Not only are there great developmental benefits to music activities for kids, but also they offer a fun way to engage with your youngster. Try the 25 games in the list below for children to encourage play through music, songs, dance, and sounds.
What Music Activities Teach Kids
There are many learning benefits of music games for young children. Benefits may include increased language skills and math comprehension. A 2011 study found a significant connection between a child’s participation in music programs and preparedness for reading and writing skills. It noted that phonological awareness, which is an awareness of speech sounds (vital to language), can be enhanced through musical interaction. It even states, “[I]t seems highly likely that language and music share processing mechanisms.” Music and math are also very intertwined, so it would only make sense for one area to build on another. Music can teach children about rhythm, which relates to the mathematical concept of patterns. Practicing a repetitive nursery rhyme, where the chorus is the duplicating pattern, can easily introduce this idea. Think along the lines of “Mary Had A Little Lamb” and how many times certain lines are recited.
Musical Activities for Preschoolers
Here are some musical activities loved by preschoolers:
Animal danceBear huntComposition for preschoolDance with meDancing with propsDraw what you hearFamily bandFamily karaokeFamily sing-a-longFollow the musical leaderFreeze danceHot potatoKitchen drum setLimboMake your own xylophoneMusic fast and slowMusical chairsName that tunePass the parcelRhythm shakersRhythm sticksSinging in the showerStrike up the bandThe Hokey PokeyWhat instrument do you hear?
The more musical options you have to enjoy, the better. Sample a variety of songs to discover which genre your child likes best: pop, rock, country, folk, jazz, or classical. Share your own favorite tunes, too. For example, with slower music, you might draw long, loping lines in a dark color. With a faster tune, shorter, sharper angles using a brighter shade. There’s no wrong answer here, just create what you feel. Join in the fun, setting an example of how your child should follow. For instance, slowly slide on your belly during a ballad or do jumping jacks while a dance song plays. See who can come up with the most interesting move. Whoever doesn’t find a spot is “out,” and another chair is removed for the next round. But you can making being “out” fun by having these kids dance around or be in charge of stopping the music. Alternatively, you don’t have to remove a chair each time–young kids will have just as much fun stopping and finding a seat and then starting again. The kids can come up with their own sequence of sounds and write them down using the symbols. “You put your right hand in, you put your right hand out You put your right hand in and you shake it all about You do the hokey pokey and your turn yourself around That’s what it’s all about!” After the right hand comes the left hand, the right foot, the left food, and then any other body parts you want.
