Extend Music in Our Schools Month by Celebrating at Home

Extend Music in Our Schools Month by Celebrating at Home

Extend Music in Our Schools Month by Celebrating at Home

Buffalo, NY (PRWEB) March 05, 2014

Parents can often take music for granted; we listen to it for joy, relaxation, emotional connection and so much more. However, the melodies, sounds and lyrics are more than just a pleasurable experience. Music has a proven impact on a child’s development.

Doodle Bugs! Children’s Centers, a leader in early childhood education with locations in Buffalo, Rochester, Pittsburgh and Lake Worth, FL, celebrates Music in Our Schools Month yearly through center activities, including musical instrument performances by center families and faculty. However, the musical experience doesn’t end with the school day. Christina Fecio, director of education and training, offers families tips on celebrating music at home:

    Share music with kids. Shuffle your kids' playlists. Expose them to music they've never heard. Grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends all get to play along in this music activity that teaches kids about a variety of music, the musicians and the history behind the music genres. Besides knowing you're bringing your kids an enriching musical experience, there's something in it for you too. Two words: theme night.     From the drawing board to life. Ask children to draw their favorite musical instrument or challenge them to design an instrument of the future! Bring it to life by creating the invention from recyclable materials lying around the house.     Have a musical talent show. Let your child can express his/her talents by singing or playing an instrument. Be sure to capture the memories with photographs! An impromptu band, even just pots and pans, is always a fun option for toddlers and preschoolers.     Organize a family sing-along. Whether it’s nursery rhymes or the latest pop song, let the family sing together! Don’t worry if you can’t carry a tune; silliness and having fun take precedence over perfect pitch.

“Music has so many advantages for young children. From boosting memory skills to evoking emotions to helping learn, music is a critical part in early childhood education. Doodle Bugs! incorporates musical education into our curriculum and daily activities, through intentional use of ‘background music,’ singing songs, learning music from other cultures and music & movement activities,” Fecio said.

Fecio notes that all children, even infants, can learn from music. She lists a few specific activities appropriate for different age groups:

Infants: Sing about new words that you are introducing to your infant. For example, if they have a new toy dog, since about dogs as you hold it up. Learn more about why we sing to baby with this article from NAEYC.

Toddlers: Add your child’s name to songs your toddler already knows. For example, “Old MacDonald” becomes “Old Miss Nadia.”

Preschool, Pre-k, Kindergarten: Play “name that tune” in the car to make drive time fun.

School Age: Play Rock Band (or similar music-focused games) with your children on the Wii or Xbox.

According to the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), March has been officially designated for the observance of Music In Our Schools Month (MIOSM®), the time of year when music education becomes the focus of schools across the nation. The purpose of MIOSM is to raise awareness of the importance of music education for all children â€" and to remind citizens that school is where all children should have access to music.

Doodle Bugs! Children’s Centers provides education-based care for children ages six weeks to 12 years, including Preschool/Pre-K and Summer Camp programs. The BRAVO! Curriculum®, which is professionally designed and exclusive to Doodle Bugs!, combines theme-related, developmentally appropriate classroom experiences, all-inclusive enrichment activities and a series of center events. Enrichment activities include Tae Kwon Do and Doodle Dance & Fitness.

For more information, visit http://www.doodlebugs.com.

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