Most kids absolutely love music! From the time they’re babies, they enjoy moving their body to the beat of some tune.
But did you know that musical toys for young children can actually help their development?
Studies suggest that introducing your kids to musical toys from the time they’re born can help their physical, cognitive, and emotional development.
Here’s a look at the benefits of musical toys for young kids.
Benefits of Musical Toys for Babies
A newborn infant’s brain is like a sponge, ready to soak up all kinds of information. Studies suggest that newborns who were introduced to music right after birth (and even in the womb) tend to receive many benefits from music.
Here’s a list of some of those benefits:
Advanced learning skills as they grow older
Infants who are introduced to music early tend to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills earlier than infants who were not.
Scientists aren’t sure why, but they believe that music prepares the neurons in the brain for learning.
Music helps children’s sensory development
Just like sight, touch, and taste helps kids learn, so does music.
Sound is an important part of sensory development and children who are introduced to music as infants have an easier time differentiating tones and even beats.
Music helps kids develop their fine and gross motor skills
Just like we find ourselves nodding our heads or tapping our toes to music, infants respond physically to music by waving their arms and legs, thus improving their motor skills.
As babies get older, they will wave a musical rattle, kick a piano mat, or push buttons on a musical toy on purpose, in order to get the music to keep playing.
Those movements help them further develop their motor skills.
Emotional soothing
This is a wonderful benefit of musical toys for children. Just like the sound of a parent’s voice will soothe a child, soft lullaby music will also soothe a child.
Not only can music be very soothing to kids, it can also help them relax, which can lead to a better sleep.
Language development
Musical toys that include words and lyrics can help children develop their language skills as they try and repeat the words they’re hearing in the music.
Some great musical toys for infants include mobiles, musical stuffed animals, musical rattles, and musical floor mats.
What about toddlers and prechoolers?
Read about benefits for toddlers and preschoolers.