Beethoven's 5th Dragon Story

One of our very favorite classical music activities: a simple but exciting story about a dragon, bunny, and eagle.  Each character is represented by a theme in the opening minute of Beethoven's 5th Symphony.

Classical music has the power to take us to places all over the world, to take us to imaginary places.  Classical music allows us to feel lots of different emotions.  It gives us a way to experience, and talk about feelings, cultures, Let your imagination take flight with us as we tell a made-up story inspired by Beethoven's writing.

Grab our free printable that accompanies this activity so you can make your own puppets or flannel board characters.

Listen to Episode 27 of our podcast to hear the whole story and how we teach this wonderful piece of music.

If you'd like access to the full video and a library of other similar musical activities, come join us in our All Access Membership!

How to prepare for this activity:

• Print the puppets on cardstock or laminate them. Optionally attach a popsicle stick. 
• Optionally create a flannel board, or background setting with a meadow and a mountain (you'll see our flannel board in the video).

How to adapt/extend this activity with your kids:

• Get a friend, spouse, or sibling  to help act out the story with you and your child. Develop your story by creating a more detailed setting for your puppets to carry out their adventures in.
• This video uses just the beginning of Beethoven's 5th symphony. Listen to the rest of the symphony. What happens to the characters next? (Here is a link to a Youtube video of the first movement of Beethoven's 5th Symphony.)  
• It’s ok if your story feels slow! The music is SO engaging, and the kids are listening and learning even if the story lags here and there. 
• Make up your own story with your own characters, create your own puppets, act out your story!

What your child is learning in this song:

• Listening,  imagination, creativity, storytelling, sequencing.