Sub Plans for Elementary Music K-3 | No-Prep Movement Lesson with Ta, Titi + Carnival of the Animals

A Sub-Friendly Music Lesson with “Carnival of the Animals”

Perfect for Elementary Music Classrooms (Grades K–3)

Every music teacher knows the feeling—you’re out sick, at a conference, or taking a much-needed day off, and you need to leave behind a lesson plan that a substitute teacher can actually use.
This plan is just that.

It’s engaging, movement-based, student-led, and best of all—it doesn’t require the sub to sing or teach new musical concepts. The activities are rooted in review, creativity, and steady beats, with built-in flexibility based on what your students have already learned.

Let’s walk through it:

Watch a Full Video Walk-Through Here~

Let’s Get Started

1. Start with a Scarf Dance

Begin your lesson with a simple scarf dance that matches the Finale from Camille Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals.
This is a great way to get students moving right away, transition them into music mode, and review steady beat through expressive movement.

2. Introduce the “Animal School” Chant

Your sub will lead the students in a call-and-response chant to set the tone for the lesson.
Students can come up to the smartboard or projector and tap steady beats as part of the chant.
This builds anticipation while reinforcing beat, speech rhythm, and student participation.

Example chant:

3. Listen and Move: Guess the Animal

Now comes the listening portion. The sub will play a movement from Carnival of the Animals and ask:

  • “Does this sound more like a tortoise or a horse?”

  • “What kinds of articulation, dynamics, tempo, or pitch do you hear?” Use whatever fundamentals your students have been learning.

  • “How would that animal move to this music?”

Students will dance freely to show their ideas—slow and smooth for a tortoise, quick and bouncy for a horse.

4. Rhythm Play-Along: Ta & Titi

After the movement activity, students transition into a rhythm play-along using ta and titi patterns that align with the music they just danced to.

This is a great way to:

  • Reinforce known rhythms

  • Give students multiple experiences with the same piece of music

  • Help them associate rhythm with movement and listening

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5. Keep the Game Going

You’ll continue the pattern:

  • Play the next musical excerpt

  • Students guess the animal (e.g., lion or monkey)

  • They move to the music

  • Then do another short rhythm break

Each section gives your students a new musical challenge while keeping the sub’s role simple and clear.

6. Tiny Tim Frog Chant

Next, students learn a fun and familiar chant:

“I had a little frog,
His name was Tiny Tim…”

This chant is easy to follow, includes body percussion and movement, and sets up the final rhythm game.

7. Final Rhythm Challenge:

Catch the Fly

This assessment game has students try to say the rhythm (ta/titi) before a fly escapes from Frog Tim!

You’ll love this because:

  • It’s fun and fast-paced

  • Students use critical listening

  • You can collect quick rhythm data without needing to teach anything new

Final Thoughts~

This lesson is a perfect emergency sub plan—simple, musical, and full of movement.
Your sub will feel confident running it, and your students will stay engaged, reviewing key musical concepts like steady beat, ta and titi, and listening for expressive qualities in music.

This is just one of many ways to keep your class running smoothly, even when you can’t be there in person.
If you’d like to try this full lesson with all printable materials, check out the Soaring Summer of Free where teachers can explore two full months of my full curriculum, movement breaks, assessments, and more.

Happy playing,
Leanna O’Brien
Founder of The Soaring Scarves Academy

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