How to get the most out of your weekly interactive baby and toddler music classes

Watch and listen to your music teacher for clues on how to interact.

A good interactive baby or toddler music class will teach you how to interact with your child and will reply on the interaction to keep the focus and attention of the little ones.

If it's a good music class the teacher will give you a few tips on how you can use the particular song/activity before the music and action starts.

We always give 3 tips before each activity.

The name of the song/music

The activity we will be trying

The developmental benefits of this activity

In our music class for babies and toddlers we focus on the fusion of music and development.

Each of our music activities supports learning in a key developmental area.

A recent study on what babies like, found that they're a bit like goldilocks in that they like things 'just right' when it comes to play. They like to know what's going to happen but when it's going to happen.

So think of a classic music class game like peekaboo. Imagine you're sitting in music class and the teacher hands out scarves to everyone so you can play peekaboo.

Sure, you can sit back and let the teacher entertain your baby...our teachers are certainly great at that but you will have so much more fun and connect with your baby if you pick up that scarf and pop your face out from behind and say peekaboo.

You don't even have to sing if singing isn't your thing...but if you want to attract your babies attention a bit of 'parentese' talking...which is high sing song style talking will get them to look your way and then you can play.

"Infants also prefer what is called “infant-directed” singing. Around the world, caregivers sing to infants in a way that differs from most other kinds of singing—usually in a conversational style, with a lot of repetition, high in pitch, slow in tempo, and in a loving tone of voice. Infants prefer this over other styles of singing" 1.

Try to look like you're having fun...eg smile and move your body to the music. This will encourage your baby or toddler to do the same.

1. Taken from an interview with Dr. Laurel Trainor, director of McMaster University’s Institute for Music and the Mind in Hamilton, Ontario on The Emotional Baby: How Infants Respond to Music by Amanda Fiegl