Resources / Activity
Make shakers from small plastic bottles or plastic eggs (closed tightly and sealed with packaging tape or hot glue). Fill them with small pebbles, aquarium gravel or pennies. Compare the sounds as the children shake and move them.
Include one or two infants in a music activity. Sing a song, such as “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” or “The Itsy Bitsy Spider,” and add motions. Gently bounce the infant on your knee, sway to the beat or use simple hand motions.
Tune: “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”(Child's name) sing, sing with me.Sing out loud and clearTo tell the children everywhereThat music time is here.
Suspend old pots and pans from a fence or create a PVC structure to hold them. Leave large spoons out so the children can create various sounds using the pots and pans.
Cover a table with butcher paper or blank newsprint. Give each child a marker and begin playing music.
Set up a table covered with paper. Give each child a small cup of different colored paint and a small brush. Play music and have the children paint in their space. Stop the music and have them move to the next space and add to that painting.
During outdoor time, provide the children with a piece of sidewalk chalk and have them find a space on the pavement to sit.
During large group, place cards on the floor that have emotion faces on them. Play music. The children march around on the cards, and when the music stops they act out the emotion shown on the card they are standing on.
Play lively music and encourage the children to dance freely. Pause the music and have each child find a partner. Direct the children to greet their partners with a hug, high five, low five, fist bump or other appropriate greeting.
Play an instrument just out of sight of the infant. Make eye contact to see if the infant turns to the direction of the sound.
Cover a table with paper and provide markers or colored pencils. Play various musical selections with different tempos and beats, and have the children move around the table and draw how the music makes them feel.
You will need several hula-hoops and music for this activity. This game is similar to musical chairs except the children must find a hula-hoop “island” to stand in when the music stops.
At the art easel, provide MP3 players or CD players with headphones. Have the children listen to music as they paint at the easel. Provide a variety of music such as classical, reggae, blues or nature sounds.
Play music and encourage the children to march around the room shaking instruments to the beat. Encourage one child to lead the parade and play the instruments up high, then down low, then on a particular side.
During outdoor time, provide musical instruments for the children and encourage them to march around the play space in a parade line.
Create a stage in the dramatic play area with microphones, instruments and sheet music. Encourage the children to perform for each other. Add puppets on some days.
Tell or read the story of “The Three Bears” and have each character in the story represented by a different instrument.
Use familiar songs as transitions using the infant's name. When showing how to pick up toys, sing to the tune of "Way Down Yonder in the Paw Paw Patch":We're picking up the toys and putting them in the basket.
Include word cards with pictures of musical instruments and other music-related terms in the writing center. Encourage children to include the words when they write.