There has been a long-standing relationship between Music and Brain. Several studies suggest that music positively influences brain development in children. Research indicates that musical activities in childhood can accelerate brain development, aid language acquisition and reading skills.
Music for children in these critical years can be effectively used to aid motor development, social skills, self-expression, coordination and emotional development. This makes a strong case for introducing children tomusic, especially in early years.
Musical Activities You Must Try with Your Children
1. Walking/Jumping on a Line: This activity is aimed at building coordination and motor skills in young children particularly toddlers.
Make a line with masking tape on the floor. Hold your child’s hand and walk on the line. Next, ask your child to walk on the line and sing the below song to the tune of ‘London Bridge’
We are walking on the line, on the line, on the line
We are walking on the line
Let’s walk on the line…
Replace the word walking with ‘Jumping, crawling, twirling’ etc.
2. Scarf Dance: Take a scarf and use it as a prop to dance on your child’s favorite tune. Scarves are great props and can be used for waving, swishing or simply throwing in the air and watching them fall.
Working with a scarf requires creativity and fine motor skills. Sense of rhythm also develops with dance and music.
3. Bean Balloons: This is a great activity aimed at enhancing listening and concentration skills. Take a few balloons and fill them with dried lentils and beans of different kinds. You may also vary the quantity.
Depending on the lentils and the quantity, each balloon will make a different sound. Ask your child to shake these balloons to find out the one that makes the softest and loudest sound.
4. Musical Spoons: Take different types of spoons like wooden, metal and plastic. Tap these spoons on a metal bowl to observe different sounds they make. Try to strike a rhythm by beating them fast and slow and sing your favorite tune to it.
5. Salad Melody: Get your child to help you make salad. While at it, teach him the ingredients by singing the following song to the tune of ‘ Here we go-round the Mulberry bush’
This is the way we peel the cucumber,
Peel the cucumber, peel the cucumber
This is the way we peel the cucumber,
To make a yummy salad
Replace cucumber with the ingredients you add.
6. Toilet Role Microphone: Take an empty toilet role and ask your child to speak in it. The sound of your voice changes when you speak through a microphone. This is nothing short of magic for little children.
Help them modulate their voice and pitch. Then, encourage them to describe their voice coming out of the toilet role.
7. Musical Letters: Teach letters to your children by singing ‘Old MacDonald’. But instead of simple saying ‘E-I-E-I-O’, add a letter to it like ‘BE-BI-BE-BI-BO’. It is super fun game that will get you and your little one laughing while learning.
8. Finger Dance: Sing the below song to the tune of ‘When you are Happy and you know it’:
When you are Happy and you know it
Wiggle your fingers
When you are Happy and you know it
When you are Happy and you know it
And you really want to show it
When you are Happy and you know it
Wiggle your fingers
Replace wiggle with shake and snap to get your child grooving and practicing fine motor skills.
These wonderful musical activities will make you groove along with your kids. The best part of such activities is that your children learn while having fun. These activities aid their development while nurturing and honing their musical skills.
Also read:
Skills Children need for Future and How to Nurture…
Raising Confident Kids without Over Praise
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