As summer approaches and class time winds down, we start thinking more and more about the outdoors: camping, swimming, and cottage season. But the warming weather doesn’t mean it’s time to shelve the musical instruments until September. Here are few ideas to create musical moments with your family all summer long.
Here are few ideas to create musical moments with your family all summer long.
1. Bring musical instruments to the cottage
When you’re packing the car for a trip to the cottage, why not bring along your child’s guitar, or a small set of hand drums? Piano students could bring along a small portable keyboard or xylophone.
If you have a family friend or relative who plays guitar, invite them over for a campfire singalong.
Singing together is a great way to build emotional connections with your children. You’ll be creating moments that will be remembered for years to come. Music is meant to be shared!
Here’s a list of five great campfire tunes to get you started. You can also sing these songs together acappella – meaning using your voices only, without guitars or other instruments.
2. Move that body: Musical “Freeze” Dance
Kids love to move, and the “Freeze” Dance is a great way to combine valuable exercise with music.
Also called Musical Statues, this activity involves dancing until the music stops abruptly. When the music is off, the child must “freeze” in place. The dancing resumes when the music starts up again. You can use a portable stereo or play a guitar.
At an early age, children are able to discern beat and rhythm in music, creating a strong urge to get up and dance!
Playing this game outdoors is an easy way to involve music in your summer activities, and you won’t have to worry about kids knocking over a lamp!
3. Make your own outdoor musical instruments
Some musical instruments are more suited to outdoor play than others – for example, you wouldn’t bring your child’s electronic keyboard outside! Or play a violin in the rain.
Drums are a great musical instrument to play outdoors not just because they are usually sturdy in construction. When played inside the house, drums can be overwhelmingly loud. In a wide open outdoor space, the sound level is more manageable.
Making your own musical instruments is a great creative activity, and the options are almost endless. You can make:
- Drums out of paper cups and balloons
- Shakers with pop bottles and dry pasta
- Rain sticks with mailing tubes and dry beans
- Xylophone out of tall glass jars with different levels of water (to create different pitches)
- Rubber band guitar from an unused shoe box
With homemade musical instruments, you won’t have to worry about dirt and mud ruining them.
There are a ton of great resources on outdoor musical instruments from found objects as well. You can turn almost anything into a musical instrument.
And now, it’s time for a cute song by Jason Mraz on the outdoors – featuring the cast of Sesame Street.
What is your favourite way to bring music outdoors? Let us know in the comments below.
Guest blog by https://fireflymusiclessons.com
