"Surprise" Symphony is one of 16 arrangements for elementary string ensemble included in Richard Young's Comprehensive String Pedagogy & Curriculum. On a scale of "Easy", "More Challenging" to "Difficult (but Still Appropriate for Elementary Students)", "Surprise" Symphony is rated "Difficult".

Is it possible for kids who have been studying for just a few weeks to play the famous theme and variations movement of Haydn's "Surprise" symphony without ruining it? Of course it is, so long as they have this ingenious arrangement that enables them to make a heroic impression without "dumbing down" what Haydn wrote. The key is for the children to play the relatively easy thematic material while the more difficult parts are played by the piano and/or more advanced string players.
Naturally this arrangement is shorter than the original. It includes just the theme, two variations, and the coda. Nevertheless it prepares these young students for when they will "graduate" to the complete, original version of the entire symphony that is included in CSPC's Advanced repertoire.
Though it's fine to incorporate the piano early on, the Intermediate string parts should not be added until the children are secure with their Elementary parts. Even though special care is necessary with the rhythm, articulation, dynamics, and intonation, teachers should not try to fix everything at once. When kids focus on problems one at a time, it is amazing how quickly they solve them.
-Richard Young

Full program notes are included with the score. There are fingerings and bowings in all the string parts of every one of CSPC's pieces. These "cooked-in" technical solutions target the particular levels of the students. They are not just pragmatic but "musical." A complimentary keyboard accompaniment sound file for Haydn: "Surprise" Symphony is available here.