What you need:
- bells, drum, rattle, or squeak toys
- pots and pans
- paper-towel tube
- empty salt or oatmeal container
What to do:
- Your baby loves to hear you sing, so do it often! Don't be surprised when she coos and "sings" back to you.
- At six months of age, babies begin to adore clapping games. Try singing "If You're Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands" — it will become a fast favorite. Gently clap your hands where she can see them. Then take her hands and clap them together. Create a sequence to clap to: three beats, pause, three beats, pause.
- At 12 months, your baby can make her own music. Provide bells, a drum, a rattle, or squeak toys. She can explore these sounds and learn the names of the instruments.
- Make instruments out of household items: pots and pans make great drums, while a paper-towel tube filled with sand or pebbles (closed tightly at both ends) makes a terrific maraca.