To help you, the following activities can all be done with your baby to help develop a love of music from a really early age.

With your baby you can:

• Put on a CD and help them to clap hands, clap feet, and bicycle their legs. Show your baby how you clap hands, wriggle fingers, twirl, and bob up and down.

• Lay your baby gently on their back and tap the bottom of their feet gently in time to a song that you are singing, for example, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

• Sing and help your baby to do action songs: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Incy Wincy Spider, Put a Spot Over Here, Round and Round the Garden etc.

• Repeat action songs with your baby often so they can learn words and actions. Make up songs about the things you’re both doing throughout your day – ‘I am walking, You are bouncing’.

Songs to enjoy together
The following popular songs are accessible from our online Song Bank.

• Old Macdonald had a farm
• Pop goes the weasel
• Three blind mice

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Reading list
From the Sing Up Magazines:

• Singing from the start Helen Price (Spring 2008:22-23)

Other publications:

• Lullabies that Awaken Musicality in Infants Music Education Journal. 71:7 pp 28-31 (Brand, M.: 1985)