Does your child enjoy clapping, singing or dancing to music?
Music can help young children develop brain pathways that will help them learn skills, such as reading and math. Music is also a fun way for you and your child to spend time together!
Here are a few hands-on ways to enjoy music with your child:
- Put your child on your lap, facing you. Sing a nursery rhyme and bounce to the beat.
- Make up a silly song with words that rhyme with your child’s name.
- Teach your child a few simple hand motions to go along with a song, like “The Itsy Bitsy Spider.”
- Dance with your child. Show them how you move faster to fast songs, or slower to slow songs. Do a simple dance move and encourage your child to copy you. Then, let them make up their own move, and copy it.
- Help your child make a homemade instrument, such as a plastic container filled with rice or beans, to shake along to their favorite song.
- Use spoons to “drum” on a table. Bang a simple rhythm, and ask your child to copy it. Next, try another rhythm that’s a little more difficult. Or try banging the spoon on different surfaces, like the floor or a cushion, to see how the sound changes.
Click here for more tips on exploring music with your child.