I absolutely love to walk down the halls of our preschool building as I listen to young children greet the morning with songs!

Humming, singing or a happy baby gurgling indicate a child is happy. Children love to make music!

 Infants quickly recognize a parent’s singing voice. Part of bonding with an infant is for parents and caregivers to sing to their babies. You do not have to be on key at all to sing to your young child.

Toddlers and 2-year-olds are great imitators. Toddlers love to listen and do songs that involve motions with their hands and feet. Preschool-age children enjoy music just for music. They love to sing and hum when they are playing and doing their little jobs. Young children love and respond happily to music directions. Try it at home.

Playing music in your home or car is thoroughly enjoyed by your young child. Music can definitely set the mood for a happy day. One goal that a young child tries to accomplish is to pucker their lips in a whistle! It may take a while to learn but while they are learning they blow little tunes through their lips.

Children love to do moving exercises with music. They love to dance, skip, run and jump to different rhythms. Clapping a simple rhythm helps your young child with comprehension, memory making and math. Using music to help your young children to memorize words, math facts and other lists plants it in their memories.

Point out in nature different birds that chirp and sing. Just being outside going on a nature walk children can listen to many animals that just might be communicating in a song. As fall and winter approach and the winds begin to blow, a young child can use their imagination as they listen to the wind blow in song.

There are so many CDs in the early-childhood world to teach and entertain your young child for hours. Young children love to make their homemade instruments with pots, pans, spoons and empty boxes around the home. On taking afternoon naps or going to sleep at night sweet lullabies relax your child and help your child to drift off to sleep.

There are so many ways for you as a parent to share the gift of music with your children.

Wake up your young child with a song on their heart. Plant a song in your heart as well.  

Beth Pinyerd lives in Daphne and serves as director of younger children at Faith Family Fellowship in Spanish Fort.

Her column appears every other week in the Daphne Bulletin and Spanish Fort Sun.