In celebration of our new dance-packed song “Dum Dum” we’re excited to share the benefits of incorporating music and dance into early childhood development. Did you know that they help your child learn more than just motor skills and vocabulary? 

There are many additional benefits, including the development of social skills, literacy, numeracy. In music class, children gain social-emotional skills, like listening to others and following instructions. Learning to follow a beat or read music teaches counting while helping improve memory and attention. And of course, singing along to lyrics in their native language, or even a new language, introduces them to new words. 

Music and dancing go hand in hand. Dancing helps a child develop their coordination by building connections in the brain. As these connections are made, a child’s fine and gross motor skills are improved. Physical play has various health benefits and promotes learning in toddlers and young children. It also decreases the risk of developing harmful health conditions like obesity.

Here are some tips for including music into your child’s everyday schedule:

1. You can use music to indicate playtime, sleep time, or another important routine. This is especially helpful for children who struggle with transitions.
   
   
2. When you see your child dancing, give them a toy drum or other homemade musical instrument and dance together.
   Your child will try to mimic your moves, which can help with his/her hand-eye coordination. 
   
   
3. To help your child learn new words and identify the story in a song, try singing their favorite nursery rhymes and inserting their name into it. You can also encourage your child to change words in a song to stimulate creativity.

Finally, parents develop a stronger bond with their children when they enjoy music together. Music is not only a tool that contributes to a child’s development, but it also provides more quality time for the whole family.

Here is a Canticos playlist in Spanish perfect for singing and dancing. We hope it gets your family moving!