ABSTRACT
Musical arts exist in all cultures as part of children’s activities, as a way of expression, and as a form of communication. They present a formidable body of learning material, having been used as an instruction and correctional medium in African cultures for years. The focus of this article is how children’s game songs can be effectively used to develop musicianship in children at primary school level. Focusing on Kenya and Zimbabwe, the article looks first at the characteristics and the element of play in selected children’s games and accompanying songs. Building on selected theoretical and conceptual underpinnings, the article outlines the type of learning enhanced during these games, and finally highlights the (traditional) pedagogical systems used in the learning processes. Next, educators are challenged to integrate contextual music when instructing children in the classroom and to employ multiple activities that call upon the use of many senses, advocating integrating music, storytelling, art, drama and creative movement to make learning effective and interesting. Finally, the article reports the outcome of a study in Zimbabwe that established that games engage children in activities that assist in the articulation of musical elements such as rhythm.
