Winter is a time for gathering, celebrating, and sharing music that reflects the magic of the season. I'm thrilled to share 7 winter-themed songs with you, which have quickly become a favorite among music educators, music therapists and families.
Looking for gift ideas for a music therapist in your life? Are you a music therapist looking for inspiration for things to add to your wishlist? Wanting a list with gift options for your loved ones to choose from? We got you!
Scarves are such a fun prop to use with students! There are so many ways you can use scarves and various skills you can work on with them! We have two scarf songs for you to check out this fall: “Blowing in the Wind” and “Swirly Whirly Scarves”.
Here are some ideas for your back to school to make planning a bit easier and start this school year off right!
"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.
Testing boundaries tends to show up at times of transition (like, ahem, trying to leave the house when we're late and we gotta GO). Music can be a miraculous tool for easing those transitions. There are no limits-- take your toughest transition and try it. We use specific music while brushing teeth, cleaning up, getting out the door and in the car on the way to school (to calm nerves).
Music can be a powerful tool for a toddler's endless need to move and groove. It can also "hold" those BIG emotions and help them transition to smaller, more manageable emotions. Imagine my own epiphany when my husband (not the music therapist in the family!) discovered that our toddler ate faster and stayed in her seat when he played certain music during meal times. GENIUS.
The possibilities are endless, and we'll cover all of that. For now, let's dive into my very favorite music for toddlers!
Music is not one-size-fits-all and every child is going to react differently. In this list, you'll find music that could work for sleep/rest, music for play time, music for learning, etc. We could get really complicated here, but we're not going to! Plain and simple: these are my all-time favorite songs for babies.
