The earlier a child begins to experience music, the better! It’s scientifically proven that the brain has its greatest capacity for learning between the ages of 2-7. While enrolling your child in music lessons is a fantastic start, there are also many ways to grow their musicality at home! In this article, we’ll share five simple and effective ways to nurture your child’s musicality at home in everyday life!
Ready? Let’s go!
Sing To Your Child!
No matter what instrument your child may choose later in life—piano, guitar, violin, or even flute—there is no better training than learning to sing! Mimicking pitches and sounds is the foundation of musical understanding. When children develop a strong ear connected to their voice and body, they gain a huge head start in playing instruments.
By building this internal sense of pitch early on, they’ll naturally recognize correct notes and focus more on technique when they start formal lessons. Whether it’s Do-Re-Mi, Mary Had a Little Lamb, or even their favorite pop song, singing together is a magical way to strengthen the musical ear!
Dance With Your Child!
Music is rhythm, and rhythm lives in the body! Dancing, tapping, and clapping along with your child helps them feel rhythm in a natural way. While reading rhythms on a page is an important skill, the physical experience of beat and meter is much harder to teach later on.
So, put on some music, bust out some moves, and have fun—you’re building rhythm skills without even trying!
Make Noise With Your Child!
At its core, music is organized sound—so don’t be afraid to make some noise! Encourage your child to experiment with different sounds, whether it’s through their voice, musical toys, or even pots and pans! This hands-on approach helps them understand how sound is created and manipulated.
Playing with sounds also builds an intuitive sense of musical concepts like dynamics (loud vs. soft), articulation (how notes start and end), and timbre (the unique quality of a sound)… Just be mindful of the neighbors!
Play “Adult” Music Around the House!
You’d be surprised how much young children love grown-up music! Whether it’s jazz, hip-hop, classical, or rock, exposing them to a wide variety of music helps expand their ears. Many musical legends grew up in households where music was always playing, and they absorbed it effortlessly.
So go ahead—share your favorite songs with your kids! Even if they don’t seem to understand, they’re taking it all in!
Encourage Creation!
Music is an art—and like all art, it thrives on creativity and play. Encouraging your child to create music, whether through improvising on an instrument, making up songs, or experimenting with sounds, builds confidence and deepens their understanding.
Remember, humans have been making music since the beginning of time. It’s instinctive! By allowing children to explore sound freely, they develop their musical intuition and learn, over time, what works and what doesn’t.
Closing Notes
We hope this article provided some new and interesting ideas to help nurture your child’s musicality at home!
Interested in getting your child started with music lessons? Our school is home to some of Toronto’s best music teachers and offers a special toddler music program called Animal Adventures!
If you have any questions, give us a call at 647-748-2787—we’d love to help guide your little one on their musical journey!
