Your little one is constantly absorbing knowledge as they take in everything around them — and that includes music! Music is an early developmental superhero, since it boosts development in so many areas — and you can jumpstart your child’s music-learning with a few simple, everyday music activities (think humming lullabies and jamming to your favorite playlist).
According to Dr. Lili M. Levinowitz, Music Together® coauthor and Director of Research, “When you hold your baby and walk, march, skip, or sway to the beat of a song, you are teaching them about rhythm. They’re building a ‘body memory’ of moving to the beat that they’ll be able to call upon once they are able to move to music on their own.”
Music Together® is an early childhood music and movement program for children ages birth through eight (and their grownups!) that empowers families to become more musical. Classes have been taught since 1987 and can now be found in more than 3000 communities worldwide.
Dr. Levinowitz continues, “Babies are capable of showing that they really do feel and hear music. There is a natural capacity to respond unintentionally to music in vocal ways that are evident at birth. Babies adjust their sounds, like crying, to the structural pitches around them. In Music Together classes, we’ve seen this in babies as young as three weeks old! It’s incredible to witness.”
Music and Early Development
As adults, we know how music can affect us: hearing a certain song may make us feel nostalgic, dancing to a beat can change our mood, unwinding with instrumental sounds can help us relax. The same is true for our children. Music can be both relaxing and energizing; it can help with daily activities and ease transitions (like eating or getting dressed); and it can enhance family bonding. Plus, making music a family affair supports your little one’s developing brain in all its growing capacities, including these key areas:
- Music learning and development
- Language development and emergent literacy
- Social and emotional development
- Cognition and general knowledge
- Physical and motor development
- Creative growth
Music in Your Daily Routine
All you have to do to start your baby or toddler on the path to music-learning is to have fun singing, dancing, and moving together as much as you can. Read on for five fun ways to make your home more musical:
- Make your morning routine musical: Jam along to your kiddos’ favorite tunes while you get ready for the day. You can change the words to a familiar song to narrate your morning routine. Want to motivate your toddler to get a task done? Ask them if they can “beat the clock” and put on their clothes or put away toys by the end of a song.
- Sing together in the car: Make car rides more enjoyable by turning them into private concerts! Put your child’s favorite album on, sing along to the radio, or just pick a random song to belt out together.
- Set aside time to dance and move to music: Staying active is so important for little ones, so find some time every day to dance or move to music. It’ll improve their physical abilities and burn off some of their endless energy.
- Play instruments together: Try spending some time each day playing instruments. They don’t have to be real instruments (some pots and a wooden spoon make a great drum set), but making music will boost creativity and encourage music-learning.
- Go to a family music class: One of the best ways to bring music into your life is to go to a family music class, like Music Together. Music Together is also great for parents; you’ll gain the confidence to make music part of everyday family life, and you’ll get a chance to meet other grownups and build connections in your community.
Music has a way of enhancing the lives of everyone who embraces it, so encouraging your kids to become musical is a must! No matter how your little ones enjoy music —singing nursery rhymes, listening to movie soundtracks, dancing along to pop songs, playing instruments, or relaxing to classical albums — it’s a great way to boost their development and bring more joy to their lives. However you get your music on, Music Together can support your family through your musical journey!
About Music Together®
Music Together® is perfect for parents and kids looking to get in touch with their musicality, bond as a family, meet new friends in the neighborhood, and develop new skills. With decades of research in early childhood learning and music development behind it, the Music Together curriculum has been bringing music and movement to families since 1987. Music Together classes are taught all over the world by trained teachers who provide a high-quality family experience.
To find a Music Together class near you, visit MusicTogether.com.
