Websites and Apps to play with
( Android - Free , iPad - Free )
Musilla Musical School is an application suitable for children 6 to 11 years of age in which they learn the basics of music. This beautifully presented app explores the adventures of the Mussila band on a musical journey. Help them find instruments, costumes and create your own music. The app is based on a music curriculum and the player progresses through skill building levels such as recognising instruments, instrumental sounds, rhythm and melodies. This extensive game has over 60 levels of engaging game play and creativity.
( iPad - Free )
‘Baby Mozart Children’s Music’ is a unique application that is guaranteed to help improve your babies sleep and help develop their brain by listening to music. The application is full of content and includes high quality popular classical music tracks, lullaby’s, audio flashcards, nursery rhymes and much more. The app is free from in-app adverts although there are in-app purchases that relate to other musical packages that you can purchase such as Popular Kids songs, Children’s Classic songs, Christmas Classics and more.
Magic Piano
Magic Piano (Free, iTunes, Google Play)
Magic Piano allows kids to follow along with a variety of music from their favorite pop songs to classical masterpieces, and is so fun they don't even realize their are learning about music while they play. The app is free on iTunes and GooglePlay, but you can purchase additional songs via in-app purchases, so you may want to disable this feature before sharing with your toddler.
Yes, I learned that the hard way.
Peg + Cat Big Gig
Go Noodle
Go Noodle is a big hit for all of my kids, ages 15 months to 12 years. This fun and easy-to-use app features hundreds of videos to teach your kids choreography, silly songs, and mindfulness techniques like breathing and meditation. Better, it allows parents to convert even the crabbiest of mornings or rainiest of afternoons into an indoor dance party.
Spotify Music
Spotify Music (free iTunes, GooglePlay, subscription required for full version)
My music-loving tweens are obsessed with Spotify, and since we have a Premium for Family account ($14.99/month), it was easy to add their devices so my playlists wasn't suddenly filled with Katy Perry and Twenty One Pilots songs. They literally spend hours making playlists and listening to the daily lists Spotify creates for them. It's magical.
Chordana Play
Chordana Play (Free, iTunes, Google Play)
When my daughter became obsessed with learning to play the piano, Chordana Play was the answer (especially since I can barely play "Chopsticks" and we don't have room for the real thing). Rated for ages 4 and up, it's surprisingly easy to follow and learn to actually play the piano and read music, even for your youngest budding pianist. Even better, once they learn the 50 included songs, you can upload as many midi files as you want to expand their library of music to play.
PBS Kids Party
PBS Kids Party, (free, iTunes, Google Play)
If you are looking for an easy-to-use app for younger kids, PBS Kids Party lets younger kids explore their voices, movement, and have musical fun, all while you take a much-needed break. It features a variety of games like Dance, which lets your preschooler make the characters on the screen move and follow basic choreography and and even a sound recorder, which is my son’s favorite part.
Sing! By Smule
Sing! By Smule (free, iTunes, GooglePlay)
Sing! by Smule is my oldest daughter's favorite music app. This recording studio app allows users to sing along to their favorite songs and record videos of their top performances. If you are concerned about explicit lyrics, you may have to monitor their song selections, but for older kids and teens you can let them explore, learn to sing, and record videos of themselves performing their favorite songs.
World Music With DARIA is a website from this multiple award-winning educator and musician. The website was given a 2009 Parent's Choice Award for its family-friendly introduction of world music to young people and it's resources for teachers, parents and special education professionals. The instrument section allows children to color, hear and find pdf instructions on how to make world music instruments such as cajónes (box drums), didgeridoos, shekeres, pow-wow drums and guiros along with cultural background information.
Great graphics and fun games-like the clarinet scavenger hunt-make this New York Philharmonic website great, especially for instrumental students.
http://pianoeducation.org/pnokids.html
This site is just for kids—to talk to other kids about piano, listen to the Taz-man, jump to other cool places, time travel to meet a famous composer or pianist, get a great tip to help with lessons, get help with writing piano or music reports or even ask a question!
http://www.classicsforkids.com/
Explore instrument families and composers.
East Meadow School District website