Musical play with the least musical mother... Youtube songs & DIY sound discovery bottles.

I'm really not  musical. I don't play any instruments, I only ever listen to the radio when I'm in my husband's car and I can't sing. However, I do love to butcher a song on Singstar! I don't want this to lack of musical ability to rub off on Sophie so I have tried my hardest to expose her to sounds & rhymes. From very early on I have played this lullaby to her at bedtime - The Elephant's Lullaby. She would smile if she heard it at night but cry if I played it in the day when she was wide awake! 

I quite often use Youtube to play songs to Sophie and I am subscribed to a couple of channels. Although, I have to hide the screen because otherwise she stares at it like a zombie and I am quite keen for her to be screen free for as long as possible.

Source: Youtube

These are our favourites from Story Bots. Be warned they are not to everyone's taste and will get stuck in your head. We recently walked around the zoo singing 'Zeeeeebra, zeeeeeebra, zeeeeeeeeeeebraaaaa!' (by 'we' I mean 'me'. Sophie was asleep) and I often hear my husband singing the 'Big Brown Boogieing Bear' while he is working on the extension. But when she hears that 'StoryBots ta da' before the song starts she beams the biggest smile so it is worth it!

Source: Youtube  //  1. Big Brown Boogieing Bear  //  2. He's a Zebra  //  3. Chicken Bop (but I sing Chicken Butt. Yes I am a child)

We also subscribe to British Kids Songs. Some of these are quite annoying. However they are handy when, despite being a teacher, you can't remember the words to any nursery rhymes and songs. They have a series of channels for different countries with different songs and accents. So being a Neighbours fan my entire life and having withdrawal symptoms from not watching it since Sophie was a newborn, I subscribed to the Australian channel too!

Sources: Youtube  //  1. British Kids Songs  //  2. Aussie Kids Songs

Our favourite songs are:

1. The Wheels on the Bus  //  2. Five Little Monkeys  // 3. She'll be Coming Round the Mountain  //  4. Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree

I tried making a discovery bottle before but Sophie hated the sound of the buttons shaking so I ended up adding water to make it more of a visual discovery bottle. However, I decided to have another go at making sound bottles but ones that would be a little bit quieter so that we could shake them along to the songs! 

What you need:

·         Empty plastic bottles

·         Objects to put inside e.g. straws, cake decorating sprinkles.

·         Old bottle cut to make a funnel

·         Scissors

1. Take the label off the bottles and wash them out.

2.    Fill the bottle with the objects you have chosen. Top tip if you are going to use straws – Put a funnel into the bottle and cut the straws into the funnel.

3.    Put the lid on securely.
4. Shake and play!

Sophie responded much better to these discovery bottles. Perhaps because they make a softer, quieter sound than the buttons. 

She seemed to enjoy holding them and looking at them but she is not able to really shake them yet. It was really interesting to watch her develop her grasp and holding skills. When she dropped the bottle she used her legs to grip it and move it back up to her hands. 

These are so simple to make and kept her engaged for ages and make me feel a tiny bit more musical!

What musical activities do you do with your child? Do you have favourite songs that you sing with your child?

Make sure the lid is on tight and always supervise your baby when using the discovery bottles.