3 Easy Tips to Keep Your Children Entertained and Musical All Summer Long
Written by Laura Bill, MT-BC
Summer can be one of the most fun times of the year. There are so many adventures for children of all ages like carnivals, swimming, sports, beach trips, family vacations and more. But, what activities are there for kids to do during the downtime of summer? For the moments when Dad is cooking dinner, or Mom is finishing a work call, or just a casual evening of relaxation (where the last phrase any parent wants to hear is “I’m boooooorrrrred”).
Well, there is a simple and easy solution that doesn’t involve screens and is budget friendly. MUSIC! With a few household items and a little inspiration, you can keep your kids entertained, active, and socially connected through music all summer long. Here are some tips and ideas to get the music started!
Get Creative
Most of the time, when people think of music, they think of “fancy” instruments. But even if you don’t have a Stradivarius or a full drum kit, you can still create music at home. With a little imagination anything can be music. Pots and pans become the most unique drums money can buy. Your child will love experimenting with the sounds of different sized pots and trying out different cooking spoons as mallets. To make the band more diverse, add a cookie cooling sheet or ice cube tray to become a cool washboard. The silly nature of turning regular items into music will not only have your child giggling for hours (because who wouldn’t laugh while playing a pasta strainer), but allow them to develop creative problem solving skills by finding different items to make new sounds with. And once you are ready to join in the play (after maybe finishing up some laundry) grab the salt and pepper shakers to add some maracas to the group!
Get Crafty
Need a quieter musical activity to keep the kids entertained? With just a little set up and prep from you, they can create their own instruments! There are many tutorials online demonstrating how to transform easily acquired materials into a personal music store. Simply look up a video or written instructions, gather the crafting supplies and allow your child’s self-expression to flow. Whether they choose to make maracas with old plastic eggs and beans or a guitar out of an old tissue box and rubber bands, they will have fun crafting and practice their life skills. Making an instrument requires maintaining attention, following directions, and fine-motor skill. To make the experience extra exciting, encourage them to decorate each instrument with crayons, stickers, glitter you name it. And be sure to have a family jam after with their brand new instruments!
Get Dancey
As the sun begins to set after a long day of summering, what do the kids want to do? Be entertained and move of course! So, what better way to combine these things (and tire them out), than with a dance party! Turn the lights low and have their favorite songs play as they dance around the living room. If a choreographed dance is more your speed, follow a dance tutorial video online. Or if your family is a little more competitive, start an epic game of freeze dance. To add an additional competitive layer, allow the winner to be the next DJ. Dancing alone is a fantastic chance for children to express themselves through the music, work on gross motor skills, and regulation techniques (due to the start and stop of freeze dance). Dancing together is where the real magic can happen.
As we wrap up for today, I leave you with one last bonus tip as you begin your summer music journey. Join in the play and have fun yourself! Your children learn from you. If they see you having a blast playing a mixer, or making a horn from a paper towel roll, or dancing like crazy around the living room, they will too. And they will remember it for a lifetime because nothing is more powerful than having fun and making music together.
Looking to continue music making outside of your house and in the community? Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter! We will be announcing dates for our summer music classes for all ages soon!
