Do you find yourself tapping your toe to the beat? Dancing in the car? Just “can’t stop the feelin’?” Well, little ones do too! Besides supporting language growth, music is great for working on large and fine motor skills, among other things. From the first time they’re rocked to a lullaby, to standing and dancing on their own, babies and toddlers are experiencing language and movement together.
Babies being rocked and sung to are hearing words, strengthening the loving and secure connection with their caregiver, and feeling the movement of his or her own body.
Toddlers bopping or clapping along to a favorite song are exerting power over their own large motor skills, channeling the emotion in a song (usually happy, in children’s music!), and hearing the rhymes and rhythms of language.
Preschoolers doing motions to a song like “The Grand Old Duke of York” are tuning their balance as they dance, learning to follow directions, and often, in a storytime or school setting, participating as an individual in a larger group.
You don’t have to think about these things as you make music with your baby – but know that all ways your child is experiencing music are beneficial to their whole growth! Read more about the myriad ways music enriches babies’ lives.