Photos of toddlers banging on pots and pans are an essential staple in any baby book. While the kitchen drum solos often start as an activity to keep an active baby busy while their parents prepare a meal, this early introduction to music has many developmental benefits.
Singing and playing music together with Baby is a perfect way to teach them about cause and effect. Without you having to explain a word, before long, Baby will learn that shaking the maraca at a fast pace will produce a different sound than moving it more slowly. As you play, you can ask Baby if they want to make loud music or soft music, or other questions that can help them make the connection between these concepts they are learning and the words attached to them. Listening to their choices about the music you’re making with them and playing along will help build their confidence and self-esteem, too.
Instruments are also great for practicing motor skills. Jamming on the drums or xylophone help develop hand-eye coordination, and plucking the strings of a ukulele could help build the muscles in a toddler’s hands and fingers, which will help with grasping down the road. Rock on, Baby!
