I have found that if I have MANY movement songs to choose from, I can customize what I need for the situation and increase the chances for success.
10 Empowering Songs for Kids
Should my kid listen to "KID" music?
10 Music Activities for Kids {for calming, cheering up, wiggles & encouragement}
The music therapist in me has a pretty big {and useful} toolbox at my disposal. My 4-year-old is running circles around the house yelling that she's bored? I have a song for that! The neighbor kids are over, it's too hot to go outside and the volume is at an ELEVEN? Time to pull out anything and everything I have!
Over the years, there have been some stand-out winners in my toolbox. So here they are, for you to try in your own home.
Using Music to Help Kids With Transitions
Kids are wired to test boundaries. It's vital to their development and it helps them build the oh-so-important skill of independent thinking. (Well-behaved women rarely make history, right?) Even though we want our kids to learn to think freely and stand up for themselves, the way that it is expressed in that teeny, tiny 2-5 year-old body can be equally perplexing and exhausting.
10 Songs for Kindergarteners
"I'm bored..." is the anthem of many kindergarteners. They need music that's complex and challenging to keep up with their fast-moving and ever-learning brains! In my experience, kids over age 5 are generally done with "little kid music". But this is still the perfect age to try music to improve attention, increase motivation and reinforce learning. Here are my favorites for kids ages 5-7.
