Early Years Music Resources Help!

There are many resources from your early years setting that you can use in music activities.  In this blog, I give some helpful suggestions to worries and concerns I have heard from early years practitioners, regarding instruments, group props, and individual props.

Instruments

One of the biggest mistakes people make with their musical instruments is to just give the children free access to the instrument trolley/box/bag without knowing what they want the children to get from the activity.

You don’t need to tell the children exactly what to do BUT you do need to know what the aim of them having the instruments is.  For example, Would you like them to explore a particular sound that the instrument makes? How to change the sound the instrument makes? How to change the dynamics?

Choose what it is you want the children to explore/experience with the instruments and then go for it!

Group Props

Would you love to use the parachute or stretchy fabric more but you get stuck on the same 3 blocks? 

• The first one is not being able to think of the different ways to use the props.
• The second is you worry the activities won't capture the children's imagination.
• The third one is you don’t have enough space to use the props.

So if you have had these blocks or unhelpful beliefs you are definitely not alone and there is DEFINITELY something you can do about them.  Here’s a tip that I think will help.  To help capture the children's imagination, take one of the children’s favourite action songs and instead of doing the actions, move the parachute or stretchy fabric to the song.

Individual Props

Using a puppet or soft toy for the children to interact with is a good way to get the children to sing.  With the soft toy/puppet you can make the purpose of the activity for the children to sing to the toy; maybe make the toy do something funny or exciting when they sing a particular part!

E.g. Baa baa black sheep (using a sheep puppet or soft toy)

• Tell the children if they sing the question to the sheep: Baa baa black sheep have you any wool?  The sheep might move.
• They sing: Baa baa black sheep have you any wool?

You respond by singing the reply  'Yes sir, yes sir, 3 bags full' and also make the puppet dance, nod its head.... at the same time.

If you would like to learn more, I have online training that covers all of the above and more as part of my Yearly Early Years Music Ideas Membership.  Click here to find out more: https://www.musicintheearlyyears.com/early-years-music-ideas-2-to-5 

Happy Music Making!