When you think of children taking part in music and movement, some may think of children running around singing at the top of their lungs or banging nosily on an instrument. Many don’t realize that just like math, science, reading or writing, music and movement plays an important role in a child’s development and has many benefits.
Children naturally enjoy music and will begin reacting to music at an early age. As they get older, their love of music will bring one of the most obvious benefits of children participating in music and movement: the release of energy. When children take part in music and movement activities, they are allowed to have fun, be creative and dance around and burn off some energy. When children participate in music and movement activities in a group, they also develop and refine their social skills. They learn to work as a team, they learn to share and they learn how to be creative in a group environment.
Other benefits of music and movement include:
- Developing small motor skills
- Developing large motor skills
- Learning to express emotions
- Improving balance and coordination
Research shows that exposure to music can also improve children’s ability to learn. Music and movement instruction has been shown to improve children’s memory, cognitive development, learning skills and expressive ability. ABC Music & Me is an award-winning music curriculum, created by Kindermusik International, the world’s most trusted brand in musical learning for over 30 years. It offers a fun, active, engaging multi-sensory experience for children. This program is designed specifically for young learners and it:
- Integrates physical, cognitive, social and emotional learning domains for a whole-child approach to learning.
- Uses a multi-sensory approach to teach early music concepts such as loud and quiet or high and low.
- Promotes group learning, practicing social skills such as turn-taking and cooperation.
- Introduces young musicians to composers, songs, and styles from a variety of genres, such as classical, jazz and folk.
At Educational Playcare, we understand the importance of arts and enrichment programs such as music and movement. Each week, children receive a 15 to 30-minute lesson filled using with music, stories and activities and monthly downloads are available for families to create song-filled fun at home!
If you don’t have time to review our monthly downloads, there are so many different ways to keep your children engaged in music and motion at home. Activities can be as simple as creating a cleanup song to sing when tidying up their toys or throwing on some fun music and having a dance party right in your living room! If you’re feeling a bit more creative, break out the art supplies and make homemade instruments such as maracas or shakers for your children to play with and enjoy.
For more ideas of how to incorporate music and movement at home, follow us on Pinterest!