Music is to be listened to, danced to, sung to, played and enjoyed. Even very young babies respond to music and it doesn’t need to be simplified for them. Not only will they enjoy the same music adults do, complex classical and orchestral music helps the development of pathways in their brains which will help them acquire other skills throughout their lives.
And , just like books and reading, music is there to be enjoyed, not endured. Plenty of variety, good quality, and no pressure.
Music and singing games and activities help develop:
- Fine motor skills
- Eye hand coordination
- Listening skills
- Language skills
- Social skills
- Imagination
- Ideas of sequence, rhythms and patterns.
- Gross motor skills – dancing and marching.
- Spatial skills
There are some excellent performers and DVDs aimed at babies and children – and there’s nothing wrong with children playing these over and over again. But don’t stop there. I have found young children enjoy band music, classical music, fairground organ music and even Gilbert and Sullivan. They enjoy strong melodies and recognising familiar music and beats.
Music can be a solo and a group activity – singing or dancing with another child, parents, grandparents and others – or in a group can develop many social and other skills.
As well as music, you can help children build their listening skills by pointing out and making games of identifying other sounds:
- Bird and Animal sounds
- Planes, Sirens, Trains Whistles
- Doors opening and closing
- Running water
- Kitchen equipment e.g. microwave, frying pan.
- Washing machine
- Rain
- Wind
- Footsteps
- Sounds in the street
- The sound a toy makes when they drop it on a carpet.
- The sound of paper tearing
- The sound of a chocolate wrapper
- And many more sounds that we hear every day that go unnoticed by us but are new, interesting and sometimes comforting to children.
As adults we’ve often stopped really listening to our surroundings. Take the time and listen with your child and you could rediscover a different world.
