Engage your baby's brain as early as possible.

Engaging the brain: What we can do at home?

Baby Cindy glances up to the ceiling from her cot. At 6 months of age she has already discovered the maraca, various shakers and of course, the drums!Cindy listens intently as I sing “Hello to Cindy”. I am only half way down the passage but I am building anticipation with my voice so Cindy knows I am coming to pick her up. Creating small but repeatable routines through song, I am enabling Cindy to use parts of her brain that respond to patterning which is a very important part of brain development essential for all future learning.Cindy replies with a smile and a gurgling “Coo”. She turns, looking towards me. I sing as I pick her up: ”Up, up, up, up, up.” increasing the tone of my voice from soft to loud and the pitch from low to high until she is as high as I can lift her above my head. I lay her down on the bed for her nappy change while singing: “Down, down, down, down, down.” I use the opposite volume and pitch changes in my voice.Now I am enabling Cindy to listen to and later to recognise the difference between up and down and soft and loud. Connecting the sound changes with words through song and supporting them with body movements, in this case going up and coming down, stimulates a large area of Cindy’s brain.Whilst “up and down” and “loud and soft” are two basic but essential musical concepts, grasping “opposites” in general at an early age gives children a head start in education and in life.I'd love you to share favourite songs that you use with your baby or toddler so others can use them too.Simple musical concepts such as can be incorporated into your children’s daily routine.