I love to be in our schools before Christmas! Children love to sing Christmas songs! Even our youngest of children have caught on to the joy and excitement the season brings!
Humming, singing, or a happy baby gurgling indicate that a child is happy. Children love to make music! And they love to wish everyone a Merry Christmas!
As you look at the school schedules, you can see our schools in the community have done school musical programs, choral concerts and band concerts. Opelika and the surrounding community does such a good job in providing arts and music opportunities for children and families.
Music has so many developmental benefits. Our schools realize this and too as parents, grandparents, caregivers we enjoy singing in our homes over the holidays!
Infants quickly recognize a parent’s singing voice. Part of bonding with an infant is for parents and caregivers to sing to their babies. You do not have to be on key at all to sing to your young child.
Toddlers and twos are great imitators. Toddlers love to listen and do songs that involve motions with their hands and feet. Preschool age children enjoy music just for music.
They love to sing and hum when they are playing and doing their little jobs. Young children love and respond happily to music directions.
In being in young children’s classrooms the last two weeks, the very youngest quickly catch on to the words of traditional songs like “Jingle Bells”, “Frosty the Snowman” , etc. They love to clap and move! Try it at home. Family fun!
Playing music in your home or car is thoroughly enjoyed by your young child. Music can definitely set the mood for a happy day. One goal that a young child tries to accomplish is to pucker their lips in a whistle! It may take a while to learn but while they are learning they blow little tunes through their lips.
Children love to do moving exercises with music. They love to dance, skip, run, and jump to different rhythms. Clapping a simple rhythm helps your young child with comprehension, memory making, and math. Using music to help your young children to memorize words, math facts, and other lists plants it in their memories.
Point out in nature different birds that chirp and sing. Just being outside going on a nature walk children can listen to many different animals that just might be communicating in a song. As fall and winter approach and the winds begin to blow, a young child can use their imagination as they listen to the wind blow in song.
Parents, there are so may CDs in the early childhood world to teach and entertain your young child for hours. Also, young children love to make their homemade instruments with pots, pans, spoons, empty boxes around the home. On taking afternoon naps or going to sleep at night sweet lullabies relax your child and help your child to drift off to sleep.
Our teenage children love to listen to music with friends! They may desire to take music lessons, play in a band, or join a singing group.
There are so many ways for you as a parent to share the gift of music with your children. This Christmas season is a perfect time to recall song memories and share them with your child! Wake up your young child with a song on their heart. Plant a song in your heart as well.
