So yesterday we survived our day home alone. It was in fact a rather lovely day and we did lots of lovely things. My favourite of which was our Musical Mayhem time. This is based on a class we go to every Monday morning called Fun Train. The class is made up of action songs, puppets, musical instruments and more. At home we try to take what we have learned in the sessions to make up a music time of our own.

I keep all of our instruments in a Trunki toy box and when it is time for Musical Mayhem to begin I pick up the box and shake it. Esther and William know what this means and come rushing to the floor.

First they just have 5 – 10 minutes free play with all the instruments. We have shakers, tambourines, maracas, castanets, claves, sleigh bells, drums all in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours.

When I think they are ready I start the music for our first song which is always Roly Poly. They love it! They know and can do all the actions.

We then Shake Our Sillies Out before singing Five Little Monkeys Bouncing on the Bed.

Next we get our drums and drumsticks ready to sing The Grand Old Duke of York and Nelly the Elephant.

We then swap our drums for claves to sing Horsey Horsey and What Does the Clock in the Hall Say. We sometimes do Hickory Dickory Dock with the claves too.

Esther and William love action songs so we practise putting our instruments down on the floor or back in the box and then we do Wind the Bobbin’ Up, Open Shut Them, Heads Shoulders Knees and Toes, The Wheels On The Bus and If You’re Happy and You Know It.

After this we often use the little castanets to accompany Six Little Ducks That I Once Knew and Five Little Speckled Frogs.

We then usually tidy all the instruments away saying ‘back’ as we place (or throw) them back into the box.

We end our sessions with calming down songs such as Sleeping Bunnies and The Dingle Dangel Scarecrow. Esther and William are just starting to really understand the concept of these songs being slow and sleepy in parts then loud and fast in other bits. They love it!

Esther and William are confident using the instruments and they know what they are all called. They are starting to sing along to songs in their own funny way and they have a really good sense of rhythm for such little people. They love music and really enjoy our planned and inpromptu sessions. After half term we are starting another music class, Musika, to add to our repertoire of songs and skills.

I think music is a really important part of child development and I am glad that my children seem to love music and singing as much as I do.