Why Kids Should Play With Chime Bars

Every child should have some chime bars (AKA resonator bells for US readers) or a xylophone to play with. They are such a wonderful tool for learning to listen, perform and read music.

But they’re a good investment too, as they’re suitable for toddlers right up to children of 7 or 8 years old which presents excellent value for money. Especially as kids always seem to be drawn to playing them, and they never seem to lose their appeal.

A traditional xylophone is always a great instrument for kids, but if your child is just getting started with music then individual chime bars or resonator bells are an excellent choice. They allow you to introduce the notes gradually, concentrating on just two or three at a time. The fact that they aren’t fixed means that you can play a lot more games where they can be shared out, or hidden. These sets are particularly good because they look like a complete instrument in a case, but they actually come out and can be played separately.

Invaluable Teaching Tool

There are a whole host of benefits of chime bars for younger children. From developing motor skills, hand eye co-ordination, listening skills, colour and number practice to learning to sing in tune to simple intervals. Chime bars are also brilliant for teaching kids solfege, which builds a firm foundation for learning to read, hear and play all music.

In short, they teach kids how notes sound as they move up and down, giving them a spacial awareness of intervals, and a good grounding for reading music later on.

Chime bars are such adaptable instruments, and as kids get older they are a great help with learning to read music and encouraging creativity with composing and improvisation. They build memory skills as kids develop patterns and sequences which is also so good for maths development. So as children grow and develop, they can do even more with them.

The activities below are all great ways to learn and practice with chime bars. Kids love them, they can be played at home or included into lesson plans for a group. Either way they’ll not only become old favourites, but build a firm foundation for learning music.

Introducing Do – Re – Mi

Do -Re – Mi Activities – The Do – Re – Mi Staircase

Introducing Do – Re – Mi – The Balloon Song

Introducing Do – Re – Mi – Little Mouse’s House Singing Game

Pussycat Do – Re – Mi Game

Hey Ho Here We Go! Learning So – Mi

After a while children will be able to pick out familiar tunes by ear, but if you need some help, check out Incy Wincy Spider,  Twinkle Twinkle, Mary Had A Little Lamb and Frere Jacques for some easy free sheet music.

The chime bars are always a favourite activity at any music class. Check out our weekly lesson plans for detailed step by step guidance on how to incorporate this brilliant resource into your own music classes.

Have you seen our new How To Read Music Theory Bundle? It’s the fun & child friendly way to learn to read music!