Nature's Music

Heighten toddlers’ awareness of the world around them as you introduce them to the music and dance of nature.

Go outside and sit quietly with one or two toddlers.
Listen to the sounds of nature and public life together—wind, rain, birds, footsteps, splashes, passing vehicles, bells, flapping flags, and other noises.
Talk and sing about what you hear.

Sitting quietly and listening to outdoor sounds can be a nice calm-down activity after active play. Children who tend to be shy, quiet, or less physically adept might also benefit from this special time with you before you help them join more active outdoor play.

See what sounds you can name as you listen together. Imitate sounds by blowing, singing, humming, and making your own sound effects.
Teach children some onomatopoeic words such as tweet, plop, and meow. This can be especially fun with multilingual learners, who may have learned different ways to say animal noises and other common sounds.

As you listen quietly, watch the movements of things around you. For example, talk about how the leaves move and the sounds they make when the wind hits them or how the water in the puddle moves and sounds when the dog runs through it.

Imitate the movements as you make up a dance together.
Imitate the sounds as you make up a new song or change the lyrics to a favorite song, for example, “The rain in the puddle goes plop, plop, plop.”