2007, Issues 1
Educating, Connecting and Supporting families in Monash
Having Fun Together with Music
Liz Porter
There are no rules when sharing simple musical activities together.
Music, simple finger plays and rhymes can help children learn about body movements, explore differing sounds, share, listen and be creative.
It encourages communication with your child and anticipation. Fun with music can be shared by anyone with any child without any prior planning or equipment. It can fill in time in a traffic jam or fill a gap for someone who is not sure how to 'talk' or interact with a baby.
Lullabies and rocking rhymes have several benefits! The slow swaying movements can lull a fractious child to sleep and because the words are repetitive and simple it can help the singer to breathe and switch off also! Some of the words are actually quite bizarre e.g. rock a bye baby falling out of the tree!
Simple musical instruments can be made with rice in a plastic bottle, 2 wooden spoons hit together or on a plastic upturned bowl as a drum...
Remember the rhymes we chanted as children with our parents - knee jogging, hand and feet patting, clapping, rocking, tickling.
- Hand Rhymes by Marc Brown
- Round and Round the Garden and Ride a Cock Horse — Both by Sarah Williams and illustrated by Ian Beck
- Merrily Merrily — Produced by Australian Breastfeeding Association. Book and CD available from 1818-22 Malvern Rd East Malvern Highly recommended
- The Useful Book. Songs and Ideas from Playschool has all the songs which have been sung on Playschool over the years. A complete range of Playschool CDs is available at the ABC shop.
Most people remember some form of This Little Pig went to Market to play with toes at bath time. Great for children who dislike having their nails cut.
Can you remember Row, Row, Row your Boat?
What about the rocking verse that ends up in the water and the crocodile verse which ends in a scream!
What about 5 Little ducks? Great for counting and getting fingers moving independently.
All young children love 5 little monkeys jumping on the bed especially when they get to be cross and wag their finger.
The knee jogging rhymes involve starting first with the gentle The lady's horse goes trit trot... Or this is the way the ladies ride... great anticipation especially when the horse gets faster and eventually the rider (the butcher boy) 'falls off' . There are many forms of these rhymes or make up your own version!
Incy Wincy spider is a great way to develop fine motor co-ordination necessary for learning to write as well as the old favourite Twinkle, twinkle little star.
Action songs can encourage children to take an interest in the jobs you have to do e.g.
This is the way we wash the dishes!
Updated: 26 April 2007
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