Let's Listen To Music

Kids instinctively love music, whether it's nursery rhymes, pop music, lift music or classical they do tend to stop and listen when they hear music being played.

All children, it seems, also like to make loud noises. Whether it's shouting, singing, blowing a trumpet, or just banging around they love to be heard. But what are the benefits of introducing music to children from a young age?

Why instruments are good for children

• Hand eye co-ordination. To hold a spoon and bang a saucepan lid takes aim, and action to make the noise happen effectively.
• Singing and learning new songs is good for children as it helps them learn new words and announciate words properly that they already know.
• Singing may also improve their understanding of words and encourage them to branch out with their vocabulary.
• Listening is greatly helped by music. Getting children to listen to the sounds of the music, beat out a rhythm and imitate the noise they hear is good for their listening skills and can even benefit their mathematical skills.
• Even if you can't sing or play an instrument, you can encourage your child to enjoy music. Play them lots of different types of music and listen to them together.
• Have a dance and try to hear whether the music is fast or slow. Good exercise!
• The children don't care if you can sing or not... as far as they are concerned you are playing and interacting with them so they are happy, so don't be discouraged if you don't sing pitch perfect! And, if they see you having a go... they will too!
• Make your own instruments by putting beans or pasta or lentils in a bottle to make a shaker or banging some tins with a wooden spoon.
• Do clapping and slapping games. Clap a few times and see if your child can copy. Then clap a rhythm and see if they can copy.
• Sing songs and nursery rhymes together. Sing loudly, softly, fast and slow.
• Try making music with your own body... slap (gently!) your cheek with a finger, or clap your thigh, flick and click your fingers, clap hands together.
• Do action songs... I'm A Little Teapot, Row Row etc.

Enjoy!