Ways to Integrate Music into Your Children's Lives

There are numerous ways to introduce and integrate music and it's various styles into your home. For instance you can make rhythm instruments, listen to new music on the radio, read or books about songs, let the kids play toy pianos and wind instruments, or play bedtime music on a CD player. At patriotic times of the year give your child a small flag and let them march around to upbeat patriotic music that you play on an instrument, a classical station, or a CD!

I hope this lens will spark some new ideas about music for you and your children. So, turn off the TV and get listenin'!

Not all music that is recorded by other children is of great quality. If you find music that is good, your kid's will enjoy hearing little ones sing their favorite songs. This music is great for before nap time and bed time and for jiggin' and jivin with during play time!

The Wee Sing collection is great. There are numerous options and at least on some of the recordings the children say the words before they sing them. Many of these also come with a book of the words and melody line for you to have fun playing and learning on your own instrument.

If you are looking for Christian kid's music check out the Cedarmont Kids! These albums are well-performed and have fairly simple accompaniments that are easy on the ears. Plus they have a great selection.

My oldest child calls these "singing books" because we always sing through them. Many are beautifully illustrated versions of common kid's songs. Others are cute new renditions of familiar melodies. If you are not big into singing you could just read the lyrics. I find it hard not to sing through these books! They're such fun!

There are many things that can be taught through music. We all know the "alphabet song" is a great way to teach our children the alphabet. Another fun thing to teach is the spelling of the child's name. We taught our toddler his spelling to the tune of "B-I-N-G-O". This song would work for any 5-letter name or a longer name if you speed the spelling up a bit. This song or another one could be used to teach the child their address as well as any other important information.

There are probably songs out there to teach phonetics sounds as well, although I have not found them yet. If you are aware of other great teaching songs please let us know!

Another great way to experience music is by going to concerts. Listen to your local radio stations for announcements about upcoming concerts. If you keep your ears open you'll probably find the best kind of concerts - free! In our area there is an annual free jazz festival with lots of music. There are also free concerts in a city park all summer long. Look around, you'll find some new experiences! Many universities have free concerts featuring their students. One university in our area frequently has quality classical music played by their students and faculty. If you have a Public Radio station in your area, listen and you might hear them giving away free tickets. We've gone to several concerts with free tickets from a radio station!

What better way to introduce new music to your kids than to experience it in person. Not only do they get to hear a new genre, but they also get to see the artist in action. This can be great fun!

Attending an Instrument Petting Zoo would be a great way to introduce kids to a variety of musical instruments and the sounds they make. An instrument petting zoo is a great way for all ages of children to see, hear, touch, and play a variety of musical instruments. The American Music Conference website has a great page on how to put together your own instrument petting zoo if there is not one in your area.

Don't be afraid to try out new styles of music. Even if you're not a fan of classical, for instance, don't let that keep you from introducing it to your children. New styles of music, new instruments, and new musical adventures cold spark the beginnings of a life-long passion in your child!