Celebrate World Music Day With Your Tots

Music can act as a powerful, life-affirming force throughout all periods of life. It facilitates self-expression, tells cultural stories, and offers an experience of beauty that can be deeply enjoyed. June 21st marked the 38th annual celebration of World Art Day, a festival which is devoted to the celebration of music as an art form. Also called the Fête de la Musique in its country of origin, France, World Art Day invites musicians young and old to bring their craft to streets, parks, and stages around the world in celebration of music.

For expectant mothers, music can play a role in both a healthy and happy pregnancy and positive outcomes in early childhood development. Though there's no science that links hearing music in the womb to making baby smarter as some sources have claimed, music can still encourage you to relax and create feelings of joy. This can mitigate stress and anxiety, which has positive effects for both of you.

Once baby is born, most parents are quick to notice that music can play a soothing role when calming baby. Lullabies help them drift off into a dreamy slumber, and they'll bop, bang, and "dance" along to cheerful tunes from toys, records, or programs. As they do, they're beginning to comprehend musical patterns, which allows them to practice the cadence they'll eventually use when speaking. They're also recognizing your facial expressions and emotions as you sing, which is a part of their mental and social development.

Once they're old enough, participating in music time through tot-sized instruments helps to encourage motor skill development and engage their developing brains. This can offer a boost to cognitive skills, and can also reduce feelings of stress and frustration.

Learning about, playing, and listening to music has quite a few benefits for children that are worth learning about; they persist well beyond early childhood, and include positive social, emotional, and academic outcomes that are remarkable. We The Parents has assembled a comprehensive infographic matching valuable scientific studies on music education with the benefits they've uncovered, click here to learn more!

Written by Neve Spicer, Founder and Director of WeTheParents.org