Music is all around us and we can’t ignore the benefits of it.
The exploration of music can have a great impact on children’s development in areas such as literacy, listening, social and motor skills.
Additionally, music can be a great tool for parents for easier transitions and more fun routine activities on a daily basis.
In the past I learnt to play a couple of musical instruments. Nevertheless, as a teacher, I didn’t feel confident in doing music activities with kids. Working along professionals, who conduct music activities for kids, I’ve learnt a lot. Also, learning about music education has made me realise that
the best way for young kids to learn music is through daily simple activities.
This post is all about the benefits of music in the early years. It explains how music and songs are an amazing parenting hack.
Also, many simple ideas are included on promoting music learning and development in young children through simple activities at home and outdoors.
1. Exploration of the elements of music for expressive language and cognitive learning
The elements of music are melody, beat, rhythm, tempo, pitch, dynamics and tone. Children learn fundamentals through daily play and social experiences. Moreover, music has the ability to strengthen the connection between the brain and the body. It enriches children’s expressive language and cognitive learning.
Ideas:
- singing, moving and sound exploration
- painting to music of different genres
- tapping in time with music that you’re listening to
- playing vocal exploration games, such as imitating sirens, animal sounds and various pitches
- learning some chords on a ukulele or a guitar
2. Music and literacy
Development of literacy is another benefit of music. Songs help kids learn how to put sounds, words and phrases together. Parents can use songs to expose them to new words and concepts. Additionally, children can develop their phonological and phonemic awareness. Poetry and rhymes are critical for cultivating early literacy development. The reason behind this is that they help children gain sensitivity to the sounds of language. Moreover, nursery rhymes can be sung from an early age in order to expose children to various sounds, rhymes and vocabulary.
Ideas:
- pause in the middle of a song and let your child fill in the words
- share books related to songs or sing songs that match the story you’re telling
- create or chant rhymes with children
3. Music and movement
As kids move to music, they practise and develop both gross and fine motor skills. Using small finger muscles improve fine motor skills and kids get prepared for drawing and writing. When you encourage fun movement, your children can learn to control their body and perform increasingly complex actions. Also, while the children dance, they develop hand and foot coordination that is an important skill. Moreover, balance and rhythm can be improved through dancing.
Ideas:
- provide babies with toys that make sounds in order to explore. Hold them on your lap and bounce gently to music.
- use songs to teach children about body parts
- put on slow and fast songs and move to the beat
4. Music making for brain stimulation
Most people are consumers of music. Research has shown though that active music making can be beneficial and support children’s development. It also leads to valuable brain stimulation as it uses both the logical and creative sides of the brain. Instead of playing a familiar song to your kid, you can encourage children to hum, sing or whistle their own tunes. Otherwise if you prefer to play some music, ask your children to move or dance along so that they can physically explore the rhythm.
5. Have fun & connect
Giving children the chance to respond freely to music with free dance, personal percussion (clapping, stamping etc.), art, storytelling or singing is important. It is not always about doing sertain actions or following steps and instructions. Have you heard the saying ‘Forget dancing like no one is watching… DANCE LIKE A TODDLER!’ We all should remind ourselves to have fun with our children. Communication and connection is easily established through music and dance. Why don’t you try to put music on and dance with your kids after school or preschool? I can reassure you that your children will feel connected to you, while you’re dancing together, and they will still move their bodies, which is something they really need after a day at school. Avoiding meltdowns after school can also be another benefit of music.
Music brings joy to people and our families. Below there are some ideas for simple activities and well-known or new games and songs you can try with your children. You might know already the musical activity that will be fun for your whole family. Nevertheless, it doesn’t hurt to try something new as well! Try to include a variety of music resources and styles. Also, don’t forget music from different eras, languages, cultures and genres. Music can be a great medium to learn about other cultures or learn new languages as well!
Ideas for activities
- get a set of musical instruments, ukulele, harmonica etc
- make your own instruments. For instance, you can fill a water bottle with rice or buttons to make a shaker, make clap sticks out of chopsticks or a drum set out of different sized pots and pans and wooden spoons.
- attend musical events in your or other communities
- observe musicians, when they play musical instruments
- let children explore an old radio, your iPod or you can get a Birde Player and let them choose the songs they want to listen to
- try closing your eyes together with your child and really listen to the many background noises that often make up our world.
Ideas for games and songs
- ‘If you’re happy and you know it’ or ‘Head shoulders knees and toes’ are simple action songs that young children find fun. Kids practise and develop their listening and motor skills, their balance and their coordination, while they do the actions.
- Games such as ‘What’s the sound?’ and ‘Simon says’ encourage children to listen attentively.
- Songs that are a big hit at Kindergartens these days are ‘Follow the leader‘ by DJ Raphi, ‘Freeze dance‘ and ‘Floor is lava‘ action song. Also, Just Dance is a rhythm game series, but you can also watch videos online. All the family can have fun together dancing a variety of popular songs like ‘I gotta feeling‘.
The BEST parenting hack
Many parents struggle during the day as the children refuse to follow parts of their daily routine and do activities, such as tidying up, brushing their teeth, nappy changing, bathing and dressing. Rhymes, chants and make up songs are the best way to enrich some of the daily routines and make transitions smooth.
Also, you can get children familiar to new concepts, ideas and activities. In this way you will avoid tantrums and emotional meltdowns in unknown and unpredictable -for the children- events and activities, such as a doctor’s appointment or toilet training.
Also, songs can be used as timers, when children are young and they have not grasped the concept of time yet. For instance, you can say “you need to keep brushing your teeth until the end of this song” or “try to finish tidying up before the end of the song!”
Last but not least, instead of shouting or yelling to get your children’s attention, it is much easier just to do it singing! If you sing with confidence and seriousness like a professional singer, I promise you will get, not just one kid’s, but a group of children’s attention. It works in Kindergartens with 20 children, why not at your home?? It doesn’t matter what song you choose to sing. Either it’s ‘Twinkle twinkle’, ‘The lion sleeps tonight’ or ‘you are my sunshine’, trust me and try it at home. By the end of the song, you might laugh all together or observe your children calming down. You can also try this with younger children, while you will be sitting on the floor. The majority of the kids would just leave what they are doing and they would approach you, sit with you and might sing along.
Children never get tired of repetition and it is actually beneficial for them.
Predictable rhymes and sense of fun are all included in old-fashioned songs from our childhood. However, if you want to try new songs, here are some songs that you can try with your child according to the circumstances and your needs. Encourage your children to choose their favourite song among a variety of songs that you can find online.
Ideas for songs about:
- tidying up: Tidy up Rhumba is a big hit for tidying up time in Kindergartens, you have to try it! Not only your children will love it, but also you!
- potty training :A Potty Training song can help you to prepare your little one to use the potty.
- brushing teeth: Brush your teeth by Super Simple songs or this cocomelon song can make your children brush their teeth without any fuss. Brush along with Budd and Healthy teeth, healthy me by Sesame Street are good options for older children.
- getting dressed: Dressing up song by Little baby bum and This is the way we get dressed song can be very helpful, when your child refuses to get dressed or you need a bit of distraction.
- a dentist appointment: Dentist song by Cocomelon can prepare children for their first dentist appointment, as they will know what to expect during the visit at the dentist office.
As a side note…
Keep in mind that babies and young children find it difficult, if not impossible, to tune out background noise and sounds. Music might be a wonderful addition to children’s learning, however it is recommended to limit the amount of background noise that is played. Having a radio playing in the background can be a distraction for kids from hearing and responding to other sounds. Also, these distractions might minimise significant opportunities for learning that happens, when children concentrate on a play experience.
This post was all about the various benefits of music in early childhood learning and development.
Without rhythm a kid would find difficult to walk or talk, and understand language, conversation, pattern and the passing of time.
However, supporting further exploration of music and its elements can have an amazing impact on children’s life.
Luckily you don’t need to be a musician to support your child’s musical development at home.
Music is also great for connecting, communicating and having fun with children.
Simple songs, rhymes and make up songs can be one of the best parenting hacks for avoiding tantrums and emotional meltdowns.
