How to Play "Danish Zoo"

In 2008, Inge Brink Nielson (Aalborg, Denmark) showed me a Danish game called "Pig" which I immediately loved and decided to adapt as a Music Mind Games game. After ten months of play testing (it's a tough job) I've determined it's so great that it's now a Classic Game. Play it with rhythm playing cards (to practice the sequence of notes and rests), tempo cards (to practice the order of tempos), grand staff cards (to name notes choose an interval and place cards in that interval order using any octave on the staff), alphabet cards (choose an interval to practice), alphabet cards (to practice the circle of fifths) and do re mi cards (to sing in seconds use five cards each of do, re, mi, fa, so, la and ti).

1. Choose an animal
2. One by one, lay out cards face down to make the shape of this animal
3. Place two cards face up in the center or use them for eyes.
4. The first player draws one face down card "from the animal". If the card is one card "greater or less"* than one of the cards in the center, it is placed on the center card, face up. If not, the player keeps the card in hopes of using it on a later turn. The card is placed face up in front of the player so others can help on later turns.
5. Players take turns around the circle, always drawing a card at the beginning of their turn. If players are holding cards, they may use as many as possible on a turn. The teacher can sit in the circle and play, too.
6. Score is tallied at the end by adding everyone's cards together. This emphasizes that students are playing as a team.
7. Using do re mi cards is especially fun. Choose an interval, such as a second, and when possible, put the drawn cards in that order. Sing the pitch of the card on the center pile and the new one that's added.
8. For even more fun, if a player can't use a card, he or she makes the sound of that animal.

* Greater or less is learned in easier games such as Fine and Snake and includes a wrap-around.

• Rhythm playing cards: whole note or rest wraps around to sixteenth note or rest
• Tempo cards: in some games prestissimo wraps around to largo
• Grand staff cards and alphabet cards: seconds - G wraps around to A, thirds - F wraps around to A

The sequence in rhythm playing cards always must include a dotted note between values whether the cards are notes or rests since that's what we're trying to teach.