5 Musical Games for 4 -8 Month Olds

Musical Games for 4 -8 Month Olds

Can you believe there are musical activities for babies that will help with their development? It’s true! Music can help teach your baby! There are many ✨amazing✨ things your baby is doing at this age: picking up items using finger and thumb (pincher grasp); imitating actions such as waving/pat-a-cake; mimicking non-speech sounds such as coughing and lip smacking; making many vowel and consonant sounds; reaching out and cooing at others. Our friends at the Mayo Clinic have shared even more milestones for the younger infants and the older infants.

Here are 5 musical activities for babies that will help develop these areas.

1. Provide toys that require a pincher grasp

You’ll want to make sure they can be sounded when your baby shakes or bangs them. A couple of our favorites are listed below. Knot a few scarves together and place in an empty tissue box. You can help baby pull them out for continuous fun! Use a scarf to play peek-a-boo with your baby, too!

2. Make different facial expressions to your baby

You’ll do these while stating or singing the name of the emotion you’re displaying. Most babies giggle if you are overly dramatic when you act out emotions. Get in the mirror and start working on the following expressions: silly; serious; laughing; crying; frowning; smiling; worried; happy; awake; sleepy.

3. Continue to sing back what your baby is babbling/vocalizing

Freestyle rap is the name of this game! Create a melody and weave their ‘words’ into it! Over time, you can bet that one of those renditions will become their favorite song. Sing it back to them in the car, at bath time, and while preparing a meal.

4. Musical Activities for Babies: Dance with your baby

Enhance the experience by dancing💃🏾 while singing or listening to music. Line dance, salsa dance, ballroom dance…be creative! They will love being held close to you while you bust a move on the living room ‘dance’ floor.

5. Sing songs that allow turn taking

Some of our favorites are This Little Piggy and Where is Baby’s (nose, eyes, etc.)

Each line of This Little Piggy is sung while pointing out one children’s toe, starting with the thumb toe to the pinky toe. It usually ends by tickling the foot on the line: “wee wee wee all the way home”.

This little piggy went to the market,
This little piggy stayed home,
This little piggy had roast beef,
This little piggy had none,
And this little piggy cried wee wee wee all the way home

This content was provided by the Music Therapy Department of Florida Hospital

More Musical Activities for Babies and Toddlers

Check out the musical activities for babies 1 – 4 months ; 8 – 12 months; and toddlers 1 – 2 years

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