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Getting your children involved in music is one of the best things you can do for their development, but that doesn’t have to mean expensive instrument lessons.
There are a whole heap of music activities you can do at home, which are also perfect for keeping your kids entertained while you’re stuck inside on lockdown.
It’s important though that you keep the activities relevant to your child’s age. Here are a few ideas for music activities for children according to age group.
Music Activities for Toddlers
Toddlers might be a little young to pick up an instrument like guitar or piano, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get them involved and foster a love for music from a young age.
Even something as simple as having music playing in the background while you perform other activities is a great way to develop your child’s sense of melody and rhythm.
For more interactive music activities to perform with your toddler, try creating some homemade instruments. Empty containers can be filled with rice for a simple shaker. If you want to get really creative, try dying the rice in food coloring first.
Music Activities for Preschoolers
Locked in with a preschooler? There are a wide range of music-based activities that you can try out to keep your child entertained.
You might find focusing on rhythmic tasks more appropriate for this age group, so try simple activities such as clapping along to a piece of music, and having your preschooler mimic different rhythms.
If you’re keeping a few children entertained, you could encourage them to create a family band. Watch a couple of videos online from groups such as STOMP and Blue Man Group for inspiration, then grab your pots and pans, washing baskets and homemade shakers and start a percussion group in your own living room!
Music Activities for School-Aged Children
Music-based activities for school children will be largely influenced by not only their age, but also their individual musical experience. If your child is already learning an instrument such as piano, try to incorporate these skills into your activities. For example, you could encourage them to compose their own piece based on a film they’ve just watched.
If your child isn’t learning an instrument such as a piano, there are still a ton of fun music activities you can do at home. “Name That Tune” is a fun game where you and your child take turns humming or whistling a song while the other person attempts to guess the song.
Why not get the paintbrushes out, listen to a piece of music and encourage your child to create a piece of art based on how the music makes him feel? Or choreograph a dance to one of his favorite tracks.
The Options Are Endless
Involving your children in music activities is a great way to foster creativity and keep them entertained at the same time. Once you’ve tried a few of these activities out, why not inspire them to come up with some activities of their own?
Rebecca Marlow is a staff writer for Know Your Instrument and has posted extensively around the internet on other blogs as well. She is a frequent writer on how children can learn instruments and music in better ways. When not playing or writing about music, Rebecca enjoys going white water rafting and other water sport activities.