Yes, the Olympics are about sports but music is part of the Games too. Can you include some Olympic music activities for your child?
Did you notice several of the athletes putting their hands high above their heads and encouraging the crowd to clap in time? Their sport didn’t include music. Instead, the crowd supplied the rhythm. A simple and easy game to play with kids is to clap a few times in different patterns and let your child echo what you did. For example, you might clap one slow clap and two very fast ones. That’s pretty easy for kids to repeat. A rhythm slow/ fast-fast/fast-fast/slow is more complicated. When kids know how the game works, they can clap a pattern for you to imitate.
Not all sports have music at the same time but music is definitely part of the Olympic Games experience. Put on some music and kids can roll, tumble, jump, and twist like the athletes in the floor routine. Try some slow music and some that’s fast. The spongy mats that zip together make a good mat, if you have some.
Every medal ceremony includes one or more countries’ national anthem. You might want to sing the one for where you live together. Sometimes, kids don’t quite have all the right words in their version.
Another song to sing is Row, Row, Row Your Boat. There are rowing events at the Olympics. At home, kids sit on the floor and do the actions. Athletes train their bodies. A body song for singing and actions is Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes. A song about clapping is, If You’re Happy and You Know It Clap Your Hands. Add some extra verses, like:
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands.
If you’re strong and you know it, flex your muscles.
If you’re fast and you know it, run right here. (run on the spot)
If you’re bouncy and you know it, jump really high.
If you’re flexible and you know it, twist and bend.
Music uses many different parts of the brain. That’s why it’s such a powerful activity. Are there some Olympic music activities and play at your house or play center? Would you say this post has a ring to it?