Classical music for preschoolers: ten pieces and simple games

Preschoolers listen with their whole bodies. A child of three to five will not sit still for a symphony, but will march, tiptoe, freeze, and gallop to a three-minute piece and ask for it again. Pick short pieces with a strong character, and give your child something to do while each one plays.

Here are ten pieces and a set of games that work with any of them.

Ten pieces for ages three to five

1. “In the Hall of the Mountain King,” by Grieg. Soft and slow, then loud and fast. Tiptoe at the start and run at the end.

2. “The Elephant” from The Carnival of the Animals, by Saint-Saëns. A double bass plays a heavy waltz. Stomp and swing a trunk.

3. “Royal March of the Lion” from The Carnival of the Animals. The pianos roar. March and roar back.

4. “March” from The Nutcracker, by Tchaikovsky. A crisp march for toy soldiers.

5. “Russian Dance” from The Nutcracker. One minute of fast stomping that gets faster.

6. “Flight of the Bumblebee,” by Rimsky-Korsakov. Buzz around the room.

7. “Surprise” Symphony, second movement, by Haydn. Tiptoe to the quiet tune and jump on the loud chord.

8. “Spring” from The Four Seasons, first part, by Vivaldi. Flap for the birds and crouch for the storm.

9. Radetzky March, by Johann Strauss I. Clap along, soft and then loud.

10. “The Swan” from The Carnival of the Animals. A slow one for the end. Float with a scarf.

Games for moving

Freeze dance. Dance while the music plays. Pause it at random. Everyone freezes.

Animal walk. Play a piece from The Carnival of the Animals and move as that animal. The listening guide lists them all.

Follow the leader. One person moves to the music, and the others copy. Swap leaders when the tune changes.

Scarves. Give your child a light scarf. Wave it high for high notes and low for low notes.

Marching band. Hand out a pot, a shaker, and a wooden spoon. March around the house to a march.

More ideas are in classical music for kids to dance to.

Games for listening

Loud or soft? Crouch small when the music is soft. Stretch tall when it is loud.

Fast or slow? Walk in slow motion for slow music. Jog on the spot for fast music.

High or low? Reach for the ceiling for high sounds. Touch the floor for low ones.

Who is that? Play Peter and the Wolf. Ask which animal is playing before the narrator says.

What is the weather? Play a piece and ask if it sounds sunny, rainy, or stormy.

Games for quiet times

Draw the music. Give your child crayons and a listening journal page. Ask for a picture of what the music brings to mind. Write down what they tell you about it.

Paint to it. Play a calm piece and paint with water or watercolors.

Rest time. Lie on the floor with eyes closed for one slow piece. Ask what your child pictured.

How to make it a habit

Pick a time. After breakfast or before the bath. Five minutes is enough.

Repeat. Play the same piece every day for a week. Preschoolers love what they know.

Name it. Say the title and the composer each time. “This is ‘The Elephant,’ by Saint-Saëns.” Small children enjoy long names.

Follow your child. If a piece falls flat, skip it. If one is a hit, play it for a month.

A little about the composers

A preschooler can hold one fact and one face. Haydn hid a surprise. Tchaikovsky wrote The Nutcracker. Composer study for preschool and kindergarten turns this into a simple monthly routine.

Classes and next steps

Group music classes suit this age well. See early childhood music classes compared. If your child is asking for an instrument, read best age to start piano lessons.

Print and play

For a party or a playdate, make cards with the listening bingo maker. Find more pieces for this age with the piece picker. For younger brothers and sisters, see classical music for toddlers. The full plan is in how to introduce kids to classical music.