Here’s my music and movement lesson plan outline for the theme on ANIMALS. Bear in mind, this lesson is prepared for ages from 18 months up to 5 years old. Also, and as always, you may want to modify the lesson plan according to your class needs. Remember to begin with your warm-up “Hello Song” in your circle when you begin and then to end the lesson with your “Goodbye Song” or your “Winding Down Song” in your circle once more.

Music and Movement Lesson Plan: ANIMALS

Preparation:

Materials:

• Parachute
• Musical Instruments
• Note Value Posters

Music: Old MacDonald Had A Farm, Walking In The Jungle, Chicken Dance.

Lesson Outline:

1. Circle Time:

• Parachute activity songs: These are three parachute activity songs that you sing every week. I like “Ring a Ring a Rosies”, “The Grand Old Duke of York”, and “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush”. These songs are the same every week for the children to feel familiar and comfortable for the lesson
• Introduce the Animal theme with pictures of different animals on a tablet or posters or using stuffed animals
• Ask children prior what sounds a cow, a horse, a pig, a sheep, a duck, a rooster makes, etc
• Sing Old MacDonald Had A Farm

2. Imagination Activity:

• Walking In The Jungle – I LOVE the Super Simple Songs one!
• Act out during the song by progressively walking, stomping, jumping, skipping and then running away.

3. Gross Motor Activity:

• The Chicken Dance – this is the one from the Dora the Explorer Party Favorites album
• Teach Actions: For those of you who are not familiar with the Chicken Dance, here is a link to a video on how you do the actions, but this is how it goes: During the verse parts of the song, do 4 times “birdie” fingers action, 4 times flapping wings action, 4 times tail-feathers shaking action, 4 times clapping hands. During the chorus part, everyone holds hands in the circle and walks round, or grabs a partner to link arms and turn round together.

4. Instrument Activity:

• Teach different note values: quarter, half, dotted half and whole notes. Have the children learn the names and say them together aloud and then practice playing the different note values on their instruments as you display each poster.
• Then let them play their instruments along with “Old MacDonald Had a Farm”. Try have them play according to the beat. It is helpful to count 1-2-3-4 to help identify and establish the beat. Depending on the class proficiency, they can sing along to the song and play instruments at the same time. You can mix things up with doing different actions with the percussion instruments as you choose.

So, at the end of all the activities, remember to do your “Goodbye Song” or your “Winding Down Song” in your circle.

Hope this lesson plan has given you some great ideas for your music and movement class on Animals!