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| Playing with sound |
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From about 10 or 11 months, having discovered the fun of using the voice, your child will begin to enjoy making sounds with objects. It may seem that
they are only tapping out a simple sound with a toy or a rattle but this is important to their development. Through this activity they will begin to understand the notion of cause and effect
and become increasingly alert to the world of sound. They will experiment by producing different sounds with a variety of objects. The initially random sounds will gradually emerge as patterns
- and they will be well on their way to becoming expressive through music!
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When my son was little he would hit anything in sight. He could go on for hours. He turned the kitchen implements into a drum kit. Looking back I'm surprised how much I put up with. |
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| Sally Hill, Parent |
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Make a simple shaker
- Find a small container with a secure lid, like a baby food jar, or a small plastic bottle
- Fill it with rice - you only need to fill 1/5 of it
- Secure the lid (away from them you could gently heat the plastic so that it melts slightly and won't come off) and remember to supervise their play
- Your baby has a percussion instrument!
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| MORE IDEAS |
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- Giving a child a rattle helps them to see that they can be active in the world of sound - a very simple, but invaluable lesson
- You can use ice cream cartons as a make shift drum: just pop them upside down and let baby tap on them with a wooden spoon
- Encourage them to accompany you with their tapping while you sing
- When you see an opportunity, set up an instrumental 'call and response' between you and your baby: when they shake a rattle, shake another one in reply; if they tap three times, tap three times in response. This is a natural extension of what we do vocally with very young babies.
- Join other parents and babies with homemade instruments. This will help your baby to communicate with other babies.
- Playing with musical toys, from musical mobiles to very simple toy xylophones, is a great way to learn about sound. Remember to check the age suitability for your child and carry out your own health and safety checks - any rough edges, loose parts, too heavy, gaps where little fingers can get stuck?
- The Early Learning Centre and Fisher Price are good places to look
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| Every child is unique and develops at his or her own pace. The information in BBC Parents' Music Room is for information and guidance only and should not be treated as a substitute for medical, legal or other professional advice. |
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