Psychologists at Stanford University found that infants respond to music that flows well and has a smooth structure. Hold your infant on your knee and play a passage of music that has flowing structure, such as a nursery rhyme. Gently bounce baby along in time with the music. Ensure that the music is played at a safe volume level.
This is a more advanced version of the bounce-along game. Sit on the floor with baby on your lap. Have your partner, spouse or a friend sit opposite you. Play a passage of music on a CD. While the music is playing, hold baby's hands and clap them in time with the music. While you do this, your partner claps along as well, while making eye contact with the infant.
According to the GeniusBabies.com, Prof. Jeffrey Fagan and colleagues at St. John's University found that babies use music as mental reference point when forming memories. Foster a love of music and help your infant understand the world better by accompanying regular stimuli with music. Sing a song at bath time, bedtime, dinnertime and when you are changing the baby's diaper. Give every regular event in baby's routine a soundtrack so that she begins to associate these stimuli with a musical cue.
You've probably played this yourself as a child. Sit baby down on the floor or on a chair with his back supported. Take of his shoes and socks. Sing a nursery rhyme and gently shake baby's feet or toes in time with the music. Make the shaking more vigorous as the song nears the crescendo. As the song climaxes, tickle baby all over to signify that the song is ending. A popular song for this game is "This Little Piggy."
Columbia University conducted a study in 2008 designed to assess the effect of music-assisted relaxation on pediatric cancer outpatients. The aim of the study was to see which types of music best improved the child's mood. Music-assisted relaxation is suitable as part of music therapy or as musical activity for its own sake. Make a compilation CD of songs that have a gentle rhythm and soft tones. Hymns, chants or whale songs are suitable. Put your infant on her back, dim the lights and play the music.