Ages 5-10

For very young children, activities should be highly interactive, and MUST draw their attention...which can have a very short span, especially if they lose interest in what you’re doing. A ‘storytelling’ approach is most suitable, and activities involving ‘pretending’ are great for helping stretch their imagination.

Peter and the Wolf

(Learning through Music: Peter and the Wolf)
Peter and the Wolf is highly suitable for very little children; by associating certain instruments with characters in the story, this piece enables young children to form a greater impression of the instruments used. The story should also generate some interest.

Possible Activities
Listen to Peter and the Wolf - A handout with the story printed on it is available.
Role-play - play parts of the music and have the children act out the characters represented by the music. The cat, duck, wolf, hunters and even the Grandfather are all pretty good possibilities. We do not recommend you try this with Peter, though.

Materials
Story handout

Carnival of the Animals

(Learning through Music: Carnival of the Animals)
Carnival is not a piece that is exactly suitable for children who are very young, as certain parts require a lot of imagination - so much so that young kids cannot see what the music is trying to represent. It is also a piece loaded with music jokes, particularily quotes from other famous pieces. Most people would not be able to apppreciate these jokes. Still the simpler sections can be used to introduce some instruments, and there are a few possible activities for young children.

Possible Activities
Listen to parts of Carnival - Not all the parts of this work are suited for children of very young age. We recommend the birds: Aviary, Swan, Cuckoo, Hens & Roosters.
Act it out! - Play the music and let the children act as the animals! (Highly suitable: Hens & Roosters, Lion, Elephant, Kangaroos)

Other Activities

Introduce some other instruments to the children. It would be great if you could actually show them the instruments. Another approach would be through picture books - check out our recommendations below.
Play with some simple percussion instruments. This will help develop the children’s sense of rhythm.

Book Recommendations

Zin! Zin! Zin! : A Violin
by Lloyd Moss, Marjorie Priceman (Illustrator)
Simon & Schuster (Juv), 1995. ISBN: 0671882392
A lively, poetic introduction of ten different instruments using a counting-game approach.

Meet the Orchestra
by Ann Hayes, Karmen Thompson (Illustrator)
Harcourt Brace, 1995. ISBN: 0152002227
Introduces several different instruments. Large pictures of various anmials playing the instruments will attract children’s attention.

The Philharmonic Gets Dressed
by Karla Kuskin, Marc Simont (Illustrator)
HarperTrophy, 1986. ISBN: 006443124X
Introduces the musicians and intruments as the wash up, dress and get ready for a performance.