Fun Simple Outdoor Activities for Your Baby
Suzuki ECE activities are fun, simple outdoor activities for your baby. You and your baby can enjoy the outdoors, the fresh air, and get your Vitamin D while having fun together.
Just a reminder to use your sunscreen or sunblock. Also, make sure your baby is wearing a hat to protect their little face.
Many Suzuki Early Childhood Education (SECE) activities require movement of different types. Besides having fun outdoors, you and your toddler will be getting exercise.
If your baby is not mobile, then you will get the added benefits of carrying your baby. Remember that weight bearing exercise is good for strong bones!
Dr. Suzuki Liked to Have Fun!
Dr. Shinichi Suzuki originated the Suzuki Method of Musical Instruction based on the Mother-Tongue Method of Education. Dr. Suzuki spent much time observing children. He watched how they had fun outdoors with simple activities and were learning at the same time.
Dr. Suzuki learned to think like a child. He was not childish. But, he was able to empathize with children. Above all, he respected them and believed in their potential to develop high ability.
So, you and your baby can head outdoors. Remember that the activities are for fun, but your baby will be learning, too!
Gather Your Equipment and Go Outdoors
You can organize your Fun Simple Suzuki ECE outdoor activities equipment into a tote bag. Then you will be prepared to go outdoors and have fun even if you just have a few minutes.
Here is a short equipment list for the Suzuki ECE activities:
- device to play downloads for the following 2 music selections from Phillips Recording-Pachelbel:Canon/Mozart:Eine Kleine Nachtmusik/Albinoni:Adagio performed by I Musici. The entire album is wonderful listening and well worth the expense. However, for these activities, you really only need to download Track No. 1 and Track No. 8
- soft ball large enough to roll on grass, but small enough for your child to catch, i.e., about 6 inches diameter
- a 6-8″ diameter drum of some kind. BUT if you don’t have one, a Tupperware-type container with a lid works, too!
- At least 1 lightweight scarf or 2 if you have a toddler who can hold it
- NOT REQUIRED, but could be fun: some kind of spider finger puppet or toy spider
- a story to read-board books survive the outdoors a little better than others
- a large blanket to sit or stand on
Get Ready for Simple Fun Outdoors With Ball, Scarf, and Drum!
Roll the Ball is super simple. First, start Track No. 1 that you downloaded. That is Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik Movement 1-Allegro.
If your baby is not walking, hold them in your lap facing out, and extend the ball out and back in to their little tummy. Let them get their hands on the ball. Repeat the activity until the music ends or baby tires of the activity.
This gives them the chance to track the ball movement, touch the ball, then learn to give it up. Or you may have another adult or older sibling out with you. Then, one of you can hold baby and take turns rolling the ball back and forth.
Model using the back of your hand to roll the ball. Doing it this way shows baby to roll it and not throw it. Your goal is to do the activity for the length of the music. Baby is building concentration and growing their attention span.
Drum is another activity that works best if you have a helper. They can beat to the count of 1-8 and stop. Repeat that sequence drumming loudly for marching feet.
You can do medium loud for walking feet. Or you can do softly for tiptoe feet. Again, your baby will absorb the movement and beat from you.
If you have no one to help, just tell your baby “marching feet” etc. and model that action. You can let your toddler imitate you.
Scarves are used for dancing. This is the time for you and your child to be creative in moving your bodies and scarves. We adults can often feel awkward dancing around.
But, here’s the thing: if you model feeling awkward, your child is going to pick up on that. If you freely move around, so will they.
If you are holding your baby, it is doubly important to move to the music. They will absorb the movement and the beat from your body motions.
Simple Outdoor Fun: No Equipment Required
The rest of these Suzuki ECE activities only require your baby and you. Easy!
Pop! Goes the Weasel is as simple as moving in a circle, stopping, and gently hopping on the word, “Pop!”. Your baby will soon come to anticipate the “hop”. This is memory developing in their brain. If you need the words and tune, go here.
Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush is also a super simple circle song. If you need the words and tune, go here. However, you only need to sing the first verse. Then the next verses are open to you and your child’s imagination.
A good place to start is with morning activities. So you could sing: “This is the way we brush our teeth, etc. If your little one is able, they can imitate your action.
If you have a small baby, model the action. This activity is great for remembering a sequence of events and imitating actions.
Eency Weency Spider (Itsy Bitsy Spider) is a fun start to developing vocabulary. The actions to the song are also really wonderful for your baby to develop fine motor skills.
Here are the words and tune to help you: https://youtu.be/1GiD1LpP-7g. Also you really only need to listen for the first 30 seconds to get the words and tune. The rest is repetition. (Which is not a bad thing, Dr. Suzuki would have said!)
Humpty Dumpty is a pretty familiar rhyme. You will stand and hold your baby. As you say the rhyme, rock side-to -side with the beat. On the word “fall”, gently lower your baby toward the ground. You will see them begin to anticipate the “fall” motion.
Quiet Fun Simple Outdoor Activities
It may not alway be the right time to do circle songs or action song. But, you can still go outdoors anyway and do a couple of these quiet activities.
Pat-a-Cake is one simple, quiet activity to do with your baby. Hold them in your lap facing out and help them clap their little hands. If you have a toddler, you should try facing each other and clapping hands together.
Stories are a tried and true activity. I used to take my children out and spread a big blanket under a tree in our yard. Then we would read some of our favorite books. We continued to do this even when they were older. By then, we were taking turns reading a story out loud.
Developing Your Baby’s Ability and Having Fun
You and your baby will certainly have fun doing some of these Baby Class activities outdoors. The fresh air, creative movement, spending time together will be good for both of you.
“An unlimited amount of ability can develop while parent and child are having fun together.”
Dr.Shinichi Suzuki
Remember that your baby is learning every single moment. You are learning new things as a parent. Through all of the activities, you and your baby will develop a deeper relationship.
On the “Beautiful Heart Musical Journey” with you,
Susan
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