There is something magical about the musical! Preschoolers are naturally drawn to and learn from music—or as MusikGarden.org poetically puts it, “Peanut butter and jelly, socks and shoes, bats and balls, hide and seek, music and children—are all elements of childhood. Children are naturally interested in music, and music is naturally good for children.”
They also list several reasons why, including these:
- Children are oriented to learning language, and music is a language
- Children love to move, and it’s important for their growth and development
- Melodic and rhythmic patterns appeal to children—thus the success in teaching them the alphabet through the ABC song, as just one example
- Music allows them to creatively express feelings
- Music can be a social experience, connecting children to others
Summertime Music
To help your preschooler enjoy the glorious season, teach him or her songs that are summer-related. VeryWell.com provides a list of summer-themed songs in which new lyrics were written to be sung with familiar tunes.
For example, the site contains a song that is sung to the tune of “The Muffin Man” that tells the story of blowing bubbles (Can You Blow a Big Bubble?). Another bubble-related song is sung to the tune of “My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean” (Bubbles Flew Over the Ocean) and “A-Tisket, A-Tasket” is repurposed to “A Filled-Up Picnic Basket.”
Added benefits of teaching your preschooler summer songs, the site adds, include helping them to learn specifics about each season while expanding his or her vocabulary. Even if the words don’t quite make sense yet, your child is learning to use them in appropriate context, a key building block to learning new words.
Adding in Activities
Consider playing a summer-song video for your child to enjoy, learn from and participate in, such as “Fun Summer Song,” part of the ELF Kids Videos series. During this song, there are opportunities to call out or sing, “I love summer!” as your child learns the rest of the song.
Or, add finger play to the mix, with this beach-related song that has simple motions. Meanwhile, this video teaches children about water animals through a fun jingle.
You can also supplement the singing with related activities. For example, besides learning the song, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” you could actually go to a ballgame—or play one in your backyard.
Or, if you go to the DLTK-Teach.com site, you can enjoy a summer song together—such as “Five Green and Speckled Frogs”—and then print out the accompanying coloring pages, crossword puzzles, characters and vocabulary words, plus create a craft.
Online resources are endless. It also makes sense to head to your public library, where librarians can direct you to summer music to check out and enjoy for free.
Have fun! Have a safe and happy summer.
Looking for more ways to enrich your child’s life? Horizon Education Center provides affordable quality care including educational and enrichment opportunities for children in the following Northeast Ohio locations.
