Love music? We do, too!
Today, as it’s Music Monday – one of five themed-activity days during Week of the Young Child (WOYC) – we encourage you to try a few musical activities with your little ones. The activities we share hopefully will bring some joy, and at the same time the fun your child is having will help him/her develop language and early literacy skills, get active and move!
Find more early learning activities this week, as we celebrate WOYC, which puts a spotlight on early learning and the educators who support the positive development of young children.
Musical discoveries
Listen to some music. Our friends at Mesa Public Library suggest finding some songs at Libraries Rock! Kid-Friendly Songs playlist (stream free on Freegal). Consider adding some songs from different cultures, too.
Play musical games. Several websites offer fun ways to play. We have enjoyed Monster Music from Sesame Street.
Write a song together. Using your favorite popular songs such as “If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands” or “Old McDonald had a farm.” Change the words to create a song of your own!
Make musical instruments and play pretend. We have instructions on how to make a shaker, banjo and spin drum from our Gallery Educators. After you make your homemade instruments, play them along with your favorite songs!
Read together
Books we love about music and rhythm:
- Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
- Play This Book by Jessica Young
- Tanka Tanka Skunk by Steve Webb
If you don’t have these, we recommend checking out YouTube for some read-alongs. But there’s also many children’s books about making music. Here’s five more suggestions from our friends at Mesa Public Library:
- Sweet Music in Harlem by Debbie Taylor and illustrated by Frank Morrison
- Barnyard Boogie by Tim McCanna and illustrated by Allison Black
- Dream Songs Night Songs from Mali to Louisiana by Patrik Lacoursiere and illustrated by Sylvie Bourbonniere
- The Fabulous Song by Don Gillmor and illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay
- Rock ‘n’ Roll Soul by Susan Verde and illustrated by Matthew Cordell
Get crafty!
See what else you can make to create music with household items. Collect materials from around your house and challenge your child to think outside of the box to use the materials to make sound. Some object you could use include: pots, recyclable items, rubber bands, wooden sticks, combs, straws, aluminum cans, rocks, rice, etc.
Additional at-home activities from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC):
Support Math Readiness Through Music
10 Ways Babies Learn When We Sing to Them