Let's Sing!

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Share the joy of music for a magic learning experience.  

When children listen to music, most find it impossible to sit still. They love to sing, make noise and dance along.

It’s a great idea to include a regular music time at Playgroup, to help expose children to different kinds of music and boost their confidence in musical ability. This can work best at the end of a session, as a way of calming everyone down and creating a happy mood for home time.  It’s also a great opportunity for the parents and carers to share a happy experience with their child.

Some children will not want to participate; others will be right in the middle of it, singing at the top of their lungs. Lead by example: if you sit and sing next to your child, they will be more likely to join in too.

Remember there is no right way to do things, just experiment with what works best for your Playgroup. Try new things, be supportive of each other and, most importantly, enjoy singing, dancing and doing actions to songs together.

Why music?

  • Develops listening skills and imagination.
  • Provides opportunities to be creative and lets children express their feelings.
  • Develops eye-hand co-ordination and body awareness.
  • Develops fine-motor skills using fingers, hands and wrists. 
  • Develops gross-motor skills using arms and shoulders.
  • Develops language and cognitive skills.
  • Introduces mathematical concepts.
  • Builds self-esteem. 
  • Can be a way of relaxing and relieving stress.

Music time ideas:

  • Here are some ideas to help you start a music and movement session. Remember to keep it simple, follow the children's ideas and provide enough space for movement.
  • Start with a ‘Hello’ song.
  • Write the words of your favourite songs (action songs work well) on large sheets of cardboard so the new members of your group can follow along.
  • Sing along and/or dance to your favourite CD – if you forget the words it doesn't matter.
  • Have a special song book.
  • Write songs on cards, or keep pictures or items relating to songs in a special box or drawstring bag. Let the children pick out a song to sing. This way you won’t be singing the same songs every week.

Song items may include:

  • Plastic duck – ‘Five Little Ducks’.
  • Teapot from a tea-set – ‘I’m a LittleTeapot’.
  • Soft toy frog – ‘Galumph went the Little Green Frog’.
  • Toy bus – ‘Wheels on the Bus’.
  • Plastic farm animals – ‘Old MacDonald’.
  • Doll – ‘Miss Polly Had a Dolly’.

Play or make your own musical instruments such as:

Shakers or maracas

Use empty drink containers filled with rice or dried pasta. Brighten them up with glitter, pom-poms and sequins. To avoid choking, avoid small items with a lid or secure lids with glue and tape. Attach streamers and stickers to the outside for decoration.

Drums

Ice-cream containers make great drums. You can simply keep the lids on and use hands to tap on them.

Rhythm sticks

Cut dowelling rods into approximately 15-20cm lengths. You can decorate the ends with streamers.

Bells

Only use large well-made bells. Attach the bells to a piece of elastic looped to form a circle. You can attach the elastic to the children's wrists or ankles. This is a great idea for babies. You can also thread bells onto pipe cleaners, twist the ends together to form a circle and tape where the ends meet to avoid any sharp ends.

Other ideas:

  • Listen to different types of music.
  • Vary songs – fast or slow, soft or loud.
  • Listen to soft relaxation music before you leave, or play it in the book corner.
  • Create a beat by making your own body music. Try things like tapping, stamping, slapping, finger snapping and clapping.
  • Finish with a ‘Goodbye’ song.