I can hardly believe we are already in December, and I’m working really hard to get into the Christmas spirit. (I don’t think I am alone in that.) I know when I feel the need for a boost in spirit, I turn on music; Christmas music is always playing on my computer starting the day after Thanksgiving.
Most children love music and will sing along to just about any song, even if they don’t know the words.
Playing music and singing with your toddler are great ways to help build their brain during these critical years.
Singing helps build their language skills, rhythm and beat are pre-learning activities related to math, dancing while singing engages the whole brain and helps a child fine-tune movement and boost their mood. Who isn’t happy when they are singing and dancing?
My granddaughter, Ruby, is learning to sing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” She probably knows a quarter of the words but hums and inserts her own words for the remainder of the song. Each time we sing it, she knows more of the song. It’s okay if your toddler doesn’t get all of the words right as long as they are engaged and enjoying their time singing with you.
When you are trying to determine good songs to sing with your toddler during the holiday season, choose songs that have a definitive beat/rhythm and that have lots of repetition.
Remember, your child doesn’t care how your voice sounds—just make a joyful noise.
You can start by singing a song much more slowly than you normally would so that your child is able to understand the words and process them. With each repetition, you can speed up a bit and your child will most likely keep up with you.
There are several opportunities during the day where you could engage your child with singing and dancing. For example, car rides are a great time to sing together; bath time is also a good time to sing. When you are going to or from the car, sing and encourage your child to dance their way to the car. Singing a slow and quiet song as part of your bedtime routine can help your child calm down and be ready for bed.
Music is a huge part of how we celebrate Christmas. Here are some great Christmas songs that you can sing with your toddler (each is linked to a YouTube singalong video):
“Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”
“Here Comes Santa Claus“
“Jingle Bells”
“We Wish You a Merry Christmas”
Enjoy the holidays!
—Missy