Music and feelings
1–2 yearsFamily ConnectionMaterials: Music player or phone with music
Play different types of music and move together to match the mood. Play happy music and bounce together with smiles. Play slow, soft music and sway gently with calm faces. Name the feeling each time. Say 'This music is happy' or 'This music is calm.' This helps your child connect emotions with different expressions and builds emotional awareness through movement and sound.
Part of the Imprint developmental journey — personalized to your child.
How to Do This Activity
Play different types of music and move together to match the mood. Play happy music and bounce together with smiles. Play slow, soft music and sway gently with calm faces. Name the feeling each time. Say 'This music is happy' or 'This music is calm.' This helps your child connect emotions with different expressions and builds emotional awareness through movement and sound.
Why It Works
Multimodal experiences help young children build emotional understanding by connecting feelings with sounds, movements, and expressions. When parents show empathy and create opportunities for emotional expression, they promote children's emotional well-being and reduce anxiety (Bhansali, 2023). Music naturally engages the imitation and modeling that are powerful learning tools at this age, while the movement component keeps toddlers engaged within their short attention span. This embodied approach to learning about emotions is particularly effective for pre-verbal and early verbal children.
Tips for Parents
Use music you already have. Simple songs work fine.
Exaggerate your movements and expressions to make the connection clear.
Keep sessions short. A few minutes of this activity is plenty for a toddler.
Materials Needed
Music player or phone with music
Learning Methods
Language-Rich EnvironmentImitation and ModelingBeginning Symbolic Play
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