During the first year or so of life, gross-motor activities dominate a child’s repertoire of movement, with the major objective being the mastery of walking.
As the child grows older, however, she can being to focus on activities – such as instrument exploration and finger plays – that encourage the development of small muscles… the same muscles needed to hold a pencil or play the piano someday!
Ideas for parents:
Two simple ways that you can help those small muscles develop include 1) making a basket of child-safe instruments available for your child to play with and 2) recalling some of those simple songs and chants from childhood, like “Eensy Weensy Spider” or “Twinkle, Twinkle” and singing them with your child as you do the motions together.
Visit the Kindermusik Pinterest page – Fun for Kids for ideas on child-safe and homemade instruments.
– Contributed by Theresa Case, whose Greenville, SC program, Kindermusik at Piano Central Studios, is proudly among the top 1% of Kindermusik programs worldwide.