Music Play

Find music and musical play ideas for young children of all abilities, including reviews of our favorite music toys and tutorials on how to make your own DIY musical instruments.

Asian teacher teach ukulele to girl with Down's syndrome.

Autism, Music Play

6 Ways Music Therapy Can Support Children With Autism

By harnessing the power of music, autistic children can develop communication, social, emotional, cognitive, and motor skills. Here’s how!

Children and teacher playing with musical instruments in preschool.

Music Play

Music and Movement: Enhancing Preschool Learning Through Songs

Music and movement activities for preschoolers can help enhance their cognitive skills and brain development while developing social, emotional, and academic skills.

Music Play, Visual Impairment

Why We Love Music Therapy for Our Blind Son

Jennie writes about how her son, Max, responds to music. Other therapies failed Max and often stressed him out, but Music Therapy has been very successful for him!

Skwitch

Music Play

Skwitch: A new way to make music

The Skwitch is an accessible device that connects to your iPhone, turning your phone into a music making machine with coding and accessibility features too!

Ivan and grandpa

Music Play

Using Music to Connect the Generations

Grandparents love to sing to their grandkids. Aside from being a wonderful way to bond with your young child, music is a great tool to connect the generations and help...

Skoog musical cube

Music Play

Skoog Music Cube

The Skoog is a soft music cube that you can manipulate to create different instrument sounds. It's accessible to children with various disabilities, including physical disabilities.

Bolang gu craft

Holiday Crafts and Ideas, Music Play, Tactile Arts and Crafts

Make Your Own Chinese New Year Drum!

Although it's often seen as a children's toy or a fun sound effect at Chinese New Year, the Bolang Gu is actually an instrument that dates back to ancient China....

Music Sheet in Braille

Music Play, Visual Impairment

Making Music Accessible to Blind Musicians

A revolutionary 3-D printing system makes music easier to read for blind musicians. Invented by a blind South Korean musician as part of her doctoral dissertation, it makes music accessible...

Bebot

iPad Apps and Accessibility, Music Play

Bebot Music App Review

Bebot is a simple sound cause and effect app that makes funny synth robot sounds. Touch the screen and make the robot sing!

morris bells

Music Play

Make Your Own Morris Bells!

Daria shows you how to make morris bells, a folk music tradition from England and the British Isles. Making the bells is easy and dancing with them is fun!

Little gourd shekere

Music Play

Grow Your Own Musical Instrument in Your Garden!

Daria shows us how to grow gourds and turn them into musical instruments like shekeres and guiros! Plant your seeds in the spring and you'll have your own home-grown instruments...

Bloom app

iPad Apps and Accessibility, Music Play

Bloom Music App Review

Eric Jerman reviews the generative music iPad app, Bloom. Bloom allows children to create gentle, soft music patterns and bubbles of color with just the tap of a finger. The...

Gong

Music Play

Make Your Own Gong!

Learn how to make your own Chinese gong using simple objects you probably have in your kitchen. Decorate your gong with tactile crafts and make lots of noise!

A Sistrum

Music Play

Make Your Own Sistrum, an Egyptian Rattle

Daria shows you how to make your own Sistrum, an ancient Egyptian instrument, out of a wire coat hanger, electrical tape and buttons!

ThumbJam Music App

iPad Apps and Accessibility, Music Play

ThumbJam Music App Review

ThumbJam is a simple music app that allows your child to make beautiful, clear sounds with their iPad. It features all sorts of advanced options for changing the sounds or...

Cajita

Music Play

The Cajita: A Little Box that is an Instrument

Daria tells you about the history of a fun instrument called a cajita and how to make one yourself out of simple materials.

Ivan playing on his piano

Music Play

Music & Development: Musical ways to engage developmentally disabled children

Learn what Music Therapy is, why it's an important part of your special needs child's arsenal of services, and how you can enhance your child's life at home by including...

box

Music Play

The Cajon: A Box That’s a Drum That’s a Box!

Learn how to make your own Cajon, a box that's a drum that's a box!

babies at music time

Music Play

Babies & Music: How to introduce your infant or young child to music

Learn how to introduce music to even the youngest infant, including those with special needs. All babies benefit from having music in their lives!

A baby girl reaching out with her fingers

Music Play

Nursery Rhyme Hand Motions

Children love interactive songs, and kids who are blind or visually impaired can learn coordination, body awareness, rhythm, and teamwork. Watch these videos to learn the simple hand motions for...

Child playing an xylophone

Music Play, Visual Impairment

Are Blind Kids More Musically Inclined?

Adam Ockelford, Professor of Music, Roehampton University announced a study in 2010 that would focus on the relationship between musicality and retinopathy ofprematurity (ROP). This study follows up his similar...

Songs for Teaching logo

Music Play

Songs for Teaching: Using Music to Promote Learning

A collection of songs categorized by subject so you can find the perfect song to fit any curriculum or lesson plan - or just to emphasize an idea at home.

Ivan playing guitar

Music Play, Visual Impairment

Music as Motivator for our Visually Impaired Kids

Music can be a great way to stimulate a visually impaired baby, but where do you begin? We'll give you some practical ways to incorporate music into your baby's day.

Ivan loves music!

Music Play

Rhythm & Blues for the Winter: Motivating your child to move through music!

Music therapist Meredith R. Pizzi explains how you can use music and rhythms to encourage your child to get up and move!