A child can be introduced to music from an early age. To do this, no need for complicated equipment or special skills. Singing him a lullaby or making him jump to the sound of joyful music like lildouzy makes him discover music with his daily activities and games. In addition to entertaining him, music has many benefits.
What are the benefits of music for a child?
It allows you to communicate your love.
Music is a great way to bond with your child in a positive way. When you sing and dance with him, you convey your love and affection to him. The same goes when you make music for your little one: it is a way to create a good bond of attachment with him.
Music improves children’s ability to learn.
The practice of musical activities (eg: singing a nursery rhyme, hitting rhythms on a drum, listening to different music) stimulates different areas of the brain , which promotes many learning. Musical activities exercise, among other things, listening, memory, attention, the organization of thought and your toddler’s ability to control certain behaviors.
Songs and rhymes develop language.
The words and words heard in songs and nursery rhymes enrich your child’s vocabulary. Hearing and singing them also trains him to make sounds, say words and form sentences. Plus, with songs and nursery rhymes your little one realizes that words are made up of syllables and sounds, which will help them later when learning to read and write.
Music promotes creativity.
When your little one moves freely to music or when he discovers the sound of an instrument, it promotes his artistic expression. Your child also develops his imagination when he invents song lyrics or accompanying gestures.
It helps calm and manage emotions.
Singing, as well as making and listening to music promote the production of hormones associated with pleasure, well-being and confidence. Music has a calming effect that would help toddlers deal with their emotions . A study from the University of Montreal has shown that healthy babies remained calm twice as long when they listened to a person singing rather than a person speaking.
How to awaken your little one to music?
Singing, dancing and moving to the sound of music are the perfect activities to promote the musical awakening of a child. You don’t have to be a musician and sing just to play musical games with your little one. The important thing is to have fun. However, it is better to think about offering him short activities to maintain his interest. Here are some ideas for activities to do to play with music.
Sing everyday for your little one. For example, take advantage of moments of pampering or routines , such as changing diapers, bathing, putting away toys, and the bedtime routine. Do not hesitate to introduce your little one to songs from your childhood (eg Do you know how to plant cabbages? And Au clair de la lune ). Recite nursery rhymes too, as they develop rhythm and keep children entertained.
Have fun transforming songs and nursery rhymes together. For example, sing them with a “mouse” or “giant” voice, clapping your hands, miming them, or changing the lyrics. These variations allow your child to become familiar with musical elements, such as duration, intensity and different timbres of voice.
Encourage your child to pay attention to sounds when listening to music. For example, have him listen to a sample of music by asking him questions: “What are you hearing? “,” What does this music remind you of? » Camille St-Saëns ‘ Carnival of the Animals , with its extracts such as The Royal Lion’s March or Kangaroos , is an interesting work for this type of game. Have your child listen to the same extract often, because repetition develops his memory auditory .
Sing everyday for your little one. For example, take advantage of moments of pampering or routines , such as changing diapers, bathing, putting away toys, and the bedtime routine. Do not hesitate to introduce your little one to songs from your childhood (eg Do you know how to plant cabbages? And Au clair de la lune ). Recite nursery rhymes too, as they develop rhythm and keep children entertained.
Have fun transforming songs and nursery rhymes together. For example, sing them with a “mouse” or “giant” voice, clapping your hands, miming them, or changing the lyrics. These variations allow your child to become familiar with musical elements, such as duration, intensity and different timbres of voice.
Encourage your child to pay attention to sounds when listening to music. For example, have him listen to a sample of music by asking him questions: “What are you hearing? “,” What does this music remind you of? » Camille St-Saëns ‘ Carnival of the Animals , with its extracts such as The Royal Lion’s March or Kangaroos , is an interesting work for this type of game. Have your child listen to the same extract often, because repetition develops his memory auditory .
