Let me introduce you to Our Musical Littles. This is an engaging and interactive parent and tot music class that I am doing this summer in the West Island of Montreal. You can read more about it here. If you are looking for an outdoor activity to do this summer with your little ones, I hope you will join me for some musical fun.
Why am I running Our Musical Littles this summer? Research shows how important listening to and participating in musical classes is for our child’s emotional and intellectual development. Let me share three quick points how:
1. Linguistic Development - Being exposed to music and singing encourages children to actively learn how to make noise and form sounds. Researchers found that musical play sessions where children are actively engaged in making music activates parts of their brain responsible for music and speech development as well as attentiveness and pattern recognition (https://www.washington.edu/news/2016/04/25/music-improves-baby-brain-responses-to-music-and-speech/).
2. Emotional Development - Researchers also claim that music exposure for children helps them recognize and understand with their emotions earlier. When they hear songs that evoke different emotions (happiness, sadness, excitement, etc.) and they actively participate along in the song (bouncing, clapping, singing), they are able to recognize their own emotions. (https://www.todaysparent.com/baby/baby-development/amazing-reasons-you-should-take-your-baby-to-music-classes/ )
3. Social Development: Parent/Toddler events where parents actively engage with their children is said to strengthen their relationship. Researches claim that singing music together helps develop a strong connection between parents and their children. (https://news.miami.edu/stories/2017/02/mothers-and-infants-connect-through-song.html).
I hope this has motivated you to sign up and join us for Our Music Littles. If this is not a possibility at this time, I encourage you to still connect with your child through music right at home.
1. Sing together. You can do this all day long! Even having a bedtime song gives your child a positive experience with music and can help to wind them down.
2. Make Instruments. Make musical instruments with things at home. Pots and pans make excellent drums! Also, putting small pebbles or rice inside of empty water bottles can make fun shakers.
3. Have fun! Incorporate music in your daily life. Have a dance party. Play music as your child does chores (picking up toys etc). Try to finish before the song ends! This creates a fun spin to clean-up time can make this activity a blast.
Whatever you do, the most important thing is to keep creating special moments with your children.
Happy singing!