As the mother of a two-year-old, I'm always looking for things to do that will help him or her learn and grow. I find that most of the activities we do together that result in learning are purely by coincidence and luck not by any skill or training I have.
As of late, my son has shown a real passion for music. He has even started to decide what kinds of music he likes and doesn't like. His favourite kinds of music are Contemporary Christian and Country, but any song by The Wiggles is better than either of those. But I digress. The point is that he is attracted to music and needs to show himself in many different ways when he hears it.
For example, he has learned different dance moves from the television characters on his favourite programmes, as well as from good old mom and dad. He does his own version of those moves every time he hears a song he likes, even in the car. He expresses himself through his creativity and memory, which I think helps him grow as a person. He also tries to sing well, more like hum but again, this is another form of expression and he is increasing his vocabulary by wanting to say the right words. He claps along with the music and does his best to stay in time. He is learning and using all of these amazing skills in his own way. At this age, kids stop just copying what they see and start putting what they know together in ways that help them interact with the world around them.
These activities are good for a lot of different parts of development, including physical (clapping, stomping, other dance motions) social (a way for him to interact with those around him) cognitive (he is making connections between what he has learned and how he wants to use it to show who he is); emotional (a definite sense of pride accompanies all forms of learning in children).
If your child likes music, you can encourage them by making it easy for them to listen to music without spending a lot of money. I think they probably already have toys that play music. A lot of books also have music. Even something as simple as turning on the radio during the day and finding a station that you both like can be a lot of fun. Whether your child hears music on the TV, radio, or from an instrument you play, he or she can learn a lot from all of these sources. Capture and make the most of these moments!
