Load Crates on the Strong Beat
Cart Meter
Orchard wagons roll a dirt road. The meter card shows 3/4, 4/4, or 6/8. Load a crate only on the strong beat — beat 1, or 1 and 4 in 6/8. A hit is Packed! A wrong-beat Load is a Spill of apples. Sixteen measures, then Harvest in.
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How to Play Cart Meter
- 1
Open the orchard
Tap Easy, Medium, or Hard. Then Load in. The meter card shows 4/4, or later 3/4 or 6/8.
- 2
Watch the wagon
Beat pips light as the wagon rolls. Strong pips are larger. Load when the wagon sits under the dock on a strong beat.
- 3
Load the crate
Press Load, tap the crate, or space. In 4/4 and 3/4 that is beat 1. In 6/8, Load on 1 and 4.
- 4
Packed or Spill
Packed! grows Score and Streak. Spill! dumps apples and resets the Streak. Sixteen measures show Harvest in and your Loads.
Key Features
Load on the strong beat
Wagons pass the dock in time. Press Load, tap the crate, or space when beat 1 lands under the dock. In 6/8, Load on 1 and 4.
Packed or Spill
A right-time Load is Packed! and the crate flies onto the wagon. A wrong beat spills apples, resets the Streak, and costs the Load.
Score, Streak, Loads
Each Packed! adds Score and grows the Streak. Sixteen measures reach Harvest in. The meter card keeps 3/4 4/4 6/8 as numerals.
Difficulty that changes the meter
Easy is 4/4 only. Medium is 3/4 vs 4/4. Hard uses 3/4 4/4 6/8 and switches mid-run every four measures.
What is Cart Meter?
Cart Meter is a middle-school rhythm game. Wagons roll an orchard road while a meter card shows 3/4, 4/4, or 6/8. The player Loads a fruit crate only on the strong beat. Beat 1 is strong in 3/4 and 4/4. In 6/8 the strong beats are 1 and 4. A hit is Packed! A miss is a Spill. Easy stays in 4/4. Hard switches meters mid-run. Sixteen measures end the harvest.
Why Play Cart Meter?
- 1
Meter as a wagon
Kids feel 3/4 vs 4/4 vs 6/8 as how often a crate can Load, not as a flashcard of time signatures.
- 2
Load is the verb
Packed! and Spill! change the road. Apples fly. The Streak resets on a miss.
- 3
Numerals stay numerals
The card keeps 3/4 4/4 6/8 so a kid on any locale still reads the same meter.
- 4
Hard switches mid-run
Difficulty changes the skill. Easy is 4/4 only. Medium mixes 3/4 vs 4/4. Hard adds 6/8 and swaps every four measures.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do I Load?
Only on the strong beat, when the wagon is under the dock. That is beat 1 in 3/4 and 4/4. In 6/8, Load on 1 and 4.
What is a Spill?
A Load on a weak beat, or when the wagon is not at the dock. Apples spill, the Streak resets, and you wait for the next crate.
How long is a run?
Sixteen measures, then Harvest in. Score, Streak, and Loads show on the card.
What do Easy, Medium, and Hard change?
The meters you hear. Easy is 4/4 only. Medium is 3/4 vs 4/4. Hard uses 3/4 4/4 6/8 and switches mid-run.
What grade is this for?
Sixth through eighth grade (middle school), when students count meters and feel strong beats. Stay on Easy to learn 4/4 Loads.
