Music for Toddlers and Preschoolers: Rhythm, Singing and Listening at Home

You don't need to play an instrument to give your child music. Singing in the car, clapping along to a song, banging a pot with a spoon: that's where musical children start. This guide covers simple, everyday ways to make music part of a young child's day.

Why music

Music is a joy in its own right, and one of the first things a family shares. Research also finds a small link between music and early language: music training gave children a small boost in hearing the sounds in words, a building block of reading, and in one small study, children who were better at hearing rhythm also tended to be better at grammar. The evidence is still modest, so be wary of anyone promising that music makes children "smarter". The best reason to make music with your child is that it's fun, and you're doing it together.

Keep a beat

Rhythm is the place to start, because toddlers feel it with their whole body.

• Clap along to songs you both know, then stomp, then pat your knees.
• Clap names. "El-e-phant" is three claps, "ba-na-na" is three too, "cat" is one. It's also a great early-reading game.
• March to the music, then stop when it stops.

High and low, fast and slow, loud and quiet

These opposites are the first ideas in music.

• High and low. Sing high and reach up; sing low and crouch down.
• Fast and slow. Play a song fast, then slow, and move to match.
• Loud and quiet. A lion roar, then a mouse squeak, on the same drum.

Sing together

Simple songs with actions are perfect for little ones. Try echo games: you sing a short line, your child sings it back. Don't worry about your own voice; children care that you sing, not how. Our guide Teaching toddlers melodies has more ideas for learning tunes.

Listen to the world

Play music from different countries, and talk about it: "Is it happy or sad? Fast or slow? What instrument can you hear?" Listening is a skill, and it grows with practice.

Make instruments

A pot and a wooden spoon, a box with elastic bands, a bottle of rice: homemade instruments are perfect for keeping a beat. A small keyboard, or our Melody Maker game, lets older children find their first tunes.

By age

• 2 to 3: songs with actions, clapping along, shakers and drums.
• 4 to 5: keeping a steady beat, high and low, simple songs in tune.
• 6 to 7: rhythm patterns, first melodies on a keyboard, listening to music from around the world.