What is a music lesson I can do with my toddler that will teach him rhythm?
Today is the last post for toddler music activities and I am a little sad to see this series end. I have had a fun time doing these music activities with my kids. Many of them I do frequently, but the draw to music activity was a new one for us. Today’s activity is tapping the beat. Simply have your child listen carefully to the music to find the steady beat in the song. As soon as they can hear it, they should tap the beat on their lap.
Once your child gets used to tapping the rhythm, or the steady beat, of a song, have him or her do other things to the beat. For example, your toddler can march to the beat, or clap to the beat, or jump to the beat, or shake their hips, etc. There are so many fun ways to move to the rhythm of a song. This is a great music lesson for toddler because it helps your toddler discriminate between the sounds that he hears.
And now, here is a roundup of several toddler music activities:
- Tap the Beat (above)
- Draw to Music
- Musical Instruments
- Hand Signals
- Music and Movement in Preschool
I had a really hard time finding posts from other bloggers about toddler music activities, although I did find one! So, instead of including a bunch of links to other posts, I found a bunch of toys/materials that are perfect for toddler music and movement lessons.
- Rhythm Scarves
- Hula Hoops (sometimes available at the dollar store)
- Ribbon Wands (you can make your own with plastic shower curtain rings and ribbon)
- Cheering Pom poms
- Instruments (maracas, sticks, tambourine, triangle, drum, recorder, cymbals, band in a box)
- Bean Bags
- Musical Scarves & Activities CD
- Scarf Activity Songs CD
- Music and Movement in the Classroom with books, planners, and CDs
- Kids in Motion CD
- Move It! Expressive Movements with Classical Music DVD
*Want to see more themed activities like this for toddlers or preschoolers? Check out our store page where our toddler and preschool series are compiled into Activity Packs for only $1.99! The Activity Packs are full of lesson plans, printables, and a curriculum guide.