I love the Carnival of the Animals suite by Camille Saint-Saëns. In my experience, children tend to enjoy the music because it is a playful and imaginative musical composition that features a variety of animals. It is very easy for them to visualize the story because it is orchestrated in a way that mimics the sounds and movements of different animals, such as elephants, kangaroos, and swans.

In addition, there are a lot of wonderful accompanying children’s books with illustrations, which can further engage their imagination.

As a piano teacher, I have had my piano students listen and illustrate each animal that they heard in the music. I soon realized that the music and themes were perfect for a preschool music class.

 

 

So if you have been searching for ways to make classical music more enjoyable and interactive for kids, this might be the perfect resource for you! Carnival of the Animals Preschool Lesson Plan is one of a series of lessons that I’ve developed that introduce the music of famous composers to young children. That means you don’t have to reinvent the wheel! These lesson plans feature engaging activities with classical music that are fun and educational.

My goal was to enable young children to experience and interpret the music of famous composers for themselves. Most of the activities have a kinesthetic component. For example, in the “Fossils” movement, a xylophone evokes the image of skeletons dancing, bones clacking together to the beat. I have the students use rhythm sticks to keep along with the beat.

The Lesson Plan includes:

• Detailed instructions for carrying out the lesson plan (10 activities)
• A recommended playlist
• Animal clip art for a musical activity
• Sheet music for sing-along songs

Click here to purchase the Carnival of the Animals lesson plan for preschool music classes.

I have also developed lesson plans for the following composers:

• Bach
• Vivaldi
• Mozart 
• Beethoven

You can buy all of my composer lesson plans together and save $$!