Music Education Reinvented: 5 Hands-On Approaches to Engage Young Learners

Of course, it is understandable that parents and teachers want to focus on STEM subjects. Still, if history has taught us anything, it is that a child’s intelligence only improves alongside musical engagement. Plus, it’s fun for them. So how do get kids more engaged in music? Keep reading.

1. Rethink Playground Time

One of the easiest ways to get kids engaged in music is to take advantage of their outside time. Generations ago, children made up songs on the playground to jump rope to or play hopscotch to. As an educator, you could teach your children some of these songs or help them make up one of their own. Have kids collaborate on a central figure for their song and a melody. Include a counting or rhyming aspect, and you’ve got musicians on your hands!

Another great approach is to integrate play structures with musical instruments built into them. Many swing sets now sit beside structures with drums, chimes, strings, and other musical elements on them. This built-in music allows kids to get their hands on simple forms of instruments they may take up later. At the very least it’s a good opportunity to create and hear melodies. Talk to your school administrators about updating the playground equipment to include some musical features.

2. Take Nature Walks

Enough cannot be said about nature walks. Time in nature is great for stress relief, physical health, and, yes, creativity. It also helps kids learn observational skills and develop fine and gross motor skills. Yep, getting down and dirty in nature has tremendous benefits, and one of them is music appreciation.

When on a nature walk, you can have kids walk in silence and observe the sounds of nature. The wind in trees, the water flowing in rivers and creeks, and the birds singing are all forms of music in their own way. Then, have children try to mimic the sounds they hear. You can also incorporate sing-alongs on your walk to sing together. These songs could be as simple as “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt,” or as complex as “Down by the Bay.” You could even add lessons in whistling!

3. Think Outside of the Box With Instruments

Many parents of small children know that a baby will turn pretty much anything into an instrument. Open your cabinets and drawers and let them pull out pots, pans, wooden spoons, and Tupperware, and they’re little John Bonhams or Meg Whites! This creative exploration does not have to stop at toddlerhood. It can extend into the classroom well into grade school. Look around your class, and you’ll find an array of items that could make music.

You don’t have to be Jack Black in School of Rock to turn your classroom into a band. But you can discover which of your students enjoys singing, which enjoys string instruments, drums, or wind instruments. Then, have kids project their voices through a cone of plastic. String an open box with rubber bands. Fill objects with water and tap them with a wand. And have them beat their hands and fists on their desks. The possibilities are endless.

4. Visit Local Free Musical Events

Parents and teachers alike can take kids to free local musical events. Many towns and counties offer symphonies, orchestras, and choruses as a gift to the community. Beyond that, universities often host musical events. Attending a live event with instruments and/or singing is a wonderful opportunity for kids to imagine themselves as future musicians.

You can research local music and instrument stores in your area for free events. Often, local shops will allow classrooms or groups to come in and try instruments. Getting their hands on a guitar, piano, or drum set may spark a musical intuition in kids. Before you know it, they’re looking up guitar lessons on YouTube and playing Stairway to Heaven after dinner.

5. Expose Kids to the Full Variety

Last but not least, make sure kids have exposure to the full variety of music. A kid uninterested in classical symphony may fall in love with classic rock. One child may shun pop music but adore techno or house. Music takes many forms, from birds singing to digital beats pounding. Alerting kids to that reality, and that you are aware of it, can go a long way toward building appreciation.

They don’t have to like your music, and you don’t have to like theirs. But you can show them, as an adult and educator, that you appreciate music in general. You respect that there are different types of music for everyone. You will teach them to do the same by bringing a bit of everything into the classroom. Pull out your old boom box or Bluetooth speaker and blast mariachi music, country, metal, and grunge rock. And don’t forget Taylor Swift; she’s quite popular these days.

In the end, you teach children to appreciate, engage with, and learn music the way you teach anything else. You expose them to it, you immerse them within it, and you provide the tools. Work to get music onto your playground and into your classroom. Encourage parents to play music in the car and at home. And don’t forget those nature walks! The sweet sounds of nature’s melodies are inspiring and hard to resist.