Benefits of music in child development

Music can have such a positive effect on young and developing minds. Combined with all the natural elements of the great outdoors, music becomes an even more beneficial part of life. Outdoor musical instruments are innovative and sensory-stimulating and are the perfect addition to playgrounds.

Fahr encourages children to join forces and share the joy of music and express themselves both emotionally and physically. The range of contemporary musical playground equipment Fahr has to offer is a huge advancement in skill developing and education during playtime.

Our products are designed to encourage children to improvise when creating music. It becomes less about perfecting music and avoiding mistakes and more about exploring melodic and rhythmic sounds. Everyone has the ability to express their feelings with music, especially when it’s flexible and personal. Like most things improvisation is a skill that will improve with practice.

A musical playground captures the benefits of playing musical instruments and combines them with a natural, outdoor context. It covers both physical and emotional play whilst encouraging children to collaborate with their classmates and friends. Children who play musical instruments from a young age are given a great mental advantage.

Playing an instrument is said to increase brain power, improve memory, build confidence and teach patience. While playing outdoors promotes health and physical wellbeing. These are just some of the benefits of playing music:

Increases Memory Skills
Learning an instrument teaches a child how to create, store and retrieve memories more effectively.

Enhances Communication Skills
Engaging in musical activities activates brain areas linked to language and communication. Singing, listening to lyrics, and performing in groups help children improve their language skills, expand their vocabulary, and express themselves better. Learning music significantly enhances a child's communication abilities.

Improves Coordination
Playing an instrument requires the brain to work at advanced speeds. Reading music is converted in the brain to the physical motion of playing the instrument. Those who play instruments have improved hand eye coordination over those who do not. Learning to play an instrument can help kids grow socially and academically.

Improves Maths Skills
Playing an instrument may seem like a creative act, but there are many parallels to maths. Music and maths are highly intertwined. By understanding beat, rhythm and scales, children are learning how to divide, create fractions and recognise patterns.

Improves Reading and Comprehension Skills
Learning and playing music requires constant reading and understanding. Children and teens need to identify a note on the page and recognise which note to play on their instrument, how long to hold it, what finger to use and how loudly to play it. They also need to identify if the note should be played short and crisp, or smooth and connected to the next note. Learning to read and comprehend music can even help in reading and understanding literature in school classes.

Improves Gross Motor Skills
Playing music, especially with larger instruments or dancing, involves significant physical movement. These activities require coordination and control of large muscles, enhancing balance, strength, and motor skills. Learning music supports a child's physical, social, and academic development.

Exposes the Student to Culture and History
Music theory has a deep history and can be taught as part of musical instruction. Music is most often a reflection of the culture and era it was composed in. Exposing a child to multiple types of musical genres (for example classical, contemporary, rock, jazz, blues, folk or medieval) will allow them to have a glimpse into the past. Understanding the origins of music, can give children a deeper understanding of what they are playing and they may become more attached to it.

Nurtures Self-Expression
Children learning to play an instrument are able to find themselves creatively. One of the amazing benefits of music therapy is the ability for children to express themselves. By learning how to express themselves and their complex feelings through music, they are able to find a way to show or play what they are feeling.

Improves Listening Skills
Playing an instrument requires children to listen carefully to an array of different things. They not only need to listen to instructions from their teacher or music therapist, they need to listen for rhythm, pitch and speed. This concentration will improve their skills in music and in life.

Improves Social Skills
When engaged in a group setting, this requires children to work together to collaborate on a specific sound or song. Interacting with others will give them an opportunity to make friends.