Music and Play: Musical Baby-Mix

Materials You Need: Light music, things that produce different sounds, rattles. 

What You Can Do Together: Carefully hold the baby and gently sway to the music (sing by yourself or play music on the radio or on your phone). You can move around the room slowly with the baby in your arms. As he/she gets older, he/she will begin to identify different kinds of sound and music (choose what you and your family enjoy, including traditional music, songs, and chants).  

At naptime or bedtime, hold the baby and gently rock her/him while singing a lullaby. Sing to the baby (even if you can't sing well, they won't know and will love hearing your voice!). Repeat songs and lullabies to calm the baby. Traditional lullabies connect her/him to your culture and community. 

Another way to introduce the baby to sounds is to use some everyday household items that make noise. For example, spoons and cups for measuring ingredients have interesting shapes and can make interesting sounds when tapped on a table. Gently move and shake a few measuring spoons or cups at a distance your baby can reach with her/his hands (or feet). Then give them to the baby to hold, study and shake. You can use them to create a rhythm and melody—watch your baby follow the changes. 

Make a rattle from bells, tokens, or bottle caps. Offer the baby two rattles so that they are holding one rattle in each hand. Try to see if they like one of the sounds more than the other. 

If your baby has begun to sit on her/his own, hold the baby on your knees facing you. Move your knees up and down to the rhythm of a children's song or other traditional music. Sing and move following the rhythm. Help the baby to join her/his palms and clap in time to the song. 

What Your Child is Learning:   This activity is for all occasions, especially when music can cheer up or calm your baby and you! Hearing a song from a familiar voice helps the baby learn and listen.