“Music is a basic human need, as vital as air, food, and water.”
— Nancy Stewart
Sharing music with your baby benefits bothof you equally. It creates connection, helps you understand your infant's personality and preferences, and gives you a tool for comfort that works at any age.
Between birth and two years is the most important learning period in a child's life. Children with regular music exposure demonstrate improved social comfort, larger vocabulary, better motor skills, and greater overall confidence.
Getting Started
- ✓ Begin with songs you already know from your own childhood.
- ✓ Don't worry about your voice — your baby will love it because it's yours.
- ✓ Sing during routine activities: diaper changes, bath time, feeding, car rides.
- ✓ Children thrive on repetition — sing the same songs over and over.
- ✓ Use a stuffed animal as a prop and make up verses about it.
- ✓ Try rattle-following: shake a rattle slowly in front of your baby and let them track it with their eyes.
- ✓ Pair picture books with singing — point to pictures as you sing about them.
DIY Projects
Make a Music Box
- 1 Collect rhythm instruments — homemade or purchased.
- 2 Make simple maracas from sealed containers (film canisters, plastic eggs) filled with rice.
- 3 Add a child-operated tape player or small speaker.
Record Your Child's Voice
- 1 Record your child singing or babbling over time.
- 2 Create a personalized lullaby compilation to play for comfort.
- 3 Listen back together — children love hearing their own voice!
Recommended Resources
- 📗 Your Baby Needs Music — Barbara Cass-Beggs(Available through library systems)
- 📗 Little Songs for Little Me — Nancy Stewart (Activity kit with CD — see Shop)