I recently found Band-in-a-Box made by Melissa and Doug in a toy store while searching for music toys for my children. My children have had so much fun playing with Band-in-a-Box that I decided to use it for my first giveaway!
Band-in-a-Box comes with a tambourine, maracas, cymbals, tone blocks, a triangle, and a clacker. To win all you need to do is to make a comment and tell me what you do to integrate music into your child's routine. On Thursday October 23rd I will randomly draw a winner from the comments, and then on Friday October 24th I will announce the winner!
This giveaway is open to readers with a address in the U.S.
We are always singing at our house - singing to wake the kids up (when they don't wake up before us), singing the clean-up song, bursting into random Raffi songs throughout the day, and each member of the family chooses one song at night for the whole family to sing before bed.
ReplyDeleteWhat a cute giveaway! I love it! My kids are constantly singing...when we walk my son to preschool we just sing silly songs about what we can see as we go. And whenever my kids do something praise-worthy we sing a "Hooray" song that my mom used to sing to us when we were kids.
ReplyDeleteI sing to and with my grandson.
ReplyDeleteI buy dvd's that have songs and dancing on them.
My grandson loves to sing and learn the verse of a song.
Thank you!
janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com
I don't wish to enter your give-away, but I'd love to encourage others!
ReplyDeleteMy brother and I had a set exactly like this when we were little and my children have enjoyed playing with it too. It is a great, classic, toy.
Sometimes we'll have a band night - where we just try to make music (sometimes it sounds like noise...) - and it might include drums, piano, clarinet, trombone, pots, pans, kitchen utensils, a box, etc. We don't do this enough...
ReplyDeletedon't tell beans but she is getting her first musical instruments tomorrow for her birthday!!
ReplyDeletei can't wait :)
So cute! It reminds me of instruments I had as a child.
ReplyDeleteWe love singing at our house as well and my little ones are always using the kitchen supplies as drums and such. I'd keep it in the kitchen and have them play them while I'm cooking dinner! We’ve been working on rhythm a lot with my son and I know he would have fun!
My kids will not go to sleep unless we sing a song together. This is probably because when they were first born I would sing them to sleep while nursing them. It was a good way to create a routine to help them fall asleep and when I stopped nursing, they still had something familiar to help them fall asleep. Now they like to sing to me and even make up their own songs.
ReplyDeleteI also like to use the time in the car to listen to music and sing. It is a great time to just be able to be loud and have fun!
I love the idea of this giveaway and here is what I would do...
ReplyDeleteAs you know, my son has just started piano lessons. He is sooooo into music and into the lessons. What he has a difficult time with is tempo and dynamics. I took all of your previous advice on how to help him with that and it is certainly helping, but I would love this Band in a Box to add a little more variety. I would also like to make it a family affair. So... we are learning tempo and dynamics together as a family.
Now, as far as what I do to introduce music into my kid's routine on a regular basis? Every Monday, we have a family night. One child gets to choose the song and the other gets to lead it. That is a regular thing we do. Then, on a more irregular basis, to keep 'em guessing, I sneak into the living room and play a rockin' version of Mary Had a Little Lamb and no matter where they are in the house, they stop, run into the living room, and know it is dance time. They LOVE it. But... my favorite thing is downloading classical music and playing new pieces for them on a regular basis while making up stories to it. They remember songs by their stories and are totally into the variety of classical music out there. They have developed such a love of music from all of these things.
Can't wait to see if I win!!!
I want this giveaway so bad!!! I need this giveaway so bad!!! This is my area of weakness!!! I try to integrate music a lit bit everyday when we are driving to daycare and home from daycare. I bought the three pack cd of children's song and I sing the songs to him but I need something for when we are at home. And could you believe my husband's in a band?? You would think that I would have great ideas for this area of learning but I don't!!! My little guy is still to young for the big equipment my husband has and I am one of those people that like to drive in silence (well pre-baby anyway)!!! So you see this is a serious issue for me and I would love to have the band-in-a box so that I would have something in my house related to music that he could play with!!!! I love this giveaway!!!YAY
ReplyDeleteWe start every day with our special "morning songs", about 8 little songs that we love. Througout the day I sing to my little one, and she looooves going with me to my church choir practice, while she sings along and helps our pianist out from time to time. I can't wait until she gets a little bit older so that we can start her on some lessons! I know she would love shaking the maracas right now though!
ReplyDeleteWe sing a lot of our memory lessons such as their phone number, address and nursery rhymes.
ReplyDeleteajcmeyer AT go DOT com
We bought my daughter a little keyboard, some musical toys and because she was always trying to play daddy's guitar, I made her a toy one. She "plays" it when he plays.
ReplyDeleteLook at that! It's got everything. It might even be slightly quiter than the pots/pans with spoons that my son uses now. I may have to call him "Animal".
ReplyDeleteOh - this set would be SO much fun!
ReplyDeleteI love music - I start the baby's day with "Oh let the sun shine in" even though I can't sing! We have some fun kid CDs that I play during playtime. Esme (18 months) gets to "practice" on the keyboard several times a week (I tell her the names of the notes as she's pressing them), and I often play demo songs (or play myself if I'm feeling especially talented), especially ones that go with our letter of the week. We clap together with the beat, or tap on the table or shake a container of dry beans or get out the African drum. I'll play kiddy music on my flute just for the fun of it. Sometimes we'll do crafts related to music, like taping notes to musical staff paper. And before bedtime, we watch music videos online.
Just have to tell you thanks for sending me your link thru facebook! I have enjoyed your posts and so have my kids. You are an inspiration, keeping music going in your family and helping others learn about it.
ReplyDeleteWe are always singing and dancing. We make up songs all the time, and the Olympic theme is my kids favorite at the moment. :) Also, my daughter has a toy violin that she's been using, and in January I'm planning on teaching her. I love music! Thanks for this giveaway!
Great giveaway! We sing a LOT and because my husband and I are both musicians, there's quite a bit of playing in our home as well...lots of instruments around. I use music to teach the kids anything from phonics to multiplication tables to the presidents of the US! Mostly, I try to expose the kiddos to a wide variety of styles of music from just listening to a CD, the radio or going to a concert in the park. I hope I win!
ReplyDeletei always calm my child with singing her fav nursery rhymes..and sleeping routine is always reciting all of them..
ReplyDeleteWe sing and dance a lot in our house. And this blog has been a wonderful source of ideas for incorporating music into our daily lives more. The crafts - like the rainstick (LOVE that one!) - and the music games (great for a snowy day like today), and the songs you post are great!
ReplyDeleteWe listen to tons of CDs and watch mostly musicals. Music seems to be always playing at our house. Great give away, my kids would love it!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog! I thought I'd comment on the "band in a box" - my daughter got this for your birthday and likes it! It's great that your site is devoted to musical fun for kids. (I don't need to be in the giveaway since we already have this item.)
ReplyDeleteWays that we enjoy music in our home are: To start our school day we sing together (as well as pray, memorize and read manners). We love singing Bible choruses, action songs and hymns. Most of the time we sing accapella for this but sometimes everbody picks up some sort of instrument to play along. (That can get pretty noisy as I have fairly young children. It would be a great place to use a Band in a box.)
ReplyDeleteI also often sing a song to wake the kids up in the morning.
We also enjoy singing in the car or whenever I play the piano I usually find some children joining me.
Another fun music time is when we go to church.
At night after the kids are in bed and the lights are out we sing a worship song together.
We love music!!
Beside the fact that my son sings ALL DAY LONG! He sings to his trains, his sister, sings the pledge of allegience, everything! He actually says pretty on key when singing a song too. He loves to have my husband play his guitar and dance to the beat. Then he gets out his little guitar, ukelele (sp) and plays and wants us to dance around!
ReplyDeletepulhamfamily AT gmail DOT com
Whenever my 15 mo daughter hears music she dances. She has rhythm too! I play music, sing songs, and dance with her whenever I can, (it's amazing all the things you can put to music). My neighbor & Itook our girls to a children's music class & it didn't meet our expectations, so we have decided to put on our own. This afternoon will be the first one. We are planning on singing songs, listening to music, make homemade instruments that they can play, & scarfs to dance with. Then the toddlers can spontaneously do what they choose. The band in a box looks like it has some wonderful instruments for small children! Great Idea!
ReplyDeleteDid I miss the deadline? Oh well if i did. We do lots of singing with my 18 month old twins. We also have kazoos that they love and maracas. Amazingly enough one of my twins has very good rhythm.
ReplyDeleteoh, I just missed it. I think. Crossing fingers. Mekhi loves to dance and listen to music. So we listen to cd's and he dances and plays the few instruments that we do have.
ReplyDelete