Starter
Today’s story day is about music and dance. Have you ever noticed that music can sometimes sound like it’s telling us a story? Both through the words AND the sounds. If music is slow, it might be telling us something that Is…? If music is fast, it might be telling us something that is…? It also makes us feel those things when we hear it. Dancing too – when we dance, we tell stories with our bodies and movements. In fact, before you could speak, the sounds you made were really like music. And the movements you made were kind of like dances. It’s a way to communicate, to say what you are thinking and feeling – and to share those moods and feelings with others so that maybe when you hear a happy song, you will also feel happy. Now is the time to whip out any instruments you have at home and have a jam sesh.
Choose 2-3 20-30 minute activities from the selection below:
Musical Clothes
Gather a bag of unusual clothing and accessories (wacky hats, rubber noses, wigs) – and parents’ clothes! Put the bag on a chair. Using their musicals instruments (or turning on music), have the kids walk around the chair. When you stop the music, the kids must grab one item from the bag (without looking - you get what you get) and put it on. See what wacky costume they end up in!
Draw What You Hear
Cue up different types of music — pop, kids, classical, country, etc. Give your child some paper and different colored markers or crayons. Start the music and ask them to draw what they are hearing. If they are having trouble, demonstrate. For example, with slower music, you might draw long, loping lines in a dark color. With a faster tune, shorter, sharper angles using a brighter shade. There's no wrong answer here, just what you feel. You can also do the same activity but with lyrics that they hear, where they draw pictures of (or write…) two or three words they hear in the song.
Glass Xylophones
Depending on your kid’s destructive ability…fill an assortment of glasses or jugs (or both) with varying levels of water. Line them up in order from least to most full. Give your child a spoon and have them experiment with the different sounds.
Conductor Kids
A conductor helps bring everyone together by leading. Use this song - each time the music plays, kid has to lead with an action and everyone needs to follow.
Make an Instrument
With kids, gather whatever you have at home – cereal boxes, rubber bands, tins, yoghurt containers etc + stickers and other decorations. See what instrument you can make – a drum/guitar/shakers – google depending on your choice.
Magic Carpet Ride
Play the song ‘A whole new world’ – and say 2 lines about the song/story if they don’t know it. Then grab a blanket/sheet and each kid takes a turn sitting and you/other kid pulling them along for an indoor magic carpet ride.
Indoor Active
Freeze Dance/Musical Statues: Blast some of your preschooler's favorite tunes (and some of your own!) and dance away! Then yell "freeze!" and stop the music. See what funny positions everyone winds up in. How long can you hold them?
Outdoor Active
Go on a sound hunt: on your walk, kid/s can point out the sounds they hear. Can you chase the sound?
Social/Extra
At bath time, encourage your kids to experiment with the acoustics in the bathroom. What happens when you open or close the shower curtain or door? What sounds do their toys make when they plop in the water - the same, different? If you're willing: can they sing louder than the running water?