Making music: how the skill grows from 12 to 36 months
Making music means making sounds and music by banging, shaking, tapping and singing. Music play trains listening and rhythm, gives big feelings an outlet and is easy to fit into car rides, baths and waiting.
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Making music: the ladder, step by step
Pick the step that looks most like your child today. The next step and activities that practise it appear below.
No step picked yet. There is no wrong answer: pick the closest one.
Next step: Shakes and taps. Shakes a sealed container of rice or taps a box like a drum.
Activities that fit this step
- Tube Talk Echo Sounds · 12–20 months · 3–6 min
- Kitchen Pot Band · 12–22 months · 3–8 min
- Tap Test: Pot, Box or Towel · 14–22 months · 3–8 min
Next step: Moves to music. Bounces or sways when music starts.
Activities that fit this step
- Tube Talk Echo Sounds · 12–20 months · 3–6 min
- Kitchen Pot Band · 12–22 months · 3–8 min
- Tap Test: Pot, Box or Towel · 14–22 months · 3–8 min
Next step: Copies loud and soft. Plays loud, then quiet, fast, then slow, when you do.
Activities that fit this step
- Tap Test: Pot, Box or Towel · 14–22 months · 3–8 min
- Pot Drum Echo Turns · 15–26 months · 4–8 min
- Rainstorm on a Baking Sheet · 16–26 months · 3–8 min
Next step: Sings bits of songs. Sings a line of a favorite song while playing.
Activities that fit this step
- Pot Drum Echo Turns · 15–26 months · 4–8 min
- Rainstorm on a Baking Sheet · 16–26 months · 3–8 min
- Box Drum Copy-the-Beat · 24–34 months · 3–8 min
Top of the ladder (sings bits of songs). Keep it flexible: offer it in a new place, with a different person or with new materials.
Activities that fit this step
- Pot Drum Echo Turns · 15–26 months · 4–8 min
- Rainstorm on a Baking Sheet · 16–26 months · 3–8 min
- Box Drum Copy-the-Beat · 24–34 months · 3–8 min
The making music ladder
5 steps from the first sign to a flexible skill, covered here from 12 to 36 months. Children move at their own pace: use the steps to see what comes next, not as deadlines.
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Bangs for sound
Hits a pot with a wooden spoon and pauses to listen.
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Shakes and taps
Shakes a sealed container of rice or taps a box like a drum.
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Moves to music
Bounces or sways when music starts.
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Copies loud and soft
Plays loud, then quiet, fast, then slow, when you do.
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Sings bits of songs
Sings a line of a favorite song while playing.
When making music usually shows up
Making music is not on the CDC checklists. Banging and shaking objects to make noise is common from the first year; moving to music follows, and keeping a rough beat or singing bits of songs often appears in the third year.
This page follows making music from 12 to 36 months, a window that spans the 12-month, 15-month, 18-month, 24-month, 30-month and 36-month CDC checklists.
In the library, 6 activities practise making music (4 as their main skill), for ages 12 to 34 months. 5 of them need no prep and take 10 minutes or less. By age, they sit closest to steps 1, 2 and 4 of the 5-step ladder, most (4) on “Shakes and taps”.
Activities that practise making music
Placed on the closest ladder step by age. By primary domain: 4 creativity & pretend, 1 cognitive and 1 social-emotional. Quickest to start: Tube Talk Echo Sounds (3–6 minutes).
Step 1: Bangs for sound
Step 2: Shakes and taps
Step 4: Copies loud and soft
Skills practised alongside
The activities for making music most often also work on imitating actions (4), taking turns (3), cause and effect (2) and counting (1). Pairing them keeps practice playful: one activity, several skills.
Practise it inside everyday routines
- Make instruments from pots, wooden spoons and sealed plastic containers with dry rice inside.
- Sing during routines: in the bath, in the car, while waiting in line.
- Play stop-and-go music games: freeze when the music stops, move when it starts.
What to avoid
- Homemade shakers that can open; seal every lid with strong tape so small contents stay inside.
When to mention it to the pediatrician
If your child does not turn toward sounds, does not react to music or voices, or seems startled by nothing, mention it and ask about a hearing check.
Worried about making music between visits? Call the pediatrician; CDC's free resources also explain how to contact your local Early Intervention program directly. Milestones are for monitoring, not diagnosis.
Frequently asked questions
When do toddlers start making music?
Making music is not on the CDC checklists. Banging and shaking objects to make noise is common from the first year; moving to music follows, and keeping a rough beat or singing bits of songs often appears in the third year. The first step to look for: hits a pot with a wooden spoon and pauses to listen.
How can I help my toddler with making music?
Make instruments from pots, wooden spoons and sealed plastic containers with dry rice inside. Sing during routines: in the bath, in the car, while waiting in line. A good first activity is Tube Talk Echo Sounds (12–20 months).
What should I avoid when practising making music?
Homemade shakers that can open; seal every lid with strong tape so small contents stay inside.
When should I mention making music to the pediatrician?
If your child does not turn toward sounds, does not react to music or voices, or seems startled by nothing, mention it and ask about a hearing check. You can also contact Early Intervention yourself.
Related
Monitoring, not medical advice. Talk to your pediatrician about any concern. Our sources and method.