It Starts with a Square

The Benefits of a Musical Environment

BY Sarah Comeau

You can make music with just about anything found in your household. Adding a musically inclined environment to your child’s life offers extensive benefits for their emotional, intellectual and social development.

For young children, music helps identify teamwork. It shows that you can create something greater with the help of more people. For example, the use of drums, guitars and vocals can produce a better song than a song only containing the use of drums.

Music allows children to express themselves through creativity and openness with others. Enjoying music gives preschoolers a common interest and can create lasting friendships. Here are some ideas to incorporate some tunes into your child’s daily activities:

Allow your child to sit at the kitchen table with pots and pans to use as drums while you make dinner. This engages your child with you in the kitchen, and keeps him away from the possible dangers of the kitchen, while you are cooking. Provide him with different types of pans and utensils (for example, plastic utensils and metal pans) so that he can learn to create various sounds. It is best not to use glass in this activity.

Sing along with your child in the car. Preschoolers are not yet at the age where they become self-conscious of their behavior. In fact, most little ones love letting out their strong vocal chords for everyone around them to hear. Encourage your child to do this more often, even if it is a little loud on the eardrums! Playing basic songs and repeating them regularly will help your child retain simple melodies and rhythms.

Plan a dance party for family fun night. Encourage your child to get up and show you his moves by playing freeze dance. This is done by a family member controlling the music and stopping it at random times. When the music is stopped, everyone freezes until the song restarts. Freeze dance always results in tons of giggles by all the family members.

Cathy Jo Mattson, on-site owner – The Goddard School. For more information on why The Goddard School, located in Collierville, is the place for fun and learning, please call 901-861-0108.

September/October 2021 Tour Collierville Magazine