Monday, April 13, is #MusicMonday. Here are some ways to celebrate with your family!
Music is a great way to support children’s learning at home, relieve parent and caregiver stress, get kids up and moving, lift spirits, and provide families with an easy way to have fun together.
Here are some song suggestions and activity ideas to inspire children and families to make music a part of their daily lives!
Download the free Music Together app for iPhone/iPad or Android
With Music Together’s app, it’s easy and exciting to play musically as a family, whether at home or on the go. The app comes pre-loaded with eight award-winning Music Together songs for listening, singing along, or even recording as a video and sending to Grandma! The app also includes a digital version of one of Music Together’s award-winning Singalong Storybook, Hello, Everybody, based on the beloved “Hello Song.” Digital versions of our other 9 Singalong Storybooks can be purchased, as well.
Here are some easy activities for some of the Welcome Songs on the app:
This Train
Music can be a fun way to help your child transition from one activity to the next throughout the day. Try making up verses for different activities and tasks that you and your child might do throughout the day and sing them to the melody of This Train. Replace “children” with your child’s name when singing “children get on board.” For example:
This train is bound for bed… Charlotte get on board.
This train is bound for bed… Zion get on board.
Hey, Diddle, Diddle
Songs with words that rhyme, like Hey, Diddle, Diddle, help children hear how individual sounds come together to make words. Try singing other words that rhyme in place of “diddle” and “moon.” When your child is ready, they can come up with their own words that rhyme. You can even use nonsense words and silly phrases! For example:
Hey, doodle, doodle, the cat and the noodle, the cow jumped over the hoop.
The little dog laughed to see such sport, and the dish ran away with the soup!
All Around the Kitchen
It’s fun to sing this song while you and your child cook in the kitchen. You can also make up your own variations together about the foods you like and how you cook and eat them. It’s great if the verses rhyme, but the most important thing is to have fun inventing the words. For example:
Soup, soup, put it in the pot, warm it up, warm it up, eat it while it’s hot!
Bagel, bagel, put it in the toaster, warm it, toast it, eat it with some jelly!
Ice cream, ice cream, put it in my tummy, I like (flavor), yummy, yummy, yummy!
May All Children
The sound of your voice is an important and comforting sound in your young child’s life, regardless of your singing “talent.” Try singing the lullaby “May All Children” at naptime, before bedtime, or when your child is fussy.
It’s #MusicMonday, the first day of the Week of the Young Child, hosted by our friends The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). We’re proud to sponsor Music Monday, and we think it’s time for a giveaway! Just comment on this Facebook post with your family’s favorite song. On Friday, we’ll choose someone to win a Hello, Everybody Singalong Storybook Gift Set (book, stuffie, and egg shakers!). Be sure to follow us while you’re there!