By Clio Tilton
When I moved to San Francisco almost ten years ago to begin my freelance career in classical music, one of the first jobs I had was teaching music to babies and toddlers at an in-home daycare. It was a completely new experience for me and so much fun. I realized how much I *love* this age group, and what a beautiful and magical thing it was to get to hear kids start singing for the first time. It was also really hard to figure out how to keep multiple toddlers engaged, manage attention spans- all of that good stuff. So here are a few things I noticed while teaching that the kids always loved and that I use now with my 2.5 yr old.
Movement - Songs with hand and body motions are great! But there are so many ways to do this beyond Itsy Bitsy Spider. Be creative! You can add silly movements, facial expressions, or dance moves to ANY song. Remember to combine small motor (hand/finger movements) with larger muscle groups, like taking giant steps to pretend you’re a giant or a bear. For songs about trains, get up and pretend to be trains chugging around in a circle. Best songs: Going on a Bear Hunt (more of a chant, but so much fun!), and Clickity Clack by Katherine Dines.
Storybooks you can sing - Whenever I see them, I always buy books that illustrate kids’ songs. Seeing the pictures can be a great way for kids to engage with the music. There’s a great version of Hush Little Baby, and some Pete the Cat versions of Wheels on the Bus plus Old MacDonald that my son loves right now.
Instruments - One thing I learned working with toddlers is that most kids have an internal “tempo” which is pretty fast (think two taps/per second or 60 bpm). Put on any music that is this speed and clap, hit pots, or bang on drums if you have them! Some instruments that kids seem to especially like are the kid accordion, anything you can pluck, and mini xylophones.
Music throughout your day - Of course this depends on your daily rhythm, but we have songs for various times of day that make them go a little easier. We use songs for cleaning up, brushing teeth, washing hands, going on walks, potty, naptime, and bedtime. Songs can be a great way to transition activities without having to be a directive. I also find that a random break during a walk or meal can be a great time to sing some songs, that’s when he’s often the most engaged. Don’t be discouraged if you can only remember a song or two; you can always make a playlist on your phone and sing along until you remember the melody or words.
Favorite songs: Raffi’s Brush Your Teeth song, wash your hands to the tune of Row Row Row Your Boat (see below for all the words).
Why is it important to sing with your kiddos, or bring music into their lives? Kids are especially capable of absorbing music up until age 9, at which point brain plasticity changes and it becomes more difficult. See the work of Nina Kraus at Northwestern University. She studies how music helps our brain in many different ways. If you’re reading this and thinking, “But I’m not a singer!” Studies show that it doesn’t matter if you sing well, your kid will learn how to sing just fine either way. The important thing is that you do sing. Listening to music is not the same, so bust out that voice!