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How do you engage toddlers with music? Tell us to win one of TEN Let's Sing and Play book and CD sets!

83 replies

SorchaMumsnet · 05/09/2016 14:16

By reading, singing, dancing and playing, everyone is having so much fun that they don’t realise how clever they are being! Join Monkey and Mo and explore the magical world of music with your child.

Published by pre-school specialist Campbell Books and based on the award-winning Monkey Music classes, Let’s Sing and Play is full of ideas on how to make music with your toddler.

You can use the CD with the book, separately, or even, when you know the songs… not at all!

Find out more and buy the book

To be in with a chance of winning 1 of 10 Let's Sing and Play book and CD sets, just tell us - how do you engage your toddler with music?

This discussion is sponsored by Pan Macmillan and will end on 5 October

Books T&Cs apply

How do you engage toddlers with music? Tell us to win one of TEN Let's Sing and Play book and CD sets!
OP posts:
Leiajulie · 09/09/2016 16:24

there favourite barney cd and some instruments to play-along will listening to them

CharleyYpres · 09/09/2016 16:02

I always have music on in my house. Myself and my partner listen to rock and metal and my partner plays in a band. We try to incorporate musical instruments into their development and let them touch and play with the instruments if they want to.

rachelmi · 09/09/2016 15:50

We brought his a ELC player so he could play back his own tapes of him making 'Music??' with his little brother!

freefan · 09/09/2016 12:41

We usually have the radio on during daytime when we're in so little ones have always had music around them, they have a selection of instruments and we all play along to certain songs and dance around. I think if you join in then your babies are more likely to enjoy it too and it's great bonding time.

alibabbaskeggy · 09/09/2016 12:22

we sing together all the time even turning every day tasks like brushing hair into a song

liz1970 · 09/09/2016 12:10

We like to sing to Cd's especially nursery rhymes :)

aimeecmp · 09/09/2016 11:04

My 18 month old has been listening to "Rockabye Baby" tunes to get to sleep since day dot. We also have heart on during the weekends for a dance; she loves dancing with me and her sister! Grin

voyager50 · 09/09/2016 11:00

Music has always been part of our lives - my mum and both my sisters teach piano so all the children in the family have joined in with singalongs round the piano over the years!

BellaWella86 · 09/09/2016 10:25

We get the pots and pans out sometimes and use a wooden spoon to make music. My toddler has loved it since he was a baby.

katiefish · 09/09/2016 10:15

we go to wriggle and rhyme at the local library and often have music on in the background at home.

CopperPan · 09/09/2016 09:51

We love using Dance Central at home, it's great to get kids active even if they don't manage to go along with the right moves. When they were younger we went to some Baby Loves Disco events which were great fun.

Narnianescape · 09/09/2016 08:31

By giving my daughter a tambourine and xylophone so she can be involved.

Zebrasinpyjamas · 07/09/2016 18:41

We have always sung to the DC. We make up silly rhymes to explain what we are doing like getting dressed. Since 3 months or so both DC have gone to a local music class where they sing and play instruments. My DS loved his first drum too.

cookiefiend · 07/09/2016 09:46

Oh dear- I feel terrible as compared to some of the answers here we don't have miso on often, but DD Loves it so I must try harder. We do sing lots and she often puts the stereo on herself for music and dances around the living room.

Zephyroux1 · 07/09/2016 08:40

We just sing as we go about everyday in the house, usually silly made up songs about whatever we are doing.

Radley1 · 07/09/2016 07:06

We have Wiggle Wednesdays in our house where we all dance about to
music for 30 minutes and also get some excercise

MrsA2 · 06/09/2016 21:39

We've played music to my daughter from day 1 through to today - age 2 - and sung to her every day too. She now loves to sing to us or get us to all sing together. We also play musical instruments and ensure she has access to drums, shakers and other percussion instruments, also her own toy piano.

I love both the creativity and discipline that playing music can bring to children and can't wait for her to 'properly' learn an instrument when she's a little older top.

StillNoFuckingEyeDeer · 06/09/2016 20:44

We are not a musical family - can't play any instruments, can't dance and can't really sing in tune, but we do love listening to music. We often have a little disco in the living room and sing along to the music with the DC (who usually tell us to stop singing).
We go to a musical toddler group once a week, where we sing songs and the children get to play along on drums or chime bars etc. They love it.

nickelbabe · 06/09/2016 20:30

We always have music on.
Singing with the child is so important.
I love action songs, which they can do even if they don't know it or are too young to join in.
We also used to go to a toddler group where they did a regular singing time. They did the same songs every week and Dd learned them.
I remember the first time she did all of the actions to Winfmd The Bobbin Up - I actually cried Grin it was very moving, just seeing that she'd absorbed it all.

So that's my tip - play the songs and do the actions every time.

catsofa · 06/09/2016 19:49

I don't use physical cds any more, so I've given a few of them to DS for the Cd player in his room. He's 16 months and not allowed to operate it himself yet because he's too sticky, but he loves dancing to ABBA, the Beatles and Queen.

fish88 · 06/09/2016 19:36

We sing a lot of made up songs to familiar tunes about what we're doing, e.g. we're walking to the park, Henry's brushing his teeth, etc.

deplorabelle · 06/09/2016 18:53

I am a baby music teacher. We play lots of fun music and listening games in my classes and try out different musical instruments. I always try to include songs that can be expanded with made up verses so they can be sung and used at home and the toddlers can make the song their own.

I also make sure each instrument is used thoughtfully - so we explore different ways of playing it and change our playing to suit different songs/verses

43percentburnt · 06/09/2016 18:02

We play a diverse range of music and discuss what it makes us feel and think of. We dance to music and have it on in the background. Toddler plays with a Half size guitar and on a keyboard, he is encouraged to play slowly and quickly, soft and hard. He also sings along!

We sing most days and he loves listening to music through headphones (on quietly of course).

ipswichwitch · 06/09/2016 17:33

4yo DS1 is a massive fan of John Newman. He puts his cd into his karaoke machine, and sings along loudly (sorry neighbours!) to every song.

I always have music on in the car and just had a very proud moment driving home when 2yo DS2 announced "that's Kings of Leon mum!" They have excellent taste in music Grin

loosechange · 06/09/2016 17:24

I sing quite a lot to mine when they are babies. We also have music and on in the car. When they are very small and tired I usually dance around with them to music to settle them.