If you have a newborn baby and are looking for a fulfilling activity to do with them, you should try these music activities for infants! Music is a fantastic activity that parents of any age or infant can do, and it provides a beneficial way to communicate with your little one.
Benefits of Music to Infants
The benefits of music to infants include:
1. Encourages development of hearing.
With the right equipment and music playing for your baby, you can increase his/her chance of developing an efficient hearing system. According to Dr. Alfred Tomatis, a renowned French physician, babies learn to recognize sounds in the first two years of life from listening to music, which stimulates their brain to learn about pitch and timing.
2. Improves emotional regulation and promotes bonding with their parents.
Music can calm babies down and comfort them, giving them a better opportunity to develop a good relationship with their parents. Moreover, music also helps babies develop the newborn reflexive crying response.
3. Improves attention span and coordination.
Music for infants can help improve the baby’s cognitive functions like learning how to play independently or follow basic directions from their parents and learn to communicate.
4. Increases chances of a good night’s sleep.
Babies exposed to music as early as in the first six months of life can establish a regular sleep pattern without being rocked or nursed to sleep.
5. Helps develop memory and stimulate language development.
Singing lullabies and playing instruments for your baby is an entertaining way to introduce it to language, even if he/she is not yet able to talk.
6. Helps develop creativity and self-esteem.
When your baby is exposed to rhythms and musical instruments, they start to develop their ability to enjoy playing music and participating in an ensemble as an adult. It is the reason why there is a growing interest in this activity among adults today since babies grow up playing musical instruments as players themselves.
You can play different types of music for infants like “rhythmic sounds,” “tongue twisters,” or “soft instrumental songs.” However, you should note that the music should be gentle and playful, especially when learning how to play instruments as an adult.
Top 10 Music Activities for Infants
To make your baby experience the benefits of music, try these activities below:
1. Let your baby listen to the radio or CDs.
The best way to introduce your baby to music is by letting him/her listen to the radio. It is also an excellent way for you to become familiar with what kind of music your child likes and learn some new tunes.
2. Give them their very own instruments.
This activity can be done by helping your baby learn how to play an instrument like a drum, wind instrument, saxophone, or keyboard that they like. You can also buy a keyboard as an Adult and help your baby play piano or guitar.
3. Make music together.
This activity is perfect for those new parents who are still not used to their baby doing things on their own but want to give them the opportunity of interacting with him/her even before he/she can talk. This activity can also be done by making up songs that you both like and enjoy singing together as a family.
4. Teach your baby the basics of a musical instrument in the first year of life.
If your baby has already reached the age of six months or later and keeps on showing interest in playing other instruments, then you should consider teaching them how to play.
5. Record your child’s voice.
If you have an infant who is just starting to talk, you can record him/her singing so that both of you can listen and enjoy it anytime you want.
6. Play the piano for your baby.
If you have a piano at home, why not play it and let your baby listen to it? You can also take him/her with you when you are going out and buy an electronic keyboard.
7. Play music that is specially made for babies.
If your older child is having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, play the music specially made for babies or newborns, which is relaxing and soothing.
8. Hold your baby in your arms while listening to music.
This activity can be done whenever you are both comfortable, and you can even sing along to the songs or soft instrumental tunes.
9. Sing with your baby and dance to the beat of the music.
This activity can be done whenever you are both comfortable and can even sing a song with him/her, which will help him/her enjoy singing too as they get older.
10. Play some nursery rhymes.
Singing nursery rhymes together will encourage your baby to learn the lyrics and maybe even start singing them too. This activity can be done whenever you both feel comfortable doing it.
11. Make a song with your baby as you introduce him/her to instruments or music.
This activity can be done whenever you are both comfortable and can also teach him/her how to recognize musical notes to play them when they grow up.
12. Play music that you like as a nursery song or lullaby.
It is another activity that can be done whenever you are both comfortable and will also help your baby learn how to recognize musical notes to play them when they grow up.
In conclusion, music is a gift that we should all enjoy in our lives. It is an excellent way to bond with your baby and be beneficial for them in the future. Since infants are still learning every day, there will be times when they get easily distracted or start making noises. But it’s not a big deal since they are just beginning to explore and learn new things, which is why you should always give them your full attention and listen to what they have to say and play music for them.
