8 Tips For Getting Kids Into Classical Music

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• When they are babies, buy your children musical toys that play classical music. These can range from cuddly toys that also speak, to night time soothers which will help them feel safe and relaxed at bedtime.

• Choose computer games that incorporate classical music, or neo-classical. For example, try Lemmings, a puzzle platform game that can develop their problem solving skills, and incidentally, has a classical rich soundtrack, including pieces by Tchaikovsky.

Baby Ewoks (Photo credit: Sam Howzit)

• In a similar vein, there are thousands of movies with classical scores, from Star Wars to Fantasia, with a section called The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, a classic Mickey Mouse movie where Mickey tries to do the housework using magic.

• Introduce them to lighter, more fun pieces of music, like Chopsticks, or Flight of the Bumblebee.

• Incorporate classical as a soundtrack to their games. Alternatively, if they like swords and sorcery, play some dark, thunderous battle music for them to play to.

• Have it on in the background, on a Sunday say, or during dinner.

  xylophone (Photo credit: Cheryl Harvey)

• Get them involved – buy them toy instruments like keyboards or plastic ‘violins’ that can be played with or set to play a repeating classical music fragment. Xylophones are a good one to get children started on simple melodies.

• Take them to a family friendly concert when they’re old enough, and to parent and toddler groups when they aren’t, so they can learn to sing and make noise at an early age.