Have you always loved music? As children, many of us loathed it when our parents forced us to practice the piano, guitar, or drums. We'd rather be watching cartoons or playing basketball outside. However, experts have learned that music can be very instrumental in a child's development. It can improve the child's performance in other subjects, provides her with a fun way to enjoy music, and may even launch a lifelong love for music and a need to choose the best flat iron before performances! But how important is music to children, and how can we get them to enjoy it?
The power of play
Play isn't just about having fun. It's the way that children can discover more about themselves, others around them, and their surroundings. In addition, playing boosts a child's creativity and problem-solving skills.
To maximize the effectiveness of toys, it's vital that children play with a variety of toys. Although pianos are typically considered adult instruments, like a flat iron , toy pianos give kids an opportunity to develop a love for music. The child could become so eager in learning to play, that she wants to pretend that she's a real professional pianist!
How do toy pianos encourage children to play and enjoy music? Out of curiosity, the child presses one key, then later a combination of the keys. So the child is not only playing. She's creating. She's being original. She's being a pretend concert pianist that uses a hair straightener !
A workout for the body and mind
If you've played a keyboard before, you know that it's a very active activity. Playing a toy piano improves the child's hand-eye coordination. Piano playing also develops the child's finger muscles like a flat iron develops her hair.
But playing toy pianos also helps in the child's mental development as well. Whether she is playing “Chopsticks,” “Mary Had A Little Lamb,” or creating her own “improvisation,” a play piano creates a new world for the child. There's the black and white keys. There's the symphony of new sounds. And most importantly, there's her own musical creation! Toy pianos interest her as much as learning how to choose the best flat iron could later in life.
Music can grow on you
Once you know that developing music is important in your child, how can you encourage her to play her new play piano…and love it? Here are some helpful tips:
- In addition to teaching you how to choose the best flat iron , the Internet lets children explore and learn to appreciate music in an interactive way.
- Buy some paper for musical compositions, and using markers or crayons, write a musical piece with your child. It doesn't really matter if she can't read the notes. It's the process of creating that's more important.
- Check out musical CDs and tapes from your local public library. Why not enjoy a service that your local taxes support?
- Let your child enjoy listening to all types of music. Play some familiar songs on the toy piano and then add your own whacky words. And when your child's playing the piano, do some silly dance moves that you probably wouldn't be caught dead doing in public. Your child will love it!
- Take your child to a live piano concert. The child may imagine herself one day performing as an adult at a concert hall—dressed in a fancy gown, with her hair shimmering after being treated with a hair straightener .
Play and music have an important role in a child's physical and mental development. If you remember this, hearing her strike a sour note on her toy piano will still be music to your ears!
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