5 Fabulously Festive Music Appreciation Activities For Pre-Schoolers

5 Fabulously Festive Music Appreciation Activities For Pre-Schoolers

5 Fabulously Festive Music Appreciation Activities For Pre-Schoolers

See below for a Free Printable Pack to go with the post.

Christmas is one of the loveliest times of the year to introduce your kids to music and help them appreciate it. 

So today, I thought I should show you how you can prepare for the upcoming festive season and use it to get your pre-schoolers into appreciating music. 

I have included some fun printables to go with this post, so don’t forget to download them once you are done reading. 

 

Learning Carols

Yes, learning to sing carols, and listening to different types of carols is one of the easiest ways for you to introduce your pre-schooler to music in the homeschool. 

Have you come across a single pre-schooler that doesn’t love Christmas carols? 

So why wait?

Get started right now, singing some of your favourite carols. 

 

Going Carolling

Yes, you can get an entire group of pre-schoolers and their moms together and go carolling around the neighbourhood. 

Imagine the cheer you can spread with such a simple act. 

 

Learning About The Origin Of Carols

Research and teach your child history of music, through stories about the origins of a carol. 

Tell them the name of the composer, what inspired the composer to write the carol and about the interesting times the composer lived in. 

Take it even further and teach them about a specific carol. 

Think it’s too much work? 

No worries, I’ve got you covered. 

Download the printable I have included with this post and you will be well on your way to teaching your child about the beautiful carol, While Shepherds Watched Their Flock By Night. 

 

Take In A Live Performance

Here’s another idea, take them to a live outdoor performance or church where carol services are held so they can experience music in person. 

 

Learning About Christmas Traditions In Another Country

Teach your child about traditions and Christmas music in another country. 

Take it a step further and teach them Christmas greetings in a different language. 

Again, don’t forget to download my printable where I have included the Christmas greetings in the Philippines. 

 

I would love to hear which one of these ideas you intend to implement first, to introduce your pre-schooler to music in the home. 

So please don’t be shy, comment below I always love to hear from my readers. 

Karen Cadera

Karen Cadera

Founder/Creator

Mom, Teacher, Minimalist, Zero Waste Enthusiast, Multi Pod.

My daughter loved the games, but there were also worksheets and videos. The weekly lesson plans were complete, and I never questioned what I should be doing next.

Lisa Tanner

Homeschool Mom

Play Piano Today!

Teach your child to play piano, today.

Yes, in as little as 30 minutes I can show you how to teach your child to play the piano, for FREE.

What are you waiting for?

Download the FREE Carolling Around The World Worksheets

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My Favourite Musical Instrument DIY Ideas (One For Each Season)

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My Favourite Musical Instrument DIY Ideas (One For Each Season)

Making a musical instrument in your homes, is a really fun and innovative way to add music to your homeschool and have a lot of fun in the process. 

While there are tons of ideas out there on Pinterest, I thought that I should share four of my favourite ideas, one for each season. 

The added bonus is that most of these ideas are very simple to do and thus, your kids will be able to make the instruments themselves, without too much help from you. 

Spring, Summer, Autumn (Fall) and Winter, so no matter when you read this article, you can still use one of these ideas in your homeschool. 

 

Egg Maracas

Can you think of a better instrument to herald spring and Easter and all the fun things that we associate with that time of the year?

This particular instrument can help to refine your children’s listening skills. In order to make this work you would need

 

Supplies

– Plastic Easter Eggs (about a dozen)

– Different fillers like rice, sand, sugar, rock salt, beads, mung beans, pebbles, buttons, bells etc.

– Washi Tape

 

Method

Divid the egg into pairs, each pair should consist of different colours. Fill each pair with one of the fillers, paste them shut and decorate them (again don’t make them identical). 

You are now good to go. Ask your kids to shake each egg and find the match. 

 

Pan Flutes

When I think of summer, I think of the lilting melodies of birds, can you hear them right now? 

In order to make this instrument I am going to direct you to Buggy and Buddy, so you can get all the directions and download their free printable – so your kids can write and record their own notes for the songs that they create.

Making this instrument will enable your kids not only to immerse themselves in music, learn about pitch and how the length of each straw changes the pitch, but also to explore the science of sound. 

What can be better? I often love to blend subjects together and this is the perfect blend of music and science, don’t you think?

Want to know more about how to blend music with other subjects you teach in the homeschool? Then you will love my post 5 ‘Innovative’ Ways To Blend Music With Other Subjects Learned In The Homeschool.

 

Sound Jars

For me autumn is canning season, when I start to preserve all the lovely harvest I have been able to lay my hands on at the Farmer’s Market. 

So no wonder I thought that the tiny canning jars I use would make a wonderful utensil to introduce and fine tune toddlers’ and pre-schoolers’ sound matching skills. 

Use the same supplies as used for the Egg Maracas, but instead of plastic eggs, use ‘see through’ canning jars. 

Also instead of using only dry goods, you can use liquids if you like. 

Furthermore, you can also use the fillers in different quantities and compare the sounds. 

Again you can blend science and music with this DIY instrument. 

 

Beaded Jingle Sticks

For me winter means Christmas, sleigh rides and everything relating to jingle bells and festivities, so I couldn’t help it when I saw Danya’s wonderful idea. 

All you need is some yarn/twine or pipe cleaners, jingle bells of different sizes, a Y shaped stick.

I am going to direct you to Danya’s site, so you can get a better understanding of how to make this wonderful DIY instrument. 

 

Please let me know which DIY instrument you are going to have your kids make today. 

 

Karen Cadera

Karen Cadera

Founder/Creator

Mom, Teacher, Minimalist, Zero Waste Enthusiast, Multi Pod.

My daughter loved the games, but there were also worksheets and videos. The weekly lesson plans were complete, and I never questioned what I should be doing next.

Lisa Tanner

Homeschool Mom

Play Piano Today!

Teach your child to play piano, today.

Yes, in as little as 30 minutes I can show you how to teach your child to play the piano, for FREE.

What are you waiting for?

This program reminded me (and allowed me to teach my son) how to read music. To me, that was the most important thing that we learned together. Of course, it was very rewarding for me to watch my son play the piano with both hands at the same time, while reading sheet music. His favorite parts of the course were actually playing the songs and doing the worksheets provided.

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In this post I want to introduce you to six very easy ways in which, you can add music to your homeschool. 

Besides the ideas, I will also be giving you specific information on the different resources you can make use of, in order to make music in your homeschool a reality. 

Let’s get to it then,

Teach An Instrument

Yes, it is as simple as that. Have your kids learn to play an instrument in the homeschool. 

Now, this doesn’t have to be very expensive. On the contrary it can be quite reasonably priced, especially if you can find a quality online program.

While there is no limit to the number of instruments your kids can learn in the homeschool, some of the most popular ones are learning to play the recorder, piano, ukulele and guitar.

Want to know what specific courses I would recommend? Then you will definitely enjoy reading my post about the 5 Best Elementary Music Courses For Kids.

Teach Movement

Yes, teaching movement and dancing is another great way to add music to your homeschool. 

Read this post to get some of my recommendations for the Top 10 Dance Classes On YouTube. Most of these courses are FREE and therefore should not put pressure on your family budget. 

 

Teach Music Appreciation

Do you know music appreciation is one of the easiest areas of music to teach even if you are a homeschool parent with no real background in music?

With music history, you can pick a theme like a composer, instruments of the orchestra, eras in music etc, and get started. 

Want help on how to add composer studies, or instrument studies to your homeschool routine, then my posts on 6 Ways To Incorporate Instrument Studies In Your Homeschool and 4 ‘Unimginably’ Easy Ways To Incorporate Composer Studies Into Your Homeschool Curriculum.

 

Watch A Musical

Yes, it can be as simple as that. 

First you create a list of age appropriate musicals. 

Next, start sourcing them. You can look on Amazon or Netflix for the musicals, or borrow them from the local library. 

Schedule a specific day of each month, clear out the calendar on that day for the entire family and make that your night to watch the musical with the whole family. 

Rinse and repeat every month. 

If your budget allows, you can even try to take in a live performance if there’s one showing, in your community. 

Want a list of age appropriate musicals categorized by age? Then read my post Top 12 ‘Must See’ Musicals Categorized By Age.

 

Have A Theme Month

You can pick a musical theme to explore each month of the year. 

Here are some ideas to help get those creative juices flowing. 

– Composer of the month

– Instrument of the month

– Musical genre of the month

– Musical era of the month

Want ideas on how to immerse your kids in the musical theme of the month? Then you should definitely read my post on Musical Theme, Immersion Activities Categorized By Age. 

 

So what do you think? Are these ideas doable? Aren’t they ‘super easy’? Which one will you be implementing today?

Karen Cadera

Karen Cadera

Founder/Creator

Mom, Teacher, Minimalist, Zero Waste Enthusiast, Multi Pod.

My daughter loved the games, but there were also worksheets and videos. The weekly lesson plans were complete, and I never questioned what I should be doing next.

Lisa Tanner

Homeschool Mom

Play Piano Today!

Teach your child to play piano, today.

Yes, in as little as 30 minutes I can show you how to teach your child to play the piano, for FREE.

What are you waiting for?

This program reminded me (and allowed me to teach my son) how to read music. To me, that was the most important thing that we learned together. Of course, it was very rewarding for me to watch my son play the piano with both hands at the same time, while reading sheet music. His favorite parts of the course were actually playing the songs and doing the worksheets provided.

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Instrument studies can be very interesting for pre-schoolers as much as it is for older kids. 

If you’ve ever wondered how you can get your little pre-schoolers into music in the homeschool, here’s your in-road. 

Why not pick an instrument, and start teaching them about it? 

Don’t know what to do to keep them engaged?

No worries, read through this post and implement the ideas I have explained here. 

What is more?

You can even use the adorable printables I have made available so you can take your little ones’ learning to the next level. 

So here goes. 

 

Instrument Facts

Let’s say for instance that you picked the violin as your instrument of choice to introduce to your little one. 

Start by telling her the name of the instrument, then go on to say that it is a member of the string family, and that the string family consists of instruments with strings. 

If you have a violin in the house, let her touch and feel it. 

Alternatively you can take her to an instrument store to be able to see it in person.

Explain why it is called a string instrument, show her videos so she can see how it is played. 

Tell her that a person who plays a violin is called a violinist 

Now, explain details like the origin of the instrument, and where it was first made etc. 

 

Spell, Draw, Write

You can teach your little one to write the word violin. 

If she is interested you can ask her to draw one. 

Alternatively you can download an outline drawing of a violin and let her colour it. 

Don’t forget to download the printables I have made available with this post, as I have included all these activities in the worksheets. 

 

Listen

Create a playlist of songs played exclusively on the violin, and play it in the background throughout the  day for a week or more. 

This way your little one will become accustomed to the sound of the violin. 

Let her watch videos of some great violinists like Vanessa Mae for instance. 

 

Talk 

Once she has become accustomed to the sound of the violin, talk to her about the instrument and the sound. 

Is it low pitched or high pitched? At this point you can help her learn the difference in pitches by saying is it low and booming like thunder or daddy’s voice, or is it more high pitched like a bird chirping etc? 

Find different examples to explain the concept of high and low sounds. 

Talk specifically about a song she’s heard played on the violin and ask her if it is loud or soft etc. 

By talking about the songs in this manner, you are unknowingly teaching her to analyse music. 

Want to know more about how you can introduce your little one to music analysis? Then read my post 3 ’Super Easy’ Music Analysis Activities For Pre-Schoolers.

 

Reflect

For this activity you can take the discussion further and talk about how the songs she heard and the sound makes her feel. 

Does she feel happy or sad? 

Remember, emotions can change according to the tempo and melody and violins can used in both settings. 

So, you can either talk about each song individually or select two songs, one with a happy melody and one with a more sad or somber mood and compare the two in your discussion. 

 

Over to you. 

Can you think of more engaging ways to introduce your kids to instrument studies?

Please comment below, because I always love to hear from my readers. 

Would you like to fill your homeschool with instruments? Then read my post, 9 ‘No Fail’ Ways To Fill Your Homeschool With Instruments, and learn how you can add instruments to your homeschool at a fraction of the cost.

Karen Cadera

Karen Cadera

Founder/Creator

Mom, Teacher, Minimalist, Zero Waste Enthusiast, Multi Pod.

My daughter loved the games, but there were also worksheets and videos. The weekly lesson plans were complete, and I never questioned what I should be doing next.

Lisa Tanner

Homeschool Mom

Play Piano Today!

Teach your child to play piano, today.

Yes, in as little as 30 minutes I can show you how to teach your child to play the piano, for FREE.

What are you waiting for?

Download the FREE Instrument Studies Worksheets

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Musical Theme Immersion Activities Categorized By Age

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you no doubt know that I often advocate selecting a musical theme for each month and then using it to further your kids’ knowledge in music. 

However, in order to be able to make use of such a strategy, you have to have access or at least know what kinds of activities might be appropriate for kids of different ages. 

And, in this post I will be sharing a ton of different activities that are categorized by age, which you can do in your homeschool to help your children to immerse themselves in the musical theme of the month.

 

Please note that all the age groups noted here are meant only to provide you with a guide. You will have to use your own judgement and the knowledge of your child’s skills, abilities and knowledge in order to carefully select the correct activities for each child. 

 

3 – 5 Years

Let’s say your chosen theme for the month is the composer Mozart, then ideal activities might include reading a story about Mozart, having a simple discussion about his life, listening to a playlist of his compositions throughout the month. Printables for this theme will include, but should not be limited to,

– Colouring Pages

– Fill In The Blanks

– Copy work

 

6 – 9 Years

With this age group, you can ask your kids to do one or all of the activities that have been suggested below. Some of these activities will require you to source printables as well. 

– Create a Mozart Lap Book

– Create a Scrapbook of the lifetime of Mozart (clothes, dwellings, carriages, musical instruments of the era etc)

– Facts, Fill In The Blanks (printables relating to Mozart’s life and works)

– Crossword Puzzle/Word Search (printables relating to Mozart’s life and works).

– Write a short essay (200 words) about Mozart

– Write a comparison of Mozart and a contemporary singer/songwriter your child is familiar with.

 

9 – 12 Years

Let’s assume that your tween kids decided to study Jazz as a genre of music. Please note however, if you have kids of multiple ages in the household, for convenience sake, attempt to stick to the same theme across all age groups. 

Anyway, to get back to Jazz as a genre of music, here are some additional activities your tweens can do over a period of time. 

– Research the genre in terms of popular composers/singers/songwriters/artists/instruments used etc.

– Write an essay about the genre of music, taking into consideration the research done above, and write about some of the greatest contributors to the genre. 

12 – 14 Years

Again, let’s assume that your teenagers have also decided to immerse themselves in the Jazz genre for the next month. 

So here are a few activities that they can do. 

– Compare and Contrast Jazz as a genre with Reggae or another genre. Make sure it is sufficiently in-depth.

– Create a Multi Media Presentation on Jazz, which includes an introduction to the theme, greatest contributors, songwriters and musicians, the evolution of Jazz through the decades and where it ranks now. 

 

Love what you read, but still think that it might be too difficult to pull together? Then you are going to love my latest course A Year Of Music Appreciation, which includes pre-selected themes, a plethora of carefully selected activities, high quality printables, videos, listening guides, and much more. 

Karen Cadera

Karen Cadera

Founder/Creator

Mom, Teacher, Minimalist, Zero Waste Enthusiast, Multi Pod.

My daughter loved the games, but there were also worksheets and videos. The weekly lesson plans were complete, and I never questioned what I should be doing next.

Lisa Tanner

Homeschool Mom

Play Piano Today!

Teach your child to play piano, today.

Yes, in as little as 30 minutes I can show you how to teach your child to play the piano, for FREE.

What are you waiting for?

This program reminded me (and allowed me to teach my son) how to read music. To me, that was the most important thing that we learned together. Of course, it was very rewarding for me to watch my son play the piano with both hands at the same time, while reading sheet music. His favorite parts of the course were actually playing the songs and doing the worksheets provided.

Carrie M.

Stay At Home Mom

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4 ‘Easy Peasy’ Ways Non-Musical Moms Can Bring Music Into The Homeschool

I often find it really strange that moms who have no teaching degrees or degrees in math or science are often willing and very confident when homeschooling their kids, but when those very same moms are asked to teach their kids music, they shy away and cringe.

When I ask homeschool moms about this, the answer I often receive is, ‘well I don’t have any musical background’ or ‘I have never touched a musical instrument in my life, so how can i teach my child music?’.

You don’t have to have a degree in music, to add music to your homeschool curriculum, just like you don’t have to have a degree in math or science to teach your kids either of those subjects. 

Music is all around us and even though you may never have formally learned to play an instrument, you have been exposed to music and you can help cultivate a love for it in your children by doing some very simple things. 

 

Singing

Can you sing? Are you able to hold a tune or hum one for that matter? 

Well, if the answer is yes, then start there. Start by teaching your children to sing. 

If you don’t know where to start, with younger kids start with nursery rhymes and popular songs. Sing at every possible opportunity. 

Even if you as a parent can’t hold a tune, there is a strong possibility your children can, so start with really easy songs and encourage them to sing. 

 

Clapping

This one is great for those moms who say they can’t hold a tune. 

Everyone can clap to a beat and you can too. So begin there. Start with simple beats, like the tick tock of the clock, the beat of your child’s heart and then start imitating more complex beats. 

Instead of clapping you can also use chopsticks, drumsticks and pots, pans and cutlery. 

 

Dancing

Here’s something everyone can do. 

Dance while setting the table, dance while tidying up, create your own steps and get moving. 

Better still look for some dance videos online and take a dance class if possible. 

 

Listen and Appreciate

Put together a playlist of songs and have it playing in the background throughout the homeschool day. 

Pick a specific genre each week, or a specific composer. 

Discuss the composer, the composition, pitch, pace, volume, learn about the background of the composer and the era the pieces were composed in. 

Click here to learn 4 ‘Unimaginably’ Easy Ways to Incorporate Composer Studies In To Your Homeschool Curriculum.

Besides all of the above, you can also learn how you can Teach Your Child To Play The Piano, with my Let’s Play Piano, today course. All you need is 30 minutes and a keyboard and you can have your child playing the piano in a jiffy. 

 

Now, it is over to you and I would love to hear, which one of the above methods you will put into action immediately. 

Karen Cadera

Karen Cadera

Founder/Creator

Mom, Teacher, Minimalist, Zero Waste Enthusiast, Multi Pod.

Play Piano Today!

Teach your child to play piano, today.

Yes, in as little as 30 minutes I can show you how to teach your child to play the piano, for FREE.

What are you waiting for?

This program reminded me (and allowed me to teach my son) how to read music. To me, that was the most important thing that we learned together. Of course, it was very rewarding for me to watch my son play the piano with both hands at the same time, while reading sheet music. His favorite parts of the course were actually playing the songs and doing the worksheets provided.

Carrie M.

Stay At Home Mom

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