Baby music sessions are so rewarding. While they can be tricky to run, they build precious bonding opportunities, especially valuable in the early days of pressure and newness. The key to creating magical, musical experiences is planning. This makes sessions look so easy because, like all good sessions, the participants don’t actually know what has happened behind the scenes.
Being prepared for any eventuality is the key to success. From clear communication with parents to room layout, people can quickly learn your routine and choose to work within it. For example, setting expectations from the start with clear explanations helps parents and caregivers to know how to behave; clear transitions help children to recognise when to expect changes, and appreciate the reason that activities happen in the sequence that you have planned.
Part of the success of running successful music sessions is organisation; being so prepared that you have a work-around, a plan B, for when things go wrong. This can be anything, from unexpected siblings turning up, all the way through to medical emergencies. The more organised we are, the more confidently we can manage disruptions.
In this article, we will identify ways in which we can plan for parent involvement, setting up the classroom environment, and instrument suggestions (make sure to read part 1 here first!).
Parent involvement in music sessions
From birth to 18 months, parents and caregivers are essential to the success of the group.
- Encouraging comments help parents to better understand their pivotal role in the session, welcoming their participation and encouraging them to feel free to focus on baby
- Activity participation should always be optional, allowing people to feel safe and free to share their special moments with the group
- Creating time and space for two-way dialogue shows that you can listen and learn from parents, helping to gain their trust and respect
- Talking about ways and times in which activities could be used at home encourages musical times to become a lifestyle rather than an activity. This allows activities to feel more familiar and gives the adult confidence in singing together
- Coming together as a group of individuals allows both adults and children the opportunity to connect, affirm and build relationships, recognising that parents are the first and most important teachers. This can happen in the beginning and the end, singing greeting songs for both hello and goodbye, or even in the middle, having a shared circle or line dance
Room environment
The room environment is fairly straightforward and makes the flow of the music session much easier because of the lack of potential distraction.
- Starting with a clean floor, encouraging bare feet allows for natural and physical comfort and exploration – as well as preventing accidents from slippery socks
- Placing materials to be used in high-up places, in opaque boxes, or even loosely covered fabric, allows for activities to occur without distraction, and in the ideal order that you have planned as group leader
- Ensuring that electrical sockets are covered or out of reach keeps little ones safe from dangerous exploration, and having wipes handy prevents the spread of infection – babies naturally drool, lick and explore everything they can
- It is useful to have a waiting area for groups to arrive and keep coats and other belongings safe
- Using banners, walls or easels allows opportunity for useful information to be made readily available
- All instruments should be kept in baskets or boxes, and always only used with adult supervision
Instruments
Instruments for babies are clearly not going to be small pianos or even ukuleles, but there are a number of items that can successfully be used in baby music sessions. Groups often provide only one of each item – whether it is due to space or cost. However, having enough items or instruments for a small group to each have one not only prevents others from feeling like they missed out, but also allows for each child to find different and creative ways to play with the same item, toy or instrument.
- Baby bells: Baby bells are often attached to fabric strips that Velcro together. They can be put around arms and legs, with a quiet jingle that little ones can hear, learning that their simple action of kicking out can make a gentle jingle
- Scarves: Sometimes called play scarves or juggling scarves a foot square (half a metre square), these transparent bits of fabric should be easy to hold, hide under, breathe through, suck or chew without coming apart at seams and becoming a hazard. Absolutely essential
- Chime balls: These are sometimes sold as pet chew toys, but these soft, fabric balls should be easy to wipe, lightweight, and even better have a little jingle as they roll to and fro
- Egg shakers: Hand-held shakers are fantastic, brightly coloured with reinforced seams that withstand the exploring hands and mouths of little ones. Not the easiest to keep a beat unless tapping them on body parts
- Mirrors: Hand-held, baby-friendly mirrors hold an ongoing fascination for little ones just learning how to interact with their new surroundings
- Wooden clackers: Made of natural wood, these are like egg shakers but have a gentle wooden clacking sound to them, making them slightly different but just as easy to manage
- Big scarves: Transparent fabric twice as long can be used to hide underneath together, be used as a tent, or a blanket, or even rock soft toys in pretend play
- Hand drums: Hand drums are just big enough for little ones to manage, whether holding and tapping, or gently beating with a soft beater. These are great for listening to and repeating beats and rhythms
Room settings are important mood-makers as we know from our own homes, and creating a safe and inviting space allows for magical experiences. Thinking this through beforehand allows us to focus on the most important part of music and baby music – the people.
Next month we will be exploring the exciting world of toddlers aged 18 months to 3 years, and the tricks that they get up to!