Change—especially for children in any capacity—is hard, but one thing always helps…music! Here are 3 quick tips on how music rituals can help alleviate transitions (like drop-off times) and enhance child and family engagement.
What science says about music and rituals
Early childhood and neuroscience researchers have long-proclaimed that five minutes a day of child-led play should be a go-to ritual. Giving children the ability to be in the creative driver seat (with adult presence and guidance) is essential to boosting communication, increasing emotional regulation skills, and reinforcing helpful behaviors (like following instructions in class!).
One of the most accessible, and often overlooked, child-led play strategies is shared music-making. The adult and little one get the benefit of reduced cortisol (the stress hormone) and increased oxytocin (one of the happy chemicals) while you bounce, sing, clap, tap, or twirl.
And the notes that pull it all together are your shared interactions—you watch and follow them, they watch and follow you, and you reach that emotionally connected state together.
That’s what helps our bodies regulate, communicate, and follow through, even on those sometimes stressful first days of school.
3 easy music rituals for families
Establish new school year musical rituals before classes begin.
Want to use a “drop-off” song as children prepare to exit the car or walk through the classroom door? That’s a great way to help set the tone for the day and mitigate emotional goodbyes.
The kicker is practice.
Just like starting bedtime earlier, practice your song of choice before the first day of school. We love “Everybody Wave and Sing Goodbye” from the Kindermusik Rituals album.
Play it below or stream it on the free Kindermusik App!
Play freeze dance to help toddlers-older children practice stopping their bodies.
Freeze dance is the perfect way to promote executive function—including body control—in young children. Use their favorite songs, your favorite songs, or grab our favorite ready-to-play freeze dance tune (scroll down to “Self-Control”) to build up those self-regulation skills. They’re so critical for safety, transitioning from playtime to focus time, and more.
Keep the musical play going at home after school begins.
One of the most difficult parts of a new learning curve is reinforcing what happens in the classroom at home.
Ask teachers about their classroom rituals and what they’re learning that week. Then, reinforce it with music in the evenings.
For example, is your child learning about trains?
Find some songs about trains, pretend to be one as the music plays, and recreate the sounds a train might make. You’ll help them remember what they learned and fuel family bonding at the same time.
Speaking of trains, we love “New River Train” from the Transportation album on the free Kindermusik app. We’ve got a whole section of themed albums (like Colors, Animals, and Food) to choose from!
Kickstart music rituals wherever you are.
We know that sometimes the hardest part of implementing any music activity is finding the perfect playlist. That’s why we added our Kindermusik Rituals album, our themed playlists, and more to our free app! Download it on the Apple Store or Google Play.
Want more music ritual ideas? Find a Kindermusik class near you or check out our classroom kits for teachers.