Flashcards by TheCreativePractice

choose a sticker!