Outdoor Musical Instruments Encourage Self-Expression
The Great Outdoors are even greater when you add music! Playgrounds that incorporate outdoor musical instruments do more than provide exercise for kids; they offer a stage for creativity, self-expression, and social interaction while boosting cognitive development.
Bet that’s sweet music to your ears!
Benefits of Outdoor Musical Instruments
Playgrounds have evolved considerably over the years. Once upon a time, you might find a slide, swings, and perhaps a climber. Today’s play spaces are much more diverse; they emphasize variety and accessibility, and include a wide range of commercial playground equipment that stimulates both the body and the mind.
Outdoor musical instruments are a very popular addition to the modern playground. They offer children a number of benefits, including:
- Cognitive development. Outdoor musical instruments can help children develop their cognitive skills in a number of ways. Kids learn to recognize and remember patterns, solve problems, and think creatively when they play music — knowledge that can be applied to the classroom. For example, the beat and rhythm learned by playing outdoor drums helps with basic math skills like fractions and division.
- Social-emotional development. Playing outdoor musical instruments also helps children develop social-emotional skills. When making music together, children learn to cooperate, take turns, and listen to others. Music also encourages children to get “in tune” with their feelings. Outdoor musical instruments serve as a gateway for expressing emotions like joy, anger, sadness, and fear. They’re a great way to boost self-confidence.
- Physical development. Just because they aren’t running, jumping, and climbing doesn’t mean children aren’t getting any exercise playing outdoor musical instruments. On the contrary; musical play often involves movement and physical activity, from dancing and clapping to banging on drums.
Sensory stimulation. Outdoor musical play engages multiple senses, including hearing, touch, and sight. Children can hear different sounds, feel different textures, and see a variety of colors when playing outdoor musical instruments.
- Creativity and imagination. Outdoor musical instruments encourage children to be creative and explore their own musical ideas. They can invent their own songs, rhythms, and dances — keys to developing their self-expression and imagination
Percussion Play Musical Instruments Offer Variety of Fun
Even if your existing school or preschool playground doesn’t offer musical play opportunities, don’t fret (pardon our guitar pun); you can easily incorporate new elements that will complement your current equipment and bring variety to your playspace.
Percussion Play offers a full lineup of outdoor musical instruments that will have kids of all ages dreaming of rock ‘n roll stardom. (Fact: many an adult will let loose on the metallophone or do their best Tom-Hanks-in-Big impression on the grand floor piano when no one else is looking.) From xylophones and chimes to drums, marimbas, and stepping stones, you can mix and match to suit your playground’s specific characteristics.
Are you ready to see for yourself how the power of music can enhance your playground experience? Get in touch with a Barrs Recreation team member for a free quote!