Music stimulates brain development (whether you are 2 or 102) and it improves mental functions such as memory and language skills, mental flexibility, spatial thinking AND helps our emotional well-being.
The four activities below add another level of brain exercise for your family’s holiday singing.
FIRST SING THE “REAL” SONG. Then do the variation described. (If you don’t know the lyrics to the song I’ve suggested, then replace it with a nursery tune or another more familiar song.)
1. Let it Snow S-l-o-w:
Sing “Let It Snow” at a very SLOW pace. Then sing it as FAST as you can.
2. Jingle All the “A”:
Sing the alphabet (or numbers) to the tune of “Jingle Bells.” (“A, B, C. [pause] D, E, F. [pause] G, H, all the way. [pause] Oh what fun it is to say [pause] the alphabet this way-ay. I, J, K …”)
3. Frosty the “CLAP CLAP”:
Sing “Frosty the Snowman” and replace “snowman” with 2 claps (one for each syllable.) Sing it again, this time replacing another word with different action such as a stomp, finger snap or wave.
4. Ruby the Pink Nosed Dancer:
Sing “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer” and replace one or more words with a totally different word. (“Ruby the pink nosed dancer, had a very shiny …”)
So this holiday season let’s all start singing and thinking!