Music Education Expo Treated To Some Outdoor Music Fun!

Percussion Play had a great time at Music Education Expo at the Barbican, London. It was a great opportunity to meet a range of different professionals and interested parties in the field of music education.

We felt it was worth going along to introduce the visitors to our outdoor musical instruments and the idea of bringing music education to the outdoor world.

Children are naturally happier when they are playing, moving and being creative outside, and children who are happy are successful learners.

Progressive educators have long promoted the benefits of outdoor education beyond the conventional such as P.E. The outdoors makes the perfect musical laboratory and outdoor musical instruments can bring a renewed sparkle to the children’s eyes and the excitement and freedom of playing music outdoors will elicit some pretty amazing and creative expression. When you add something new to the environment and the children are just drawn to it; to investigate, experiment, and discover.

What are the effects of outdoor education? Are children any different after participating in outdoor activities?

Oh yes! While outdoors, children will see, hear, smell and touch things unavailable to them indoors. They use their brains in unique ways as they come to understand the world around them. The benefits of being outdoors go far beyond health and cognitive development.

There are many factors that have come together to push our children indoors such as, busy roads, stranger danger, the draw of watching TV, playing video games and spending time on the computer. It is therefore increasingly important to get children outside as much as possible during the school day.

Some pretty awesome sounds can be made when you combine music, children and the great outdoors.