Summer is a time for fun and playing lots of games outside with friends and family. I like to bring that fun spirit into my music therapy sessions with a game of musical pictionary.

Musical pictionary can be used with a variety of populations and exercises cognitive skills and memory, as well as communication and social skills. I encourage music therapy groups to work together as a team to figure out what song the picture is trying to convey.  Best of all, musical pictionary can be adapted to a broad age range of clients, ethnicities and preferences.

Here are two musical pictionary boards I used with a group of 8-10 seniors with varying stages of Alzheimer’s and dementia. Can you guess what songs they are?

This first one was a number #1 hit in the summer of 1955

This next one was a number #1 hit in the summer of 1958

 

Pro tip: Musical Pictionary works best when the title of the songs are concrete concepts and 5 words or less. I hope this inspires you to have a fun summer using musical games!