top of page
Another way to get your child ready for school while having fun is to sing with your child, especially rhyming songs or nursery rhymes.
How about writing your own lullaby to sing to your child at bedtime?
Check out this video to guide you through it.
Sing or repeat nursery rhymes. Check out the StoryBlocks website to download some songs and rhymes that build readers.
Singing Activities
Birth - 8 Months
Sing a song that you remember hearing as a child to your baby. Tap on your finger on baby’s arms or legs as you sing so they can feel the beat.
Lay baby on a blanket. Look in his eyes and wiggle his toes as you say, “This Little Piggie” Rhyme: This little piggie went to market (wiggle big toe), this little piggie stayed home (wiggle next toe), this little piggie had roast beef (wiggle next toe). This little piggie had none (wiggle next toe), and this little piggie cried “wee wee wee, wee! all the way home (wiggle last toe).
When baby wakes in the morning, wiggle their toes and sing “wake up toes, wake up toes, wake up toes and wiggle wiggle wiggle. Wake up toes, wake up toes, wake and wiggle in the morning.” Continue with arms, legs, and nose!
Bedtime routines are always a good idea. Read a story and then sing a quiet, calming song before your baby goes to sleep. How about “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” or “Hush Little Baby”
Make up your own songs! Use a familiar tune and change the words to describe what you and baby are doing. “We’re washing baby’s toes. We’re washing baby’s toes. High-ho the derry-o we’re washing baby’s toes.” Include your baby’s name to make them feel extra special and loved.
9 - 18 Months
Have some old shoe boxes lying around? Give your child a spoon and let them bang on the box! Sing a song to go along with the beat! No boxes? Use pots and pans or other objects.
Visit the library and borrow some CDs of kids’ music. Play them in the car and sing along. Some suggestions: Raffi’s “Singable Songs for the Very Young” or a Sesame Street CD. Check with the Morgan County Library.
Singing is a great way to learn new words! Sing a song like “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” and point to teach of those body parts on baby. She’s learning the names of everything around her!
Remember those rhymes you learned as a child? Share them with your little one! How about this one: Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker’s man, bake me a cake as fast as you can. Roll it, and pat it, and mark it with a B, and put it in the oven for baby and me (help baby clap, roll hands, and make a letter B).
Dance and sing! Help baby move her body to the beat. Movement enhances learning! Gently bounce, wiggle, wave, clap or whatever feels natural!
19 - 36 Months
Sing about daily activities, like brushing teeth, putting on pajamas, eating breakfast, etc. The tune, “Here We Go ‘Round the Mulberry Bush is a good tune to use. “This is the way we brush our teeth, brush our teeth, brush our teeth. This is the way we brush our teeth so early in the morning.”
When riding in the car, ask your child to choose a song to sing. Children are not often “in charge” of things in their lives; it’s fun for them to be charge of the songs in the car.
Sing “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” together and encourage your child to do the movements with you! After you sing, ask your child to tell you what happened in the song. It tells a story!
Does your child love dogs? Train? Dinosaurs? Butterflies? Take a familiar song and change the words to include your child’s favorites. They’ll be more interested!
Sing a song with lots of movement or dancing in it – like the Hokey Pokey! Your child will learn lots of new words and the movement makes learning even more fun!
bottom of page