Inspiring Children to Love Music
Chocolates, cards, and little stuffed animals….it’s almost Valentine’s Day! Did you know that there are plenty of ways to inspire your children to LOVE music? So, along with your Valentine gifts, give your kiddos the gift of music! Check out these 7 ways to inspire your child’s love of music!
1. Sing to your child during daily routines
These songs could include daily routines such as waking up in the morning, bathing and hand-washing, brushing teeth, getting dressed, going to school, cleaning up, and getting ready for bed. Check out http://www.songsforteaching.com/everyday/everydayroutines.htm for a ton of daily routine songs you can sing with your child!
2. Write your own songs or encourage your children to make up their own words to songs they already know. Try your hand at some of these song writing activities!
Activity #1: Create your own song to capture your child’s attention by borrowing some familiar melodies (such as “It’s Raining, It’s Pouring”, “Mary Had a Little Lamb”, and “Rock-a-Bye, Baby”) and then add your own words or verses to change it up!
Activity #2: Create a nursery rhyme song! Choose a children’s nursery rhyme that does not traditionally have a melody behind it and pair it with a familiar tune. For example, take the nursery rhyme “Hey Diddle, Diddle” and turn it into a song using the melody of “Jack and Jill.”
Activity #3: Create your own “Daddy and Me” or “Mommy and Me” song! Write a song just for your child about something special you do together! You can create your own melody or use the melody of a familiar tune you love.
Activity #4: You’ll need photos from a colorful magazine for this one! Tear out photos from two different categories such as photos of pets and photos of vehicles. Put the photos face up on the floor in their two different categories. Then, allow your child to pick one photo from each category (For example, dog + school bus). Once your child chooses two photos, they can then make up a song about the two photos using their own melody or a familiar tune!
3. Play a collection of engaging classical music! Playing classical music is a great way to engage your child and get them moving at the same time. For classical song ideas, check out our blog of the top 10 classical music pieces for kids at https://prodgentest.wpengine.com/top-10-classical-kids/.
4. Invite your child to join in musical activities!
Glow Stick Drumming: Grab some glow sticks and a few buckets or pots and pans! Turn down the lights and let your kiddos bang away in style with various colored glow sticks!
DIY Instruments: Get crafty and create some of your own instruments with items around your house! Customize them just the way you want and then have a jam session! Check out the DIY instruments we listed in this blog: https://prodgentest.wpengine.com/musical-sensory-bin-diy-instruments/
Draw the Music: Allow your child to draw on some paper while listening to classical music! Play various pieces that are both slow and fast-paced and see what kind of artwork your kiddos create!
What’s That Sound: Play sounds of different instruments and have your children tell you what type of instruments they hear!
5. Have age-appropriate instruments in your home! Yes, your home will be noisy, but your child will be having tons of fun experimenting with each instrument. Here is a list of some fun instruments:
Desk bells
Wooden clackers
Rhythm sticks
Maracas
Hand drums
Wooden train whistle
Triangle
Conga shakers
Sand blocks
Tambourine
Kid’s accordion
Orff Instruments
Lap harp
Ukulele
Harmonica
Recorder
Piano
Kazoo
Glockenspiel
Panpipes
Guitar
Castanets
6. Include some music making activities in your child’s play dates with other friends! What better way to spend time with friends than to have a jam session? There are so many musical group activities that you could spend hours experimenting with instruments and making music. Take a look at some of these group ideas!
Song Basket: Write songs on individual strips of paper and throw into a basket. Each person has to draw a song from the basket and then sing it as a group!
Follow-the-leader Drumbeats: Pick a drum leader who will tap an easy-to-follow beat. The leader plays their beat slowly and then pauses while the group echoes that same beat back. For younger children, you can tap a simple, slow beat. For older children, you can give them a challenge by tapping out various beats at different speeds.
Grow, Grow, Grow Your Song: Choose a familiar tune and create all new words to go along with the song! Each person takes a turn adding a different verse until your song grows and grows and grows! For example, you can take the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” and create new verses such as…
Ride, ride, ride your bike
Quickly down the hill
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
Don’t you take a spill
7. Instead of a family game or movie night, try a family music night once a week!
Activity #1: Lights, camera, action! Set up a mini stage in your very own living room and let your child put on a musical performance for the family! Each family member can take turns singing a song or playing an instrument.
Activity #2: Take a night out on the town and attend a local concert as a family.
Activity #3: During the holidays, put together and perform a Christmas concert for a nursing home in your area.
Activity #4: Record a song together! You’ll be having fun, enjoying music, and creating memories all at the same time!
Activity #5: Grab a guitar and have a sing-a-long around a campfire! Complete your family time with ‘Smores!
Last but not least, check out the membership offerings at Preschool Prodigies!
Many of these music activities are found in The Giant Book of Creativity for Kids which consists of 500 activities to encourage creativity in children. Interested? Check it out on Amazon!
