Make Musical Freezes Work for Your Family

Saying “Freeze!” instead of “Stop! Don’t do that!” can be a much more effective way to stop your child from running in a parking lot or getting too close to a hot stove. After all, it’s much more fun to freeze than to stop!

Freezing also builds inhibitory control, one of a set of important skills known as executive functions that develop rapidly throughout early childhood. (Learn more about how music supports executive function.) Inhibitory control is what allows your child to resist sugary treats (even when nobody is looking!), not push a child who steals her toy (even though she really wants to!), and resist distractions in the classroom.

The Drum Song Collection chant “The Snail and the Mouse” (listen directly from the Family Music Zone here) is a great choice to use for a freeze game to support your child’s inhibitory control development. Try it when you’re getting ready to go outside.

As you are zipping up your child’s jacket, chant (slowly in your best snail voice):

Slowly, slowly, very slowly our jackets we are zipping.
Slowly, slowly, very slowly, we do it without ripping!

FREEZE!

Then, use your best quick mouse voice to quickly put on your hats and leave the house!

Quickly, very quickly, we then put on our hats!
Quickly, very quickly, we go outside so fast!

In addition to the waiting moment between the “snail” and “mouse” parts, children also exercise the skill of refraining from an inappropriate action when they go back and forth between chanting quickly and slowly.