As if we parents needed any more guilt trips about experiences we’re not giving our kids… thanks for raising the bar on bath time, Pinterest! Despite how you may feel after perusing Pinterest, you really don’t need frozen ice cubes in different colors, glow-in-the-dark sticks, colorful bath paints, or epic construction or princess themed bath times. All you need is your voice and an “instrument” or two!
Here are a few musical tips for turning bath time into fun time – all minus the tears and tantrums.
Who says you only sing in the shower? Singing in the tub can be even better.
Sing “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes,” “Looby Loo,” or “The Hokey Pokey” as you bathe your child. For older children, mix up the words for extra giggles. So, while you sing about putting “your left leg in” wash the “right arm instead.”
Establish your own BTSO – Bath Time Symphony Orchestra!
Create a water symphony with all of the bath sounds (splashing water, water pouring out of and into cups, rubber duck squeaks, etc.). Help your little one practice active listening by talking about what the different sounds are and asking your little one to identify the sounds, too.
Try a little back-and-forth play, vocal play, that is!
You make a sound, and wait for baby to imitate. Say a short little rhythm, like “ta – ta – ti-ti – ta,” and have your toddler echo back. Or sing a phrase of a song, and see if your preschooler will sing the next phrase.
Bubbles make everything about bath time even better.
Sing the “Bubbles” song from Kindermusik as you bathe your child. Notice how this Kindermusik educator pauses the bubbles and encourages young children to communicate that they “want more, please.” Consider making a bubble bath or blowing bubbles, too.
Create a sweet little bath time lullaby routine.
Listen to lullaby music in the bathroom to signal to your child that bedtime is near, and soon it will be time to start settling down for the day – once your little one has had her after-bath massage. (This is a great time to rub in that baby lotion and connect in a special way with your child by singing softly and making lots of intentional eye contact.)
Looking for more practical parenting tips? Visit a local Kindermusik class and discover even more ways to make great parenting just a little bit easier with music.
Contributed by Theresa Case whose award-winning Kindermusik program at Piano Central Studios is located in beautiful upstate South Carolina.
New early childhood research from the University of Iowa and Indiana University found that how parents respond to all that baby talk can speed up a baby’s vocalizing and language development. That’s great news for those of us no longer fluent in Baby talk.
almost exclusively on what they hear in order to acquire language. Children’s brains make a connection based on what they experience (being lifted high or twirling around) and hear (“up” or “twirl”). So, when a parent of caregiver lifts a child high “up, up in the sky” or “twirls around like a leaf” while singing the songs in Kindermusik class, young children learn the word and understand the concept. Later, children will discover those words correspond to marks on a page which eventually leads to letter recognition and reading.
Come experience for yourself the benefits of music! 
for babies