5 Ways to Use Dice Games in Music Therapy
Using games in music therapy can be a fun way to increase participation in sessions. From rapport building to decision making skills, there are so many goals that musical games can address.
In the last few weeks, I’ve found that my clients have really enjoyed incorporating games, specifically dice games, in our sessions so I’ve spent some time over the last month creating new activities for them to enjoy.
To see examples of how I use dice games in sessions, click on the link below to see the reel on Instagram. This video blog is also available on our TikTok @rgvmusictherapy 🎶
Note: This blog post is intended for informational purposes only. Music therapy interventions are implemented by music therapists who are board certified clinicians with a current credential (MT-BC, RMT, etc.).
Here are some of my favorite ways so far to incorporate dice games in music therapy:
Music listening by genre: Pick a genre for each number on the dice and ask clients to pick a song based on which genre they roll. For this intervention, I typically use an oversized dice that I bought at the Dollar Tree. It has larger print and is soft and easier to handle.
Songwriting and musical stories: Use each face of the dice to correspond with different events, objects, or places to tell a story. For this intervention, I use storytelling dice that our team found in the Target dollar spot a while back. Each dice is themed for “adventures” and “stories” and has a lot of great prompts!
Lyric prompts: Use structured prompts or themes to create song lyrics. The dice featured for this intervention in the reel/TikTok was purchased about 1-2 years ago from either Target or Michael’s. Although they might not sell the same ones anymore, dry erase board dice could be great option to create prompts specific to your setting.
Movement interventions: Assign a dance move or movement for each side of the dice and create fun movement sequences. This is a fun, free printable from Your Therapy Source that can be adapted for music therapy using the “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” song. Clients can create their own versions of the song using the dice rolls.
Music listening with bands/songs: Have clients pick their favorite bands or songs and place each on a dry erase board dice. I purchased the dice from this video from the Dollar Tree. It comes in different colors and is easy to clean!
@rgvmusictherapy 5 Ways to Use Dice Games in Music Therapy #musictherapy #musictherapist #rgv #musictherapytok #956 #therapytok #musictherapyinterventions #therapytips #therapy ♬ Creative - Smile
