Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Feelings Sound Gallery: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 3
- ForYear 3
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Feelings Sound Gallery is a free printable music worksheet for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8). Children turn four feelings into sound. For each one they pick a tempo, a volume and an instrument, then draw a graphic score to show their choices. It needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown-up notes, help ideas, a stretch task and answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
The sheet is a gallery of four frames: Excited, Sleepy, Angry and Calm. In each frame children decide how the feeling should sound by choosing a tempo, a volume and an instrument. They then draw a score in the box. Short questions follow, asking children to compare their frames, explain an instrument choice and say why they drew a shape the way they did.
- Frame 1: Excited. Tempo? Volume? Instrument?
- Frame 2: Sleepy. Tempo? Volume? Instrument?
- Frame 3: Angry. Tempo? Volume? Instrument?
- Frame 4: Calm. Tempo? Volume? Instrument?
- Which frame did you give the slowest tempo? Write its feeling.
- Name one instrument you chose. Why does it suit that feeling?
- What shape did you draw for a loud sound? Why?
Why link music to feelings?
Music and feeling go together. Composers, film makers and street performers all use sound to set a mood. A quick, bright tune can make a scene feel lively. A slow, soft one can make a room feel still. Children already notice this when they listen to songs, so they have plenty to say before they pick up a pencil.
A graphic score is a way to write down sound without standard notation. Lines, dots, shapes and colours stand for what the music does. There is no single correct picture. That makes it a friendly way for Year 3 children to plan music, explain their thinking and talk about tempo, volume and instrument choice using their own words.
Quick music facts
- Tempo is the speed of the beat in a piece of music.
- Volume, or dynamics, tells players how loud or quiet to be. In Italian, forte means loud and piano means quiet.
- Orchestra instruments are grouped into families: strings, woodwind, brass and percussion.
- Some composers draw graphic scores, using shapes, lines and colours instead of, or as well as, written notes.
- A metronome is a machine that clicks a steady beat so players can keep to the same tempo.
Skills and curriculum link
- Graphic scores
- Tempo and volume
- Choosing instruments
- Listening carefully
- Explaining choices
Ideas to talk about before you start
- TempoTempo means how fast or slow the beat goes. Try clapping at different speeds and ask which speeds feel busy and which feel relaxed.
- VolumeVolume is how loud or quiet a sound is. A sound can change volume while it plays, so children can think about getting louder or softer.
- Instrument soundsEvery instrument has its own sound. Some ring, some scrape, some are smooth and some are sharp. Listen for the words children use to describe them.
- Drawing soundA drawing can show a sound using shape, size, line and spacing. There is no right answer, so ask children to explain what their marks mean.
Key words
- TempoHow fast or slow the music goes.
- VolumeHow loud or quiet a sound is.
- InstrumentSomething you play to make music, such as a drum, a recorder or a xylophone.
- Graphic scoreA picture that shows how music should sound, using shapes and lines instead of notes.
- BeatThe steady pulse you can clap or tap along to.
- MoodThe feeling that a piece of music gives you.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the four feelings aloud. Ask your child how each one might sound before they choose anything.
- If you have instruments, play a few sounds. Pots, spoons and shakers work too. Let your child listen to how each one sounds.
- Work through the frames together the first time. Talk about each tempo, volume and instrument choice, then let your child draw the score.
- Check against page 2. Ask your child to explain their choices, then come back another day and try new ideas.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Give a word bank: fast, slow, loud, quiet. Let your child say each choice aloud before drawing. Try one frame first and talk it through. Playing a sound on a real instrument, or clapping it, often helps children decide.
To stretch confident children
Add a fifth feeling of your own and make a new frame for it. Show a change in tempo or volume within one score, such as a sound that starts one way and ends another. Explain your drawing to someone.
Make it a game
Swap sheets with a partner. Play their score on instruments, or clap and tap it, then guess which feeling it shows. The scorer says whether the guess is right and explains what the marks were meant to show.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child picks the same tempo, volume and instrument for every frame.
Try thisAsk, "Would a different feeling sound different?" Play two contrasting sounds and let them pick which suits each frame.
Watch forA child names an instrument but cannot say why it suits the feeling.
Try thisAsk them to describe the sound in one word, such as smooth or sharp. Then ask how that word matches the feeling.
Watch forThe drawing looks nice but does not show the choices made for tempo or volume.
Try thisAsk, "Where can I see how fast it is? Where can I see how loud it is?" Add marks that show each one.
Talk about it
- Which of the four feelings was easiest to turn into sound, and why?
- How can you tell the speed of a piece of music without looking at it?
- Which instrument do you like the sound of most? What does it make you feel?
- Can the same instrument be used for two different feelings? How?
- How did you decide what to draw for each score?
- If you added a fifth feeling, what would it sound like?
Take it off the page
Kitchen band
Collect safe objects such as wooden spoons, a plastic tub and a shaker made from dried rice in a sealed container. Play a feeling and see if someone can guess it.
Walk and listen
Go for a short walk and listen for sounds. Describe each one as fast or slow, loud or quiet, then draw it as a shape.
Move to the music
Ask a grown-up to play music at different speeds. Move like the music feels, then freeze when it stops and say what you were feeling.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit with your child for the first frame, then let them lead. Ask them to tell you about each choice. There are no wrong feelings and no wrong drawings, so praise the thinking and not only the picture.
Teachers
Use it as a starter before a listening or composing lesson, a plenary, an early finisher task or a table activity. It supports Key Stage 2 music at strand level, in listening and composing. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Pair it with your own music, simple instruments you have at home and everyday talk about mood. It is free to print again for brothers and sisters, or to revisit later with new feelings and new instrument choices.
Where this fits in learning
Before this sheet, children listen to music and use words such as fast, slow, loud and quiet. They also copy and keep a steady beat. Those early skills help them describe the sounds they want to use.
After it, children can plan longer pieces with a start, middle and end. They can also learn simple notation, add more instruments, perform their scores to others and compare how different people show the same feeling.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Feelings Sound Gallery for?
It is written for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8), in Key Stage 2. Children in nearby year groups may enjoy it too, with extra support for younger ones or the stretch idea for older ones.
- What will children practise?
They practise choosing tempo, volume and instrument to show a feeling, and drawing graphic scores. They also practise explaining their musical choices, which builds listening skills and the vocabulary used to talk about music.
- Do we need instruments to use it?
No. The sheet needs only paper and a pencil. Real instruments help if you have them, but you can also clap, tap, hum or use everyday objects to try out sounds before drawing.
- What if my child finds it hard?
Give a word bank of fast, slow, loud and quiet. Let them say their choices aloud before drawing. Start with one frame, talk it through, then come back to the others when they feel ready.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or another group, and use it as often as you like.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. It works as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 has support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It is a printable that needs only paper and a pencil, so it suits quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.