We all know that early music education for children has many benefits – intellectually, socially, emotionally and physically – the evidence is widely documented.  So how do we teach a love of music?

Enrolling in a Kindermusik class is certainly a great way to make music part of your weekly routine and to instill a life-long love of music in your children.  However, there is much you can do at home to encourage your children’s natural love of music.  Fill your home with music and accompany your daily activities with a dance and a song.  Expose your children to many genres and styles of music.  Show them how much you love it yourself and they will value and love music too.

Here are some helpful and practical ideas for helping to make your child’s life even more musical:

• Sing to or sing along with your child.  Sing to a pet or even a stuffed animal.
• Swing and sway to music, or dance through the water droplets of a sprinkler.
• Record your own songs and listen to your own voices and music.
• Vary your movements and instrument playing.  Maintain a steady beat, move to a faster beat, then a slower beat.
• Discuss the music you hear.  What does it sound like?  What types of instruments do you hear?
• Sing or chant favourite tunes to help pass the time while waiting in line or while sitting in the paediatrician’s office.
• Explore musical sounds with home-made instruments, using boxes and other assorted containers, scrapers, shakers and jingles.
• Attend community concerts and other local musical events to give your child a taste of many types of music.
• Add music or songs to events and activities throughout your day – whether it’s wake-up time, play time, pick-up-the-toys time or bath time.

If you are enrolled in a Kindermusik (or have been in the past):

• Play your At Home CD – Children love repetition and the more you play the CD together, the more your child will be comfortable with the songs and activities.
• Use your At Home CD and literature book to add music to your nightly bedtime story ritual.
• Open up your Family Activity books and explore your Digital At Home Materials and use the ideas to expand on your music fun at home!

How do you include music in your home?