Non-Screen Time Ideas

Can you whistle? If you already can, make up your own melody to whistle. If you can’t, practice!

Think of a song that you love to sing. Sing it while only focusing on singing the song. Then, go outside and try singing it while doing an outside activity like riding your bike, jumping on the trampoline, playing hopscotch, or anything else! Was it easy to sing while you were moving or was it trickier?

With an adult’s permission, practice some more pots and pans drumming!

Did you know most Disney movies are musicals? They have singing! Think of your favorite Disney movie and favorite song. My favorite is Moana and I have two favorite songs: Shiny and We Know the Way.

Choose a song that you know really well like the ABCs or Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. Try singing it at all different kinds of speeds. Try really fast, really slow, medium, fast at first and then get slow, what other options can you think of?

Think about what part you would play if you were in a rock and roll band. Lead singer, bass player, drummer, guitar player? Put on your favorite song and pretend to play along with whatever part you choose.

Ask a parent, grandparent, or any other caring adult what their favorite music to listen to was when they were a kid. With an adult’s permission, call someone that you haven’t talked to in a while and ask them!

Find a ball or something else that you can toss in the air. Toss the ball at different heights and make your voice follow the path of the ball. The higher the ball goes, the higher your voice goes!

Go outside and see if you can create rhythm patterns using nature. You could use sticks that have fallen on the ground, pinecones, dandelions, and so many others!

Use your imagination to think of a brand new instrument that has never been created. Draw a picture of it, write down what it sounds like, and don’t forget to name it!

Think of a song, or if you’re feeling brave, listen to a song that you DON’T like. Write down or draw the reasons you don’t like that song.

With your family’s permission, look through your kitchen pantry and see how many things you can find that could be used as an at home musical instrument. Some things that I found were sprinkles, a box of rice, a tin can that I could scrape, and a bag of chips.

Read some of your favorite bedtime stories. Do any of them sound musical? A lot of stories can sound like a poem. A poem can be a piece of music that we use our speaking voice to perform. Some of my favorite children’s books that sound musical are “The Going to Bed Book”, “Llama, Llama Red Pajama”, and “Dr. Suess’s ABCs”.

Have a good old fashioned dance party. It can be by yourself, with your family, or with a friend on the phone. Just dance it out!

Go outside (if the weather permits) and listen for the birds. Can you hear them singing? Try and copy their song!

Sing 3 different songs to a pet or stuffed animal. They can be songs from the radio, music class, or anywhere!

Watch a tv show today. Keep a tally of how many times you hear music playing during the show. What kind of music is it? Singing, instruments, short sounds? Does it help make the show better or is it unnecessary?

Choose any song to listen to. Keep a steady beat in all different kinds of ways. Some examples would be: pat your legs, march, jump, tap your elbow, blink, bounce….what else can you come up with?