Rania Chrysostomou

Lesson Plan for nursery school, 
16 – 26 month old, by Rania

“When in doubt,” a mentor of mine once told me, “talk about animals, sing about animals, just use animals, or food, or nature. I don’t know why but children love them!” So, here is a lesson plan that can be focused around ainmals or nature. I would suggest focusing on one of these for the age group I am recommending here. This lesson plan can easily be used for older children but of course your expectations will be a little bit different.

and on Google Docs. Also check my previous lesson plan here

Duration: approx 20 minutes

Aim of Session: Listen and move to the music, follow directions and trigger imagination
Skill:  observation, memory, imitation, being social, listening, gross motor skills
Knowledge: Learn about the outdoors, nature, natural sounds, animals and animal sounds, observation and imitation

Description of the Session

1. Warm up
2. Sing 2 songs about nature / animals
3. Show pictures of animals — moves and make sound inspired by the picture
4. With a hand drum: name animals and children move according to that. Hit the drum rhythmically, mimicking the animal’s or plant’s march, behaviour, posture etc…
5. Music on: Musical statues with music that is about nature or animals. Move with the children. Ask the children to represent a specific animal when they move (check tips)
6. Sing 2 songs
7. Warm down music

Resources
music source (tablet, iPad), music*, books/pictures of nature and animals, drum (and a mallet)

Music suggestions:

1. Woodwings – Emily Doolittle (consider buying music) 
2. The Swan Brings Winter on its Wings – Esther Hopkins
3. Wanderlust – Marta Lozano Molano
4. Mountain Dances – I. Thin Air – Kimberly Osberg

Warm down music: The Linden Tree – Misha Mullov-Abbado performed by The Hermes Experiment

Song Suggestion:

1. The Animal fair
2. Rub-a-dub-a-dub
3. 1-2-3-4-5 once I caught a fish alive
4. Walking through the jungle

Tips for Music Practitioner in Nursery

1. Focus the lesson plan around animals or nature
2. The music suggestions I give are only suggestions.
3. Try as much as you can to incorporate music written in modern times.
4. Participate as much as possible in the session.
5. Younger children might not easily get the concept of musical statues. That is okay.

© Rania Chrysostomou, 2020, lesson plan for nursery schools music