Fun and Kid-friendly Vocal Warm-Ups For Children Singing Lessons

Vocal exercise is synonymous with nonsensical syllables sung in an operatic tone. The lilting sounds of ee, ay, ah, oh, oo…. has an underlying purpose for a mature singer. But for a kid undergoing children singing lessons, this exercise sounds b-o-r-i-n-g.

If that is the case, why not skip the warm-up routine and just belt it out? Hold it right there, before getting into singing action. Vocal warm-ups are important preparations to gently stretch and relax the vocal chords. This could prevent stress and vocal injuries in kids’ singing lessons. Singapore students are required to engage in this exercise for proper breathing techniques. In this way, they are trained to develop and expand their vocal range.

Here are creative and kid-friendly ways to make those vocal warm-ups fun and exciting.

Silly sounds fun

In a traditional vocal warm-up, the teacher usually plays repetitive scales and arpeggios. The student sings these notes with endless and meaningless vowels. For kids, you can make this exercise more enjoyable and relevant by letting them sing syllables and sounds they’re more familiar with. Animal sounds are definitely on top of the list. Low notes could sound like a cow that says moo. High notes could sound like a bird chirping or a telephone ringing. If you’re familiar with the pop song “The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)” by Ylvis, it has a lot of animals sounds and the beat could be a great energy booster. Come-up with ideas that are in line with age and interests

Let their bodies sing

There are vocal exercises that do not involve singing. Yet, it supplements vocal and performance techniques. Facial and mouth movements that simulate yawning and sneezing develop tone and modulation. Body rhythmic movements such as clapping and stomping heighten a child’s sense of timing and rhythm. Integrating dance moves also develop breath control and endurance. This warm-up also sets the mood and can get the child pumped-up for the session.

The need for clarity

Lyrics from Abba’s hit song “Thank You For The Music” says: “Mother said...I could sing long before I could talk.” Isn’t it amazing that little kids could actually sing in pitch perfect tune even before they could properly enunciate the lyrics of a song? But music and lyrics go hand in hand. Thus, warm-up sessions could also be the best time to introduce pronunciation exercises. Tongue twisters are one of the ideal fun drills they could have. Teach them classics and all-time tongue-twisting ditties like “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”. Make it light and easy for younger age groups.

As parents, you should also realize that singing lessons are not all fun and games. There is a structured training that kids would have to undergo after doing warm-ups. Hence, you should be on the look-out for tell-tale signs that your child is ready to go through voice lessons. Check-out pointers stated in this article to find indications of vocal-training readiness in your child: http://singinglessonssingapore.com/starting-your-kid-on-singing-classes/

Children have very limited attention spans. When boredom strikes, tantrums, uncooperativeness, and disinterest may arise. Avoid mindless and repetitive warm-ups. Creativity and variety is the key for a fun, stimulating, and inspiring children singing lessons. With this, we recommend voice teachers from http://singinglessonssingapore.com/ who can handle kids of different ages.