Music Parade!

These games will help to grow the brains of infants and toddlers. Whether it’s through singing, dancing, cuddling, rocking, talking, smelling, or tasting, you can help the brain pathways make new connections.

Music Activities for Infants and Toddlers

Parades
If you have musical instruments in your classroom, a parade is a great activity for the kids.

Marching to music teaches rhythm. Playing the various instruments teaches eye-hand coordination plus listening skills.

Put on your favorite marching music, pass out the triangles, cymbals, drums and shakers and enjoy the parade. Music by Sousa is always a good choice.

One of the most popular toddler music game is a musical parade. A music teacher might bring in several instruments such as triangles, cymbals, drums, and horns and let the toddlers march around while playing the instruments. But, what if you don’t have musical instruments to spare? The solution is to help the kids to make their own!

Here are some ideas for making your own:
Fill containers part way with beans or grains and seal them well. These make great shakers.

Decorate toilet paper tubes, punch one or two holes in the sides, blow on one end and you have a flute. Do the same with a paper towel roll and you have a clarinet.

Buy some jingle bells at the dollar store.

Glue sandpaper on old blocks and rub them together.

Simply clap your hands together or toot with your voice.

The children will enjoy the parade and want to do it again and again.

Ideas for taking this activity to the next level:
For building confidence – Let’s march together to this wonderful music.

For developing the idea – As we march around the room, lets play our instruments loudly and then softly. The music will tell us what to do.

For moving forward – If we had an animal parade, what animal would you be?
If we had a favorite person parade, who would you be….grandpa, farmer, baby?
If we had a vegetable parade would you be a carrot or a green bean?

Here are some book suggestions about parades.
"The Great Doughnut Parade" - by Rebecca Bond
"Parade" - by Donald Crews
"Christmas Parade" by Sandra Boynton

Recommended products from Discount School Supply®:
Giant Plush Stacking Ring (TALLRING)
Plush Handykid Tools - 7 pieces (MYTOOLS)
Karen Katz Board Books - set of 4 (KATZLIB)
Maestro Baby Instruments - set of 4  (MAESTRO)
Career Toddler Costumes - set of 6 (PCTCSET)
Popular Children's Songs CDs - set of 4 (TODCDS)