Music Makers

Music Makers







Music is a way to communicate that all children
understand. It's not necessary for them to follow the words to
a song. It makes them happy just to hear the comfort in your
voice or on the recording or to dance to a peppy tune.


What you'll need


Your voice
Music
Music makers (rattles, a can filled with beans or buttons,
empty toilet paper rolls, pots, pans, plastic bowls)



What to do


1. Sing a lullaby to a cranky infant.

2. As children approach their first birthdays, they begin to
like making music themselves. Have them try banging a
wooden spoon on pots, pans, or plastic bowls; shaking a
large rattle or shaking a plastic container filled with
beans, buttons, or other noisy items (make sure the
container is securely closed); and blowing through empty
toilet paper rolls.

3. As toddlers pass their first birthdays, they can actively
participate in nursery rhymes, even if they can't recite
the words. They can imitate hand movements, clap, or hum
along.

4. As preschoolers become more physically coordinated,
encourage them to move to the music. They can twirl, spin,
jump up and down, tiptoe, or sway.

5. Here are some tips for getting young children to sing:

* Sing yourself. Sing fairly slowly so children join in and
enjoy themselves. Discourage shouting.

* Start with simple chanting. Pick a simple melody, such as
"Mary Had a Little Lamb," and sing "la, la, la." Add the
words later.





Introduce music to your children early. Listening to you
sing will help them learn to make their voices go up and
down--even if you can't carry a tune! Music and dance teach
preschoolers to listen, to coordinate hand and finger
movements, and to express themselves creatively.


Play Dough







Young children love to play with dough. And no wonder!
They can squish and pound it and form it into fascinating
shapes. Here's a recipe to make at home.


What you'll need


2 cups flour
1 cup salt
4 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 cups water
2 tablespoons cooking oil
Food coloring
Food extracts (almond, vanilla, lemon, or peppermint)
1 medium saucepan
Things to stick in the dough (popsicle sticks, straws)
Things to pound with (like a toy mallet)
Things to make impressions with (jar lids, cookie cutters,
or bottle caps)


What to do


1. Add the food coloring to the water. Then mix all of the
ingredients together in a pan.

2. Cook over medium heat, stirring until it forms a soft
ball.

3. Let the mixture cool. Knead slightly. Add food extracts to
different chunks of the dough if you want different
smells.

4. Give some to your toddler or preschooler, so he can pound
it, stick things in it, make impressions in it, and create
all kinds of things.



Play dough is a great way to develop hand muscles and be
creative. And cooking together, with all the measuring, is the
perfect way to begin learning mathematics. Letting your child
handle some dough while it is still slightly warm and some when
it has cooled off is a terrific way to teach him about
temperatures. Play dough can be made ahead of time and stored
in an air-tight bag or container.


3 to 4 Years


What to expect


Children this age

* Start to play with other children, instead of next to
them;

* Are more likely to take turns and share;

* Are friendly and giving;

* Begin to understand that other people have feelings an d
rights;

* Like silly humor, riddles, and practical jokes;

* Like to please and to conform;

* Generally become more cooperative and enjoy new
experiences;

* Are increasingly self-reliant and probably can dress
without help (except for buttons and shoelaces);

* May develop fears ("Mommy, there's a monster under my
bed.") and have imaginary companions,

* Are more graceful physically than 2-year-olds and love to
run, skip, jump with both feet, catch a ball, climb
downstairs, and dance to music;

* Are great talkers, speak in sentences, and continue to add
more words to their vocabularies; and

* Have greater control over hand and arm muscles, which is
reflected in their drawings and scribblings.


What they need


Children this age require opportunities to

* Develop their blooming language abilities through books,
games, songs, science, and art activities;

* Develop more self-help skills--for example, to dress and
undress themselves;

* Draw with crayons, work puzzles, build things, and
pretend;

* Play with other children so they can learn to listen, take
turns, and share; and

* Develop more physical coordination--for example, by
hopping on both feet.