Start the day 

Playing music in the morning is a great way to set the tone for the rest of the day. Classical music is a great choice, studies have shown classical music can produce a calming effect by releasing the hormone dopamine and inhibiting the release of stress hormones. Sounds like a great way to start the day.

Background music 

Background music can be a great tool to keep distractions down during activities. ABC KIDS Listen is a great free app with a “Quiet time” function featuring music exactly for this purpose.

Focused Learning

How many times have you sung the alphabet song while scrolling through an index? Humans are wired to memorise melodies which makes music a great focused learning tool and as caregivers, we want to appropriately challenge our children, encouraging higher-order thinking. You can find all sorts of language, history, literacy, numeracy and science concepts in the form of children’s songs on youtube. The Sesame Street channel is an oldie but a goodie. 

Transitions 

Time is a tricky concept for young children, it’s hard to know what a minute feels like which can make transitions harder. A transition song can become a behaviour cue, children grow accustomed to the length and parts of the song and are easier able to regulate the amount of time they have to complete a task. You could think about using transition songs to finish up an activity, get ready for a nap, brushing teeth etc, just remember to keep the songs consistent so children become familiar with them.

Between Activities 

Many of us know that using music in games and dancing will get us up and moving and is a great way to encourage gross motor movement. Not only is it just exercise: they are developing their coordination, balance, concentration and cognitive abilities. If you choose music activities which include lateral movement you can start to promote development of the neural pathways which enable both sides of the brain to work together. For some wonderful musical educational brain breaks try GoNoodle.

Where to find suitable music 

The ABC KIDS one app is hands down our favourite. Here you will find classical music, background music, nursery rhymes channels and even kid friendly podcasts. 

GoNoodle is a favourite for getting little bodies moving to music 

Contact Music Monsters