Fun and Interactive Music Activities to do at home for kids Ages 2 - 4

Fun and Interactive Music Activities to do at home for kids Ages 2 – 4

As a music therapist who works with children for a living, I understand firsthand how hard it can be to keep a child entertained under normal circumstances.
During this time of social distancing and staying in the house as much as possible, the same activities may lose their appeal. Here are some music activities and resources that I use with children in my work that may be new to you all!

In my groups, I try to use songs that have actions associated with them, such as the “Wheels on the Bus”, but any song can be turned into an action song!
You can drum on plates or plastic containers, create your own dance moves, or add in a “freeze” for a game of freeze dance when listening to songs that your child loves.
Singing a-cappella songs with your kids rather than using recorded music may be especially engaging with hard of hearing children.

Here is a link to an interactive song that I did with my classrooms in the weeks leading up to school closures:

“Cover Your Cough Song – by Brooke”

“Music for Kiddos” also has many interactive songs that your child may not have heard before. My favorites are “Move it, Move it”, and her hot chocolate song which can both be found on the facebook page.
Here is another version of the Hot Chocolate song that I really like:

“Hot Chocolate Song”

Another way to lengthen a musical activity is to make your own instruments and then play those when listening to music. There are many ways to do this with household items that might be around your house already. My favorites are Easter Egg maracas (since Easter is coming up, you might have some eggs already), Plate Tambourines, and Tin Can Drums.

Here are the maracas I made with my classrooms: