At the Heart of Musicality is Play

The overall aim of our Musical Play classes is to lay the foundation of music for life; to incorporate all the elements of music so that children begin to incorporate these elements into their own play, to listen, say, sing, move and play.

Musical Play helps children to enjoy and create their own songs and dances. The musical patterns help them to develop the visual, rhythmic, melodic, auditory and social skills required to progress to learning an instrument, singing in a choir, joining a band or playing in an orchestra.

We draw on recognised research and expertise from the fields of music education, psychology, neuroscience, physiology, music therapy and play therapy, as well as over thirty years’ experience of musical play research, teaching, early intervention and play with children and their families.

Aims:

• To use improvised and traditional songs and music to regulate and provide a clear, predictable structure so that children listen, anticipate and participate in each sequence of a music activity.

• To match individual and group energy and emotional levels, to uplift, inspire, energise, calm or soothe.

• To build self-esteem by singing about each child, noticing moment by moment what they are doing and singing/building predictable music structure around their offerings.

• To incorporate the language of music in every class in very specific ways through use of steady beat, rhythmic and melodic patterns (echoes, pitch games), exploring fast/slow, moving to different metres such as marching (4/4) or waltz time (3/4), using a variety of props to develop sensory motor skills.

• To help each child to move, sing, dance and play in time, which is crucial for reading, writing, maths and sport.

• To help children sing in tune through the exploration of major, minor, blues and pentatonic scales, through chime bar play, and through the use of music games with scarves, hoops and parachute.

• To develop listening skills so that children go to school able to listen, anticipate, concentrate and identify sounds and sound sequences. This listening helps children to identify songs, individual sounds such as bird song and instruments, and to copy patterns.

• To provide much social musical play that helps children to watch, listen, take turns, be the leader, learn actions, and practise emotions such as surprise, happiness or sadness.

• To use sung music routines to help children to listen, anticipate and learn sequences of an activity such as tidying up, lining up or following instructions. This a valuable strategy to use in daily routines at home or in the classroom.

  
  

When children are given the opportunity to play, explore, and create through music, they become confident learners and creative thinkers able to develop a highly sophisticated sense of play. They develop a sensitive capacity to care for others. Their sense of musical playfulness can have a profound effect throughout their lives. Music can become the motivating force which drives all their learning. 

© Julie Wylie 2026