Get into the Groove: Encourage Movement and Promote Children’s Development!

Whether singing, listening, dancing or playing an instrument, music is an important tool to encourage movement and promote children’s development. Here are five fun tips for making the most of music at home with your little ones:

• Tip One: Introduce different types of music. Play family-friendly country, jazz, or classical! 

Why? Children’s brains are engaged when listening, singing, and dancing to music. As children experience different kinds of music, their brains make connections that are used for future learning.

• Tip Two: Listen for specific instruments in music and pick them out with your child.

Why? Listening for specific sounds in songs is the same skill as hearing the sounds that make up a word, which is an essential pre-reading skill.

• Tip Three: Encourage your child to make their own movements to different music.

Why? Children build confidence when they make decisions and express themselves. These are helpful skills for school readiness. Dancing also promotes physical development and coordination. Remember to include the babies! Respond with excitement as they move to music or gently move their arms and legs to slow rhythms.

• Tip Four: Ask teachers and providers to share their music for clean-up, nap, and mealtime.

Why? By using the music from your little one’s program, they will already know what is expected of them when you sing the song at home.

• Tip Five: Play music while doing chores together. Take breaks for singing and dancing!

Why? Music is often linked with memories. Your child will remember special times spent with you singing into a hairbrush or dancing with a broom.

For more activities that encourage movement and promote children’s development through music, visit the following resources:

• Experimenting with Music and Movement
• Dancing and Moving Creatively
• Making Music
• My Ultimate Coping Playlist