Music Appreciation Made Easy! Do you need engaging print-and-go activities and brain breaks for The Nutcracker? These activities will save you hours of planning time this holiday season. Just print and cue the music! Great for the period leading to winter break and are even great for your send-home packets!

The selections are available on YouTube or your favorite streaming service. There are no wrong answers, and no musical training is required, so add a few to your sub plans, too!

Learning Objectives

• increased knowledge of composers from different backgrounds
• observe seasonal/holiday influences within a composition
• familiarity with the composer's works
• ability to recognize, and engage with, popular pieces of music
• identify different instrument sounds
• social-emotional exploration of feelings and moods within the music
• creative expression by drawing and choosing colors related to a musical theme

Featured Music (4 pages per piece)

Overture • The Christmas Tree • March • Gallop And Dance Of The Parents • The Presents Of Drosselmeyer • Grandfather Dance • Clara And The Nutcracker • Battle with the Mouse King • In The Christmas Tree • Waltz Of The Snowflakes • The Magic Castle On The Mountain Of Sweets • Clara And Prince Charming • Chocolate (Spanish Dance) • Coffee (Arabian Dance) • Tea (Chinese Dance) • Trepak (Russian Dance) • Dance Of The Reed Pipes • Polichinelle (The Clown) • Waltz Of The Flowers • Pas De Deux (3rd Movement contains "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy") • Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy • Grand Finale

Social-Emotional Learning

Listening to classical music has been shown to help with self-awareness, empathy, and self-regulation. Since social-emotional learning is essential for children, incorporating classical music into your classroom or homeschool is a great way to support their development.

Talk about the emotions evoked by the selected music. What does the music make them feel? Happy? Sad? Anxious? Peaceful? Help students identify and label their feelings. Ask open-ended questions about the music and encourage students to share their thoughts and feelings.

Discuss the different instruments used in the piece of music. What does each instrument contribute to the overall sound? Encourage students to make up a story based on the music. What is happening in the story? Who are the characters? Where does it take place?

While listening, students can draw a picture or scene that comes to mind. What colors are used? What shapes? Why?

What's Included

1. Listening Sheet - There are no wrong answers! Students can note how they feel and what they imagine while listening to a selected piece of music. Choose from musical instruments, nature scenes, colors, and more.
2. Weather & Feelings - Weather is a recurring theme in classical music. Does a musical piece remind the listener of a snowy day or a cheerful sunny afternoon? Students can select the weather symbols that come to mind. Is the music happy or sad? A set of emotional characters allows your group to pick the feelings that best relate to a piece of music.
3. Carnival Coloring - Which carnival rides and activities would best fit a piece of music? Does the tempo feel like a roller coaster or a peaceful swing ride in the sky? Choose a tasty treat from the snack bar, then stop at the prize booth before finishing. There are no wrong answers!
4. Listen and Color - While listening, students color the scene and choose the keywords/elements that resonate with their listening experience. There is lots of room for drawing, coloring, and journaling in the box! Students often engage in discussions about what they've heard or felt. Great for displaying!

❄️ You're invited to the Winter Wonderland category! ❄️ Do you want to create lots of festive winter memories with your students this year? You'll find a growing collection of seasonal printables like music, writing, and fun activities for your classroom or homeschool in one shop section - and we're always adding more!

Embark on a 12-month musical journey through time with the Classical Journey Bundle! ♬

Add a touch of mindful music to any season, holiday, or composer unit study. With over 150 categorized classical pieces, the Classical Journey Bundle offers an engaging printable for every occasion. Each month unlocks a curated selection of themed classical music pieces, perfectly paired with a holiday or season!

"My students LOVED playing Nutcracker BINGO. It was a great activity to use after we learned about the history of and read a version of The Nutcracker. They were extremely engaged, and it was a great review of characters and dances from the ballet/story." - Rebecca M.

Add this BINGO game to your Nutcracker unit or winter sub plans! Students will enjoy racing to find Clara, the Mouse King, Godfather Drosselmeyer, and more! There are also a few festive objects like cupcakes and ornaments. Great for printing on Astrobright paper!

Product Includes:

• Instruction page
• 25 Caller Cards (6 per page)
• 30 BINGO game boards - each one contains the same characters but have slightly different layouts.

Use mini-erasers, bingo chips, or other fun items as space markers. Students get 5 in a row to win!

More Nutcracker Resources!

Nutcracker Fairy Tale Story Listening Sheets (★ NEW!)

The Nutcracker Listening Sheets

The Nutcracker Listening Sheet Preview

El Cascanueces (En Español)

The Nutcracker Word Search

The Nutcracker Performance Journal

The Nutcracker Scene List

The Nutcracker Number Writing

The Nutcracker Activity Bundle

The Nutcracker Blank Sheet Music

The Nutcracker Music Notes Match

The Nutcracker Listening & Match Bundle

The Nutcracker & Festive December Bundle

► We know you'll love helping students create meaningful connections to classical music, so we are happy to share these free listening activities with you today!

Learning to read music can have many benefits for students. These colorful music note-matching cards and posters are easy to set up and fun to use! Note-matching games are a great activity for both individual and group learning. They are easy to set up and can be adapted to different skill levels, making them suitable for learners of all ages.

Learning Objectives

• Memorization and understanding of each music note
• Improved memory and concentration
• Increased creative thinking and problem-solving
• Greater appreciation of music as an art form
• Comprehension of music notes and how they work together
• Increased knowledge of the musical structure and theory

What's Included

This activity pack includes full-color and white background posters, matching cards, and full-page posters for learning and checking answers. Great for centers! Simply print the cards and posters, cut out the note cards, and laminate for durability. Students match the note with the correct letter card. This is a great activity for reinforcing note names.

18 Grand Staff Puzzles (18 in all)

Treble Space Notes: f - a - c - e

Treble Line Notes: e - g - b - d - f

Bass Space Notes: a - c - e - g

Bass Line Notes: g - b - d - f - a

5 Wall Posters / Music Center Sheets

Grand Staff: Illustrates the two staves

Treble Clef: Explains at-a-glance what the treble clef looks like

Treble Notes: Displays and defines the notes on the treble clef

Bass Clef: Explains at-a-glance what the bass clef looks like

Bass Notes: Displays and defines the notes on the bass clef