Music Moments
Welcome to Music Moments, a series of activities for families with babies to connect, play, and grow! Created for Carnegie Hall’s Big Note, Little Note program, these activities will show you how to engage with your little one through musical play, singing, songwriting, and more.
Let’s get started!
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Movement
Opening Question: At what time of day is your child most content? Make a note of this as you plan your activity—but keep in mind that you’ll want to give your child a chance to digest if just fed before doing any movement.
Activity
Tummy time fun! Sing one song that you know with your child lying in tummy time position.- Place your child on their tummy.
- Lie down on the floor facing your child.
- Make sure you can see each other’s faces, eye to eye.
- Sing your favorite song while looking at your child.
Or, lie on a bed or sofa and place your baby on your chest in tummy time position, facing you, and sing. Always hold your child firmly for safety.
Always supervise your child when doing tummy time: You never know when tummy time will start to work and your baby will begin to roll over!
Fun Fact!
Singing with your child during tummy time will help their endurance! Tummy time helps your baby build strength in their neck, shoulders, arms, and midsection. This will help your baby learn to roll, sit, and crawl.
Online Resources
Zero to Three
“What You Need to Know About Tummy Time” by Jodie Fishman
Nationwide Children’s
“Tummy Time”
Mama Natural
“Why Is Tummy Time Important?” by Genevieve Howland
Connection
Activity
- Start a musical conversation with your child. If your baby makes a sound, either mirror that sound or respond with another sound. See what happens if you make it longer or shorter. Try singing the sound.
- Sing an interactive song with your child such as “This Little Light of Mine” or another song that you know. Try using hand motions to connect.
Fun Fact!
When you sing to your baby, you are soothing them and helping to form strong connections. This helps promote your baby’s social and emotional growth, builds their vocabulary, and more.
Online Resources
University of Miami via ScienceDaily
“Mothers and infants connect through song”
National Association for the Education of Young Children
“Ten Ways Babies Learn When We Sing to Them” by Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer
Play
Opening Question: What time of day does your child seem most content, alert, and happy? Make a note of this as you plan your activity.
Activity
Sing a play-based song with your child this week. Try “Peek-a-Boo,” “Patty Cake” (adapted for babies), “Itsy Bitsy Spider,” “Wheels on the Bus,” or take it up a notch and create your very own song!
Fun Fact!
Play is key to your child’s learning, development, confidence, and well-being. You can turn an everyday routine like diaper-changing or feeding into a fun musical moment: Try a playful song during a diaper change (safely), or sing during bath time.
Online Resources
Fatherly
“The Nine Funniest Songs for Infants (and their Parents)” by Alicia Kort
Zero to Three
“Play Activities for Birth to 12 Months” by Claire Lerner and Rebecca Parlakian
Raising Children (Australia)
“Why Play Is Important”
Language
Opening Question: Did you know that even before babies can talk, they are learning language? Think about how and when you talk and sing to your baby throughout the day. What do you talk to your baby about?
Activity
- Sing a song to your child in a language you don’t normally use with them.
- A few times a week, when you are talking to your child, try singing the words instead. What do you notice?
Fun Fact!
Singing to your baby helps them learn how to talk and builds their ever-growing vocabulary.
Online Resources
Fluent in 3 Months
“Sing Your Baby Bilingual!” by Jackie Colchester
Harvard Medicine
“A Way with Words” by Susan Karcz
Songwriting
Activity
Write a four-line song for your child using the tune of a familiar song, and try singing it to them at different moments throughout the day.
Fun Fact!
Parents have been singing to their babies since the beginning of time. The oldest documented lullaby dates back to the time of the ancient Babylonians, around 2000 BC. That’s 4,000 years ago!
Online Resources
BBC News
“The Universal Language of Lullabies” by Nina Perry
YouTube
Trailer for Brown Baby Lullaby by Tameka Fryer Brown
Brain-Building
Activity
- Try having a musical conversation with your child. When your child communicates using words, sounds, and facial expressions, sing your response back to them. Keep the conversation going! You can do this during diaper changes, feeding, or while taking a walk outside. You can also sing about what you’re doing and seeing along the way.
- Sing a counting game with your child this week. Think “Ten in a Bed (Roll Over),” or “Where Is the Beehive?,” etc. You can find more counting songs at allnurseryrhymes.com/nursery-rhymes/counting-songs.
Fun Fact!
When you sing with your baby, all 12 parts of their brain are at work. The sound, rhythm, words, and connection all help your baby’s brain grow and develop.
Online Resources
Pegasus: The Magazine of the University of Central Florida
“Your Brain on Music”
(Scroll down the page for a cool interactive exploration of music and the brain!)
Parent Map
“Brain-Building Games and Activities for Your Baby” by Kathryn Russell Selk
Harvard University Center on the Developing Child
“Five Steps for Brain-Building Serve and Return”
Rhythm
Activity
Make musical rhythms with your child this week. Clap or drum along to your favorite song. Pots and wooden spoons work well, or you can put some rice in a jar or container to make your very own shaker!
Fun Fact!
Having fun with rhythm helps babies develop their large muscles and supports their language skills, too. All language has a rhythm and rhyme to it, and with practice, babies will recognize both!
Online Resources
Fatherly
“How to Use Patty-Cake and Miss Mary Mack to Teach Rhythm” by Matthew Utley
Daily Mail
“Babies Have a Sense of Rhythm”
University of Washington
“Music improves baby brain responses to music and speech” by Molly McElroy
