Why do music with children under two?
In this project, the term ‘musical activity’ covers a range of interactive, one-to-one playful behaviours between carers and under-two-year olds based on musical qualities. There is increasing evidence arising from research in a range of fields; music therapy, neuroscience, music psychology and developmental social psychology, to suggest that musical activity plays a significantly important part in the early development of children.
From birth to two, singing, rhymes, musical games and listening to music can have multiple benefits on infant and child physiological and emotional well-being and on early learning. In addition, music may affect parent well-being by contributing to the alleviation of mild depression and anxiety. We suggest that the promotion of one-to-one musical activity as part of everyday care-giving and playful sharing between primary carers and their babies and toddlers is a simple, cost-effective strategy that could have multiple benefits.
