Activities and Resources for Families and Schools
Explore and download activities, resources and online concerts, whether you’re discovering music at home, at nursery or in the classroom.
For Under-5s (Early Years Foundation Stage)
Jemma’s Journey
For Under-5s
A free interactive concert, including seven songs to sing and play along to, and a fun musical activity pack. Take a trip to the zoo with Jemma and her family, and join our musicians and presenter Vanessa for a music-filled day out.
Fergal is Fuming!
For Under-5s
A free online re-imagining of Robert Starling’s much-loved children’s book. Watch the video on YouTube, sing along to the songs, and download our activity pack for a range of fun musical activities for under-5s, ideal for parents, carers and nurseries.
For Age 5+ (Key Stage 1)
Olivia Forms a Band
For Age 5+
Join Rachel Leach and musicians from the London Symphony Orchestra for a fun, interactive concert, based on the popular children’s book Olivia Forms a Band by Ian Falconer. Sing or play along to three original songs, hear pieces of classical music performed by LSO musicians and see illustrations from the book on screen.
For Ages 5–12 (Key Stages 1 and 2)
Where’s Simon?
For Ages 5–12 (Key Stages 1 and 2)
A fun online concert, recorded during lockdown, featuring Sir Simon Rattle and musicians from the London Symphony Orchestra. Meet our musicians and find out all about the different instruments of the orchestra.
For Age 7+ (Key Stage 2)
Space … but as not as we know it
For Ages 7–12 (Key Stage 2)
Find out what happens when an orchestra has to keep its distance! In this free online concert, presenter Rachel Leach and the LSO explore the separation of sounds, how music travels around an orchestra, and what you can hear between the notes.
Leon and the Place Between
For Ages 7–12 (Key Stage 2)
A free interactive concert for families and schools, inspired by the magical book by Angela McAllister and illustrated by Grahame Baker-Smith, with performances by LSO musicians, resources to download, and the chance to sing and play along.
How to Build an Orchestra
For Ages 7–12 (Key Stage 2)
Discover everything about orchestras and their instruments in this beautifully illustrated children’s book, produced in association with Hachette Children’s Group, with accompanying CDs and downloadable music.
LSO Play
For Everyone from Age 7+
A free, interactive and immersive web app, allowing you to experience the LSO on stage at the Barbican – anytime, anywhere.
View the orchestra from four camera angles simultaneously, and switch between them during the performance. You can focus on anything from the tips of a drumstick to the violinists’ fingers.
Find teacher resource packs for Key Stage 2 and 3 to use in classroom music lessons, Listening Activities for young people to do at home or in school, as well as masterclasses with LSO players and listening guides with information on the musical background.
Rachel Leach’s Lockdown Listening
For Ages 7–12 (Key Stage 2)
A series of musical listening tasks, devised and introduced by Rachel Leach. Every activity can done with the minimum of preparation and equipment – often just paper and pens – and can be achieved in under 10 minutes.
The Alice Sound
For Ages 7–12 (Key Stage 2)
Delve into the captivating world of Lewis Carroll’s Alice books, hear brand-new music created by composer Paul Rissmann, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, sing and play along, and explore a range of resources and activities from professor Kiera Vaclavik.
For Age 16+ (A-Level / Key Stage 5)
A-Level Seminars
For Age 16+ (A-Level / Key Stage 5)
A YouTube playlist of seminars to support students studying for A-Level Music, with in-depth analysis of set works and performances from LSO musicians.
A-Level Revision Shorts
For Age 16+ (A-Level / Key Stage 5)
A YouTube playlist of revision shorts from LSO Discovery, presented by Rachel Leach, to support students studying Music A-Level.
Teaching Platforms
Teacher Resource packs and LSO Play Listening Tasks for Key Stages 2 and 3 can be found on tes.com and the Apple iBooks store.
To view the LSO resources on Apple iBooks store, search ‘LSO Discovery’ in the iBooks app on Mac, iPad or iPhone.
