Music Therapy for Toddlers and Other Developmental Activities for Your Child
Music therapy is one of the most valuable developmental activities you can implement into your child’s everyday life
Every child grows at their own pace. Many parents worry if their toddlers aren’t meeting developmental milestones at the same rate as their peers, but there is generally no need to worry. However, if you want to be able to offer your child opportunities to advance their development, then you can read more about your options here.
There are many ways to promote gross motor, fine motor, and cognitive development in your toddler. One especially useful resource in childhood development is music! Kids love music. It is engaging for them and fun! Because of this, music therapy can be a fantastic way to promote faster developmental growth in your toddler if you are worried that they may be falling behind.
Here are all of the things we will talk about in this blog post to help your toddler meet their developmental milestones:
List of activities that promote your toddler’s development
How can music therapy specifically help your toddler meet their developmental milestones?
Offering your child music therapy can help you too, not just them!
Many parents worry that their child may not be meeting developmental milestones other toddlers are reaching but music therapy is here to help!
Our top activities that can promote your toddler’s development
Give your toddler toys or items that have unusual (but safe) textures for them to play with. Toddlers can learn a lot through touch. Giving your toddler items with different textures allows them to learn how to interact with the world around them. Try giving your toddler a small handheld drum or tambourine to play with, as this lets them play around with a musical instrument and get used to new textures.
Set up a scavenger hunt for your toddler. Children are incredibly curious and playful, so setting up a scavenger hunt keeps them engaged and alert as they look for the items that you’ve hidden around the house.
Every child’s vocabulary grows at a different rate. Some children can get quite frustrated if they are unable to make the right sounds to produce words they hear people saying often. If you have been trying to expand your toddler’s vocabulary, consider doing so with song! Adding music to the process of learning new words is one of the most helpful memorization tools out there for kids, so give it a try next time!
If your child is more visually inclined, then consider setting up some finger painting projects for them. Maybe you could even set up a big sheet of paper on the floor and let them paint with their feet! Let your child be as creative as they desire and see how quickly their confidence grows. Not only will this help your toddler to become more self-directed, but this can help your child develop both their gross motor skills and fine motor skills.
Music can help toddlers gain self confidence and find constructive ways to let out their emotions, playing music also helps children to develop their fine motor skills
How can music therapy specifically help your toddler meet developmental milestones?
Music therapy helps children of all ages. For toddlers in particular, music therapy is especially effective in helping them work through their emotions in a positive way. Music therapy also helps children reach many developmental milestones as it is both physically and mentally engaging. In group music therapy sessions, children are able to develop their social skills by engaging with others while playing or listening to music.
Playing music in a group allows children to become more spatially aware and better at multitasking as they have to be aware of the musicians around them and work to be in sync with them. By engaging in music therapy, it is very likely that your child will become more competent in their self expression and become better at managing their emotions.
It can be hard to get tots to focus but music is an exciting and engaging subject for kids of this age so music therapy is a great way to get them to focus and let them have fun at the same time!
Offering your child music therapy can help you too, not just them!
If your child is in music therapy, not only will it boost their self confidence but it can boost your confidence as a parent. Many caregivers who have their children take part in music therapy find that it actually strengthens their bond with their child. By engaging in a musical setting with your child, the two of you can grow together and learn more about each other. By doing this, you as a parent and caregiver can feel more comfortable and confident with your child.
Music therapy is a great resource for people of all ages. If you are looking to help your child meet developmental milestones, music therapy is a resource you should consider looking into.
