Little Drummer Baby

What you need:

• bells, drum, rattle, or squeak toys 
• pots and pans 
• paper-towel tube 
• empty salt or oatmeal container 

What to do:

1. Your baby loves to hear you sing, so do it often! Don't be surprised when she coos and "sings" back to you.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.

Learning benefits:

• promotes social development 
• supports awareness of sound and rhythm 
• provides auditory stimulation