Around the house

• Let your children see that you like listening to music, whether it's
  having the radio on when you're
  doing the dishes, or relaxing to
  your favourite music in the evening.
• Don't forget to join in. If children see you singing along they will be more ready to have a go themselves.
• Put on some really good dance
  music and have a bit of a bop with them while they're still young enough not to be embarrassed by your own very particular style of dancing.
• Try and listen to a variety of music, even if it's only in the background.
• Tune in to a classical radio station
  or play your own classical music
  and get your children to tell you what the music makes them think of and what they think might be happening.
• Get some tapes or CD's of popular children's' nursery rhymes. Ask your children to clap out the rhythms, or beat out the rhythm with a musical instrument.

Musical instruments

When it comes to providing instruments for your children to play with it needn't cost a fortune. We're not talking violins and pianos here - more triangles and tambourines. You can find a great selection of instruments designed specifically for children in good toyshops. Have a look in specialist music shops for inspiration too. Always keep a look out for second hand instruments but do make sure that they are not broken and are of good quality.

• Try to have a variety of musical instruments that make different sounds.
• Some instruments that children seem to enjoy are:
  a) Things they can hit like drums and bongos, triangles and glockenspiels
  b) Tambourines, jingle bells, maracas - or anything they can shake
  c) Recorders, whistles, harmonicas - help them blow off steam
  d) Cymbals or castanets - even banging together spoons
  e) Toy keyboards
• Let the children choose their own instruments and discover for themselves what sounds they can make.
• Try letting them make their own music and get them to play along to some lively music. This will invariably lead to them prancing around the room at the same time.
• Don't expect too much - it will sound more like noise than music but your children will be learning valuable lessons about rhythm and tone.

Making your own

You'd be surprised at the variety of instruments you can improvise by just using odds and ends you already have around the house.

• Babies are quite happy banging on the base of a saucepan with a wooden spoon.
• Fill jam jars with varying amounts of water and get your children to tap them with a spoon and hear the different sounds they make.
• Make your own shakers by sticking two plastic cups or yoghurt pots together after filling them with different materials like rice, dried peas or small stones.

Singing along

Singing along to nursery rhymes is a great way for pre-school children to learn their letters and numbers. Most children learn to sing the alphabet song before they've got any idea what the letters look or sound like. Similarly children will be able to count up to ten when singing 'One, two, three, four, five. Once I caught a fish alive' without really understanding the maths! Both however form a really good base for them to start the learning process.