We all know that famous tune! Perhaps even just reading that title got the song stuck in your head and it may stick around for a couple days (sorry about that!) For some reason, that catchy toon has peaked the interest of many toddlers and I’m here to let you know that there is more than one way to sing baby shark. Here are a few new ways to sing baby shark with your kiddo:
Use a “microphone”: There is just something about pretending to talk into a microphone that gets kids really excited. You can try this even if you don’t have a toy microphone. You can use toilet paper rolls, coloring markers, blocks, cheese stick, or really anything you have around the house. A lot of times a kid will be more excited to sing when they have something to sing into.
Pause: One of my favorite strategies when singing songs is to pause after one verse. Sing the entirety of the first verse and then wait and smile at your kid. Many kids might try to encourage you to continue on the song by moving their arms or attempting to sing the song. Once they try to show you that they want you to sing more, continue on the song for another verse. This is a creative way to encourage them to participate in singing songs with you.
Do the motions together: A great strategy if your kid does not sing the lyrics or use words yet. Kids learn to copy actions before they learn to copy words. By doing the shark motions with your child, you’re showing them how to participate in the song and how much fun it can be even before they are able to use words.
Give your kid a choice: Ask your kid what verse to sing next. You can ask “should we sing mama shark or grandpa shark?” They may show you with their gestures or they may try to copy your words to answer your question. This makes the song interactive and can be kind of goofy to sing out of order.
Change the lyrics: We all of heard of baby shark but you can make this song extra special by changing the lyrics to your kid’s favorite animal. You might find your kid light up when they hear their parents starting to sing baby cat do do do do do or even baby truck do do do do do!
If you’re like me, baby shark gets a little old after the millionth time. Hopefully some of these ideas are a way to make this song a little bit more fun and encourage your toddler to participate with you.
And don’t forget, keep on singing (do do do do do) 😉