Preschool Music Class: Dinosaur Theme

Today I'm sharing my dinosaur lesson plan for our preschool music class.  I'm teaching a preschool class this year that combines music and movement to teach basic music concepts like pitch and listening skills while letting our preschoolers sing, run, and play! 

You can also use a lot of these ideas and activities with toddlers or kindergarteners...just adapt them for your kid's abilities!

I'm sharing my lesson plans here in case anyone else wants some ideas for Music Time!

You can see more music lessons here!

This lesson is already tested--we had a great time! This is a 40-minute class, and includes transition and movement time. :) 

Theme: Dinosaurs (1)

Gathering Activity: Play with musical instrument toys.

Hello Song: Hello Song:   
Hello *kid's name*
Hello *kid's name* 
Hello *kid's name*
We're glad you're here today!

to the tune of "Goodnight, Ladies."

Warm-up Song: When I Sing La, La, La by Janeen Brady with sock puppets. Check out my Moon & Space Music Time post for more background on this song! Emphasize opening your mouth really big like the puppet when you sing, lift the puppets high for high notes, and lower the puppets low near the floor for low notes.

Action Song: We are the Dinosaurs (Let's Go Swimming) by Laurie Berkner. We stomp around, roar, and pretend we're dinosaurs while we sing along.

Instrument: Rhythm Sticks. Play Dinosaur Copy. Make a short rhythm with your sticks and then let the kids copy you. Take turns letting each child create a rhythm or beat for everyone else to copy.

Instrument: Shaker Eggs: Dinosaurs laid eggs! Talk about egg fossils, and then take shake your shaker eggs while marching, sneaking, walking, and running (as suggested) to the song "I Can Shake My Shaker Egg" by Mr. Eric and Mr. Michael.

Theme & Counting Song: Dinosaurs by Kiboomers. Use your fingers to count the dinosaurs and make action movements based on the words.

Instrument: Bells: Dinosaur Stomp! I use this to reinforce high notes and low notes. Pull out two bells, and line the kids up at one side of the room. They are dinosaurs crossing a river. Whenever I play two high notes, they take two steps forward and whenever I play one lower note, they take one step backwards. 

I absolutely love the Preschool Prodigies music curriculum, and pull their bells out whenever I can! 

Parachute Fun: We absolutely adore parachute games and songs! Today we did a Dinosaur Race! Everyone stands and waves the parachute while I call out two kids names to run underneath it and trade places. We ended with making a rainforest for the dinosaurs by pulling the parachute down by our ankles, lifting it high above our heads, stepping underneath it, and sitting down on the parachute, creating a mushroom-y "ocean" above us. 

Walk Around (the Moon) by Music With Nancy: I love ending our parachute time with this! Everyone holds one handle of the parachute and walk in a circle...or jump, or whatever the song suggests. ;)  When it finishes, everyone sat on top of the parachute in the middle, and the adults made a few final waves around all the kids.

Goodbye Song: I'm doing the same tune for this as the Hello Song, just singing "Goodbye *name*."  

I know I've mentioned this before, but it's related so I'll tell you again! If you're looking for a music curriculum that teaches all the music basics like pitch, rhythm, and even reading notes I have a program that I 100% recommend!  Here's my affiliate link: Preschool Prodigies is absolutely "open and go!" AND your kids learn a musical instrument (bells) through the program! We are actually using this as well, and ALL my kids LOVE it (this includes my preschoolers, elementary kiddos, and my middleschooler)!! In addition to the bells curriculum for preschoolers, they have lessons for recorder, ukulele, and more!  I am super excited about this program and am sharing it with everyone I know! I simply have not seen any other system as fun and effective for teaching music. 

I hope all of this is helpful for you! Let me know if you use any of it in your Music Time!!

Happy Educating,

Carla

Dinosaur Made Me Sneeze!

This awesome book introduces the rock cycle with dinosaurs, volcanoes, and more!

(hint: You can buy it on Amazon or use the code Dinosaur25 at OakieBees.com!!)

Have you seen HEEP? It is a preschool homeschool curriculum! Learn more here!

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