QT30: Music Matters

Get your baby movin’ and groovin’! Music can be a fun, joyous way to spend quality time with your little one. Sing along to your favorite songs or dance around the living room. Collect pots, pans, plastic bowls, spoons and spatulas from your kitchen. Set up a drum station for your baby. Sing a song, drum to the beat of a nursery rhyme, or make up your own special lyrics. The music and movements you create with your child encourage child development . Creative activities provides the following benefits:

• Promotes imagination and creativity – Show your baby how common household items can make different sounds. Play dress up, become rock stars, and sing away!
• Supports language development – Different songs can help your baby learn ABCs, colors, shapes, and numbers. Help your baby learn new words by singing nursery rhymes or listening to music on the radio. Your singing will help baby add new words to their vocabulary.
• Supports body movement – Your child is learning to use fine motor skills by holding the spoons, spatulas, and other kitchen items used make music. Encourage your child to dance. This will help strengthen arm and leg muscles.
• Develops bonding between parent/caregiver and child– Family band! Music is a great activity you can share by doing it together or by taking turns.

Quality time activities can be simple, inexpensive, and fun!  At least 30 minutes a day of one on one interactions give your child a head start in life. How well they do in school and how well they do in life takes shape within the first 1,000 days of your child’s life.  We want to hear from you! Share your favorite quality time activity with us and other parents/caregivers! Together we can make all children thrive!