Mighty Music Makers: A Musical EY Toolkit

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Imagine a typical early years’ room during a music session: it’s a bit chaotic. One child covers their ears, overwhelmed by the noise, while another rolls on the floor, completely absorbed in their own world. There aren’t enough shakers to go around, causing a small dispute among a group eager to participate. This scene, though lively and filled with potential, is in need of a shake-up, and it doesn’t need to be costly or time-intensive!

In this toolkit, you will find a variety of engaging activities, from singing and finger rhymes to using props like scarves, lycra, and stretchy bands. Each activity is tailored to foster an intuitive understanding of music and its expressive possibilities. Additionally, we delve into wordless music experiences, enabling children to physically explore and respond to classical music in ways that resonate with their individual expressions of movement and emotion.

Nana Welsh, a distinguished harpist and music educator, and an integral player in Sistema Scotland’s Big Noise project, offers some practical suggestions for using everyday items like a simple piece of fabric and photo cards to create engaging musical activities. These tips are woven throughout the resource, providing valuable insights on how to enrich your musical sessions.

Music in early years is more than just entertainment; it is a critical component of brain development, communication, and language acquisition. Engaging young children in music helps to fine-tune their listening skills, enhances their understanding of language patterns, and boosts their cognitive abilities. Moreover, music is a powerful tool for fostering social skills; it encourages cooperation, turn-taking, and empathy as children participate in group activities and share musical experiences.

Let’s embark on this musical journey together, creating joyous and enriching experiences that your young learners will carry with them long after the music ends.

Use this resource to:

Discover the benefits of making music with young children
Guide musical explorations in your setting
Empower little voices in their musical expressions

Authors

Lisa Kane

Director of Early Years Curriculum

Nana Welsh

Music Educator - Sistema Scotland's Big Noise project

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Lisa Kane

Lisa is a passionate early years educator, having found her way into the field after being fascinated by the rapid and wondrous development in the first years of her own children’s lives. Following these curiosities has taken her through a degree and post-grad in Early Years education, and clocking up over 20 years of hands-on experience in a variety of international school settings. Lisa believes that learning is co-constructed alongside the smallest humans, and is energised by the curiosity, awe and wonder they generate.

Nana Welsh

Nana Welsh, a harpist and music educator originally from Bulgaria, brings over a decade of experience in music education. With degrees in Education and Music obtained in Bulgaria, Nana pursued further studies in Scotland to enhance her expertise in this field. Having taught Early Years and Primary classes across diverse settings in Glasgow, Nana's journey in music education has been extensive. Since 2018, she has been an integral part of Sistema Scotland's Big Noise Govanhill center, where she leads music classes at the local nursery and conducts musicianship sessions for primary-aged children.

Mighty Music Makers: A Musical EY Toolkit

Imagine a typical early years' room during a music session: it's a bit chaotic. One child covers their ears, overwhelmed by the noise, while another rolls on the floor, completely absorbed in their own world. There aren't enough shakers to go around, causing a small dispute among a group eager to participate. This scene, though lively and filled with potential, is in need of a shake-up, and it doesn’t need to be costly or time-intensive! In this toolkit, you will find a variety of engaging activities, from singing and finger rhymes to using props like scarves, lycra, and stretchy bands. Each activity is tailored to foster an intuitive understanding of music and its expressive possibilities. Additionally, we delve into wordless music experiences, enabling children to physically explore and respond to classical music in ways that resonate with their individual expressions of movement and emotion. Nana Welsh, a distinguished harpist and music educator, and an integral player in Sistema Scotland's Big Noise project, offers some practical suggestions for using everyday items like a simple piece of fabric and photo cards to create engaging musical activities. These tips are woven throughout the resource, providing valuable insights on how to enrich your musical sessions. Music in early years is more than just entertainment; it is a critical component of brain development, communication, and language acquisition. Engaging young children in music helps to fine-tune their listening skills, enhances their understanding of language patterns, and boosts their cognitive abilities. Moreover, music is a powerful tool for fostering social skills; it encourages cooperation, turn-taking, and empathy as children participate in group activities and share musical experiences. Let's embark on this musical journey together, creating joyous and enriching experiences that your young learners will carry with them long after the music ends.