Submitted by Bonnie Hay, Klamath Falls, Oregon

Idea posted February 23, 2015

You could use this at Halloween, but it's not necessary. You will need two sheets of paper (each side will be used) and some crayons for everyone. Have kids take their crayons and paper and spread out throughout the room. Older kids may want a table. I have them turn around on the risers and use a book as a hard surface. I play four different classical pieces and have them draw their impressions in a separate picture for each one. I play each piece twice:

  1. In The Hall Of The Mountain King (Grieg)
  2. Toccata And Fugue In D Minor (Bach)
  3. The Banshee (Henry Cowell)
  4. Night On Bald Mountain (Mussorgsky)

The kids look forward to this activity every year. My rules are:

  • No talking.
  • No pictures of killing or torture.
  • No copying anyone else. Use your own brain!

Afterwards, you can go into more detail about the composers and the music era they come from and ask details about the music. It gives them a chance to listen to classical music.