Sing some festive tunes with me

Did you know that babies’ brains are programmed to love music? We’re born to pay attention to melody and patterns, which is one of the reasons music can make us feel happy! 

While it's always a good time to sing to your little one, with Christmas songs playing in every shop from November onwards, now is perfect to sing some of your favourite festive songs. There's no need to worry if you can’t hold a tune - your child is born loving the sound of your voice. Be spontaneous and find moments in your everyday activities to stretch your vocal cords, together! 

You can sing while you’re changing nappies, at bath time or meal times, while shopping or in the car. The great thing is you don’t need to know all the words. You can even change up familiar favourites with your own words to suit what you’re doing.  

“Jingle bells, Jingle bells 

It’s time to have a bath 

With lots of bubbles 

We'll make some trouble 

And then it’s off to bed. Yay!” 

Example of changing up 'Jingle Bells' to your routine.

Another fun song to change up the words to is ‘12 Days of Christmas’. You can sing about toys, books and other items at home that will help your little one to make connections to the words. 

The sillier you are, the better! You’ll be strengthening the bond with your child and helping them to learn new words. If you sing your favourite songs together over and over, you’ll soon notice your child will start to predict the words or what’s about to happen next. Children learn best through repetition and they also understand words more easily when you put actions to them. 

Singing festive songs together can build family tradition. Plus, they’re an opportunity to share with your child what the songs are about and the interesting words they use. This could be your annual chance to talk about reindeers and what the word 'jingle' means! Every song has a story. 

These holidays, all your child needs is you to talk, read, sing and play – enjoy the tunes!