Sing. Sing a song. Sing with your children. Sing for fun!

• Listen to different kinds of music. Move to the music by dancing, marching, or wiggling in silly ways. Get your child interested in music from the very first day you bring your baby home by making music part of your everyday life.
• Play or sing the same songs over and over again. Repetition is the easiest and fastest way to teach your child a song.

• Use songs to initiate transitions in your child's day. For breakfast sing, "'If you're hungry and you know it clap your hands.' Sit at the table and give mommy a kiss..." Sing clean-up songs when you are picking up toys. Choose favorite songs to sing at naptime and bedtime.
• Act out songs while you sing. "Itsy Bitsy Spider" is a common song to act out while you are singing. Make up your own actions for songs like "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," or sign the alphabet while singing the ABCs.

• Playing and singing children's music is a good way to keep children entertained while travelling. Buy a cassette tape or CD to listen to while in the car. There's a wide selection of sing-along tapes available for every age group.
• Include music in physical play. Move while the music is playing and freeze when the music stops. Teach rhythm by clapping and marching in time to music.
• Sing. Sing songs with your child when you see objects that remind you of a song. Sing when you are walking, shopping or cleaning. Make music a part of your toddler's life by making music a part of your life.

Tips
Buy a tape player and cassette tapes for your child to play. Collect different types of instruments for your child to play. Talk about the different kinds of instruments you hear when listening to a piece of music.

Warning
You may want to stay away from chaotic styles of head-banging rock, grunge and rap music. Some animal studies have shown altered brain development due to prolonged exposure to chaotic, discordant music.

For Further Reading
Read what experts say about music and your child's development. Try these links to learn more!

http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/6549.html, BabyCenter, "Music and Your Toddler/Preschooler (Ages 1 to 3)"

http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/496.html, BabyCenter, "Our Favorite Children's Music"