Music is a universal language—one that babies are tuned into from the very beginning. The rhythm of your voice, the melody of a lullaby, and the beat of a favorite song all play a role in your child’s development. According to Vered Benhorin, music therapist, psychotherapist and founder of Baby in Tune, “Music is a powerful tool for connection. It provides cues that help babies understand their world and build relationships.”

From aiding in emotional development to fostering cognitive growth, music is more than just entertainment—it’s an essential part of how children learn. Below, Vered shares tips with Vivvi on how to use music to support your child’s learning and emotional development at every stage.

Babies 0-8 Months: Establishing Routines with Music

Do you know why preschool teachers use a clean-up song every time they want kids to transition from playing to cleaning? Because it works! The song becomes a behavioral cue, meaning the kids associate the song with cleaning. But it’s not just a mental association. They even have a physical reaction when they hear the song and immediately start cleaning.

Your baby is the same way. You can use music as a cue to help your baby fall asleep. If you sing the same lullaby every time you put your baby to sleep eventually the song will elicit sleepy behavior. Your baby will start to rub their eyes and yawn. I promise it works! Here are some tips to make it successful:

• Use the same lullaby every night. You can try this one.

• Start earlier than you’d think, even while you’re feeding and changing your baby so that they have the chance to learn it and associate it with sleepiness.
• As they’re falling asleep start to slow down your singing, slowly bring down the volume, and essentially do a fade out like at the end of a song.

Babies 9-18 Months: Building Security Through Musical Play

If your baby is heading for a big milestone like crawling or walking, you might be experiencing some extra clinginess or fussiness. Your baby is excited about the prospect of independence but they’re also nervous about being able to have distance between you. And that paired with your baby’s increased awareness of strangers, may lead to separation anxiety.

One of the best ways to help your baby work through this is by playing peekaboo. Peekaboo helps your baby practice you leaving and returning in a playful way. But the best part of peekaboo is the song of it. Think of how you say “peekaboo!” It’s probably high pitched with exictement. Your baby loves high tones and dynamics in your speech. You can play peekaboo just using that element, but to make it even more fun and effective, use a peekaboo song. My song Peekaboo is a great one to try because it includes animal sounds too for extra giggles

Babies 18-36 Months: Boosting Language and Social Skills with Drumming

For this age drumming is the way to go. Drumming has been shown to help your baby develop language AND social skills. When you drum with your baby you are getting in sync with them which studies show increases your baby’s feeling of connection with you. And when you syncopate your beat you are teaching your baby the building blocks of language.

The best way to do it is to have a few drums, or pots, or Tupperware, and some wooden spoons. You are going to keep a steady beat and then maybe play around with it. Your baby can drum along or just listen to you. Keep your beat going for longer than you’d think. Switch up your rhythm every now and then and try to really get into it.

Why Music Matters in Early Development

Music is a simple yet profound way to bond with your baby while also fostering their cognitive, emotional, and social growth. Studies have shown that exposure to music helps babies develop better listening skills, memory retention, and even emotional regulation. Whether through singing, playing instruments, or simply dancing together, incorporating music into your daily routine can create meaningful moments of connection.

For even more ideas on how to use music in your daily routine, check out Vered Benhorin’s new book, What Do I Do With My Baby All Day?!, available now. You can also find her music on Spotify, Amazon, and iTunes under the name Vered. Let the music play, and let the connections grow!