The Power of Music in the Toddler Years
In the first two blogs we posted in partnership with Moms on Call (a company bringing valuable resources to new parents all over the world), MMM music therapist, Kristen Van Dyke covered the role of music for babies 0 to 6 months old and 6 months to 15 months old.
In the final blog of the Moms on Call series, MMM music therapist, Kristen Van Dyke, discussed the role of music in the toddler years. Music continues to be truly powerful in helping to develop important developmental skills such as communication, cognitive development and motor skills. Think about how much easier it is to remember something when it is set to music!
Three Original Songs Available Now!
Along with Kristen, Metro Music Makers team members J.T. Lee, Mark Grundhoefer and Allison Jarrell worked together to write and produce three original songs for this age group as well. They are available on all streaming platforms here. “Balance” is a song that can engage children with the skill of balancing an item on various body parts and “All Right! Shake and Groove!” is a groovin’ dance tune guaranteed to get the whole family up and moving.
Music as a Tool for Emotional Development
In this blog, Kristen also writes about the importance of music and emotional development. The toddler age can be so challenging because often toddlers do not possess the language skills or self-regulation skills to be able to navigate through big feelings and emotions. Music activities can help children begin to identify various emotions. Kristen shares about drawing to instrumental music with different emotive qualities, listening to instrumental music and engaging in pretend play, and using various household objects/small instruments to experiment with what different feelings sound like. The song “Breathe” is also a tool to help children learn how to breathe deeply if needed as a coping skill.
Music for Family Bonding
Finally, Kristen speaks about the role music can play in family bonding. Toddlers truly treasure time spent with their parents and other family members. Sharing favorite songs with each other, having family dance parties and even doing a musical game like creating a thunderstorm can help bring the family together at the end of a long day.
Be sure to check out the blog for more detail on all of these topics, and contact us today with any questions on how music can play a role in your child’s development.
Additional Resources
Check out the video below for a demonstration of how to use the original songs created by the Metro Music Makers team for this age group.
Looking for toys to help you incorporate music into your baby’s day? Check out our Amazon Store for our recommendations from our music therapy team!