Dancing is Great Kids’ Exercise

Music and Movement Helps Brain Development

  When adults turn on any kind of music or sing even off key young children naturally move and sing along. Brain research suggests that music and movement help both sides of the brain learn to work together. First gather all kinds of music, cardboard and plastic containers and paper core rolls, small ball, and wooden. Music activities do not require store bought instruments, specific skills, nor special competence to experience joy. Adults and children can enjoy peppy music in the morning and relaxing soft music at lunch, during car rides, before naps and bedtimes. Some children who have difficulty going to sleep even after their bedtime stories may fall asleep with soft classical music. Children who may not talk a lot yet often will sing words with adults.

Marching Bands and Exercise

John Phillip Sousa Had It Right!! 

 John Phillip Sousa had it right! Sing a march and get moving. Since many people don’t have marching music, go to You Tube and search for your favorite college band. Then make assorted drums from boxes, plastic containers, and wooden spoons and reinforce the them with layers of packing tape.  Listen to the beat and drum together. Boxes of different sizes make different sounds. Drum soft, loud, fast and slow. Then pick up the drums and march around the house. Marching is great exercise. You can play follow the leader, march right, march left, march backwards, and turn around. Young children can make up their own marching routine.

 You can also make a homemade kazoo by folding a piece of wax paper over the tooth edge of a comb and hum through the tissue paper. For a trumpet cover one end of a paper towel roll with waxed paper and secure it with a rubber band.  Punch a row of holes along one side of the roll with a pen tip.  Hum into the open end. To make chimes, tie washers on to a ruler and play with a spoon.

Karaoke Fun

Children love to sing along. 

Make Homemade Instruments 

They learn words very quickly. Songs like “Bingo” drop off letters and keep everyone thinking. Children love the beat of show tunes like the Sound of Music’s “Do Re Mi”, rock, country, jazz, patriotic, Latino, religious songs, or the latest children’s movie tune. If you don’t know the words, do it Elmo’s way—La, La, La, La. Most words are available on line for free though. Google the song title and you’re ready to sing. Your public library often has a good variety of music cd’s and song books. Add some costumes and give each child an opportunity to sing their favorite song. You can record a short movie with your phone to send to relatives who need a little cheering up. 

Photos: Fran Darling, fdarling fotos

For more go to -  grandparentsteachtoo.blogspot.com and wnmufm.org/Learning Through the Seasons live Tuesdays at 4:30pm and Saturdays at 8:30 am and pod casts archived on the site.