Making Music Outdoors – Enriching Your Music-Making Activities!

Physical space and freedom: Sometimes indoor music sessions can be constrained by the physical space you have. We know young children love to move (and need to for their development of course!), and being outside generally means more physical space so that children can explore those big movements that are so important for their gross motor skills: e.g. running, jumping, climbing, skipping. You can also find a variety of surfaces/terrains for children to challenge their physical skills: travelling up & down slopes; negotiating rough ground; weaving in & out of obstacles such as trees or large stones; walking on or jumping over logs.  Our Choo Choo Choo song works brilliantly outdoors, as children can really employ a wide variety of movements and utilise the larger space available.

Spontaneity and creativity: Physically we have more space outside – and I’ve noticed this translates into a greater sense of freedom & creativity during the session, for both the children and the practitioners. Outdoors, we have less control over our environment, and it can present lots of lovely opportunities to follow children’s observations and interests. We’ve also seen children in settings who use Boogie Mites programmes initiating their own music-making when playing outdoors – for example playing Bangedy Bang Bang together on some wooden decking in their garden area. What a wonderful way to practice those beat-keeping skills, which research has shown to be linked to speech & language development!

Sensory-rich environment: During music sessions, the main sensory focus is obviously on sound. By taking music and listening outside, we open up a much more varied soundscape to tune into – whether that’s the birds singing, a lorry rumbling past, the wind in the trees, or a plane flying overhead: perfect for supporting development of listening skills. Shakey Shakey is a song all about tuning into environmental sounds, which lends itself perfectly to an outdoor discussion about what children can hear.

There’s also plenty of stimulation for our other senses: e.g. the smell of the air after rain, the feel of the breeze ruffling our hair, the sight of a crane in the distance. Stopping to notice what’s around us can be really calming, as well as encouraging children to develop their vocabulary, or even tell a story about what they notice.

Connecting to and understanding our world: With growing concerns about climate change, the destruction of habitats and loss of wildlife, it feels more important than ever that we all understand the world around us, and our impact on it. Being outdoors strengthens our connection to the world we live in, providing opportunities to notice the creatures, trees and plants that we share our planet with. Songs like Munch Munch Munch and Frog’s Life prompt children to think about some of the wildlife around us, while Do Re Mi explores how we can reduce our impact on the world by recycling.