10 musical activities for young children

Does your child want to start taking music lessons, but are they still a little bit too young?

Here are ten fun musical activities you can try at home to introduce your child to music before they start taking lessons. They are perfect for children aged 3-6.

Conducting a band. This is a great game to play with a group of children using a classroom musical instruments pack. Give each child an instrument to play, then conduct the group using words such as ‘louder’, ‘softer’, ‘faster’ and ‘slower’. The children can then take turns conducting the band. This is a great way to introduce children to key musical terms.

Sound and action game. This is a fun game to play with energetic young children. Decide upon three sounds and corresponding actions. For example, you might make a ‘woo hoo!’ sound, and this could mean that the children must jump up in the air. You can gradually add more sounds and actions to the game. Children love this game, and it encourages them to start making connections – an important skill when learning to play an instrument.

Clap the beat. Try listening to a song and encourage your child to clap along with the beat. Try it with a few different songs. This activity gets young children to think about the concept of a musical beat.

Clap a rhythm. Try clapping a simple rhythm and ask your child to clap it back. Keep clapping new rhythms, making them successively more complex. This game not only introduces children to the concept of rhythm, but it also encourages good listening skills.

Ukulele strumming. The ukulele is a great instrument to use to introduce young children to the concept of playing music. Ukuleles are widely available and there are many very affordable models designed for children. Encourage your child to strum the four strings using their thumb or index finger. Try different strum patterns, such as “down, down, down, down” and “down, down-up, down, down”.

Giant stave. Introduce your child to musical notation by drawing a big musical stave on a big piece of paper. Explain that the stave is like a ladder with five lines. Explain that the notes sit on the lines and in the spaces, and that the notes near the top of the ladder are high and the notes near the bottom of the ladder are low (try singing some high and low notes to demonstrate). Your child could then try drawing their own notes on the stave.

Find a C. This is a great activity to try if you have access to a piano. It is particularly useful if your child would like to start taking piano lessons. Explain to your child that the black keys are arranged in groups of two and three. Next, ask them to find a group of two black keys. Explain that the white key that sits directly to the left is called ‘C’. Finally, challenge them to find and play all of the Cs on the piano.

Black key melody. This is another activity to try if you have access to a piano. Challenge your child to compose their own tune using only the black keys. Because the black keys make a pentatonic scale, their tune will sound great no matter what they come up with.

Silly noises. Try some silly vocal exercises, such as blowing through the lips to make a buzzing sound, or making spooky ghost noises. These exercises encourage children to experiment with their voices, and also show them how they can warm up their voices before they sing.

Improvise a score. Tell your child a story and ask them to improvise an accompanying musical score using only their voice. Pause at key points in the story to encourage them to respond. You could choose a well-known fairy tale, or you could make a story up.

Have fun!