Looking for ideas for instruments, books, CDs, props, even therapy tools? This page gives you suggestions of websites, videos, eBooks, and recommended products.
Music Video Recommendations:
Check out our YouTube channel here.
eBooks for Children:
Introduction to Music Reading for Kids:
Interested in introducing your child to reading music and have them playing simple songs?
Learn more about our Xylophone Fun Curriculum here at our eBooks page.
Sing-a-long Books for Children:
Sing along with these colorful books to teach children simple 4-6 letter words based on a theme. Sing to BINGO, a well known favorite.
Learn more about our Sing-a-Long Books here at our eBooks page.
Recommended Instruments and Props:
Create a bag of instruments and props ready to go for any music making with young children. This is great for home, classroom, homeschooling, church classrooms, day-cares, therapy sessions, and more!
Below are some examples of our favorites!
While I have provided Amazon links for these above, many of the good quality instruments by brands like Remo, LP, Rhythm Band, and Nimo are no longer affordable on Amazon. Unfortunately the site has been inundated by cheap products that I have not tested nor would prefer to buy. I would worry about the safety of using them with small children (could break and spill interior pieces) and would wonder about the quality of sound.
Sites that are a good option for buying these types of instruments are Westmusic.com, RhythmBand.com, and MusiciansFriend.com.
Music in the Classroom
There are numerous ways to use music in the classroom. You are probably already using music throughout your day! After all the easiest way to teach a new concept or have kids memorize something like their ABCs is through song!
Read MoreEvery teacher should have a bag of instruments ready to go during circle time or music!
I suggest:
- jingle bells (the bracelet ones with velcro are a favorite); also come in animal shapes
- maracas (plastic ones that sound pleasing can be easily cleaned)
- egg shakers
- lollipop drum (comes in 3 sizes and kids love them! A great incentive for good behavior!)
- bongo drums (gets both hands working)
- xylophone (Basic Beat Resonator Bells is my preference. Kids love it!!!!)
Using ribbons, scarves, masks, and puppets:
Dancing ribbons (on sticks or just long pieces of ribbon) can be used during dancing. Have kids imitate and work on directions like side-to-side, up-down, round in circles, etc or tempo changes like fast-slow. Also give kids a chance to dance freely and creatively!
Scarves can be bought or check out the remnant section at a fabric store (flowy fabric like chiffon or tafetta). Have the kids imitate movements or freely dance to the rhythm of the music.
Masks can be bought or made and are a great accompaniment to dancing songs like Five Green Frogs or Animal Action. Also check out Camielle Saint-Saens’ Carnival of the Animals (Book and CD).
Puppets and stuffed animals are a great addition to learning songs like “Six Little Ducks”, “Five Green Frogs”, “Old MacDonald”, and “Los Elefantes”. Zoo puppets, farm puppets, finger puppets are a few examples. Throw them on a parachute and have kids watch them bounce during a song!
Music At Home
As a parent in today’s society you find yourself running from here to there, taking care of errands, kids, meals, maybe even working on a career. Finding time to bond with your child may seem impossible but here are a few ideas of how to maximize the time you do spend with them!
Using music to increase communication and interaction between parent and child works so well because kids love music, and well, parents do too!
Read MoreBooks are great at bedtime, but they’re also great at other times too! There are so many great book/cd combinations out there. Curl up together with a book, play the CD, and enjoy a fun mini adventure!
Put on a CD and let loose: JUST DANCE! Grab some ribbons or scarves, maybe some jingle bells or egg shakers, and SHAKE IT! You’ll be surprised how much fun you’re having with your kids, how much they love it, and later you’ll realize you just burned a few calories! The best thing is there is no wrong way so just have fun!
Videos: I don’t advocate the use of videos too often but there are times when you have to get that phone call made or chore done. There are many wonderful educational videos out there! Look for ones that feature different types of music and cultures, use live pictures of people and animals, or exhibit exotic animals and places. If you can sit and work on your stuff while watching the video with your child, you can comment on what your watching and express your enjoyment. (Baby Einstein, Disney Nature)
Recommended Songs and Books
ABCs and Counting Songs:
- Five Green and Speckled Frogs
- Six Little Ducks
- ABCs
- BINGO
- Ten Little Drummer Kids (Tune of Ten Little Indians)
Book and Cd:
My favorite book and cd publisher is Barefoot Books. They offer beautifully illustrated books with catchy tunes. Each book comes with a cd of the song with and without the words and many offer a video option as well. There are several books in Spanish too.
- Portside Pirates (Barefootbooks.com)
- Animal Boogie (Barefootbooks.com)
- Walking Through The Jungle (Barefootbooks.com)
- Driving My Tractor (Barefootbooks.com)
- We All Go Traveling By (Barefootbooks.com)
- Over the Rainbow (Judy Collins)
- When You Wish Upon A Star
- The Marvelous Toy
- The Story of My Feelings (Laurie Berkner)
- Its A Small World
- Down By The Bay
- Dreamland: A Lullaby (Mary Chapin Carpenter)
- Gobble It Up: A fun song about eating
- Let There Be Peace On Earth
- Man Gave Names To All The Animals (Bob Dylan)
- Outside Today
Books which can be Sung:
- What A Wonderful World
- Ten Little Monkeys
- Five Little Ducks
- Brown Bear, Brown Bear
- I’ve Been Working on the Railroad
Iza Trapani Books:
Beautifully illustrated books with added verses to familiar songs.
- Itsy Bitsy Spider
- Twinkle, Twinkle (also in Spanish: Brilla, Brilla Linda Estrella)
- I’m A Little Teapot
- How Much Is That Doggie In The Window
- Row, Row, Row Your Boat
- Baa, Baa, Black Sheep
- Mary Had A Little Lamb
- Shoo, Fly
- Its Raining, Its Pouring
Classic Books with Holes:
- There Was An Old Lady
- Wheels on the Bus
- Old MacDonald
- Over in the Meadow
Spanish Resources:
De Colores and Other Latin-American Folk Songs for Children by Jose Luis Orozco – Collection of songs in a beautiful book and CD.
Diez Deditos by Jose Luis Orozco – Collection of songs in a beautiful book and CD.
Brilla Brilla Linda Estrella by Iza Trapani – book
El Loro Tico Tango by Barefoot Books – book and CD