Musical Garden

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Carmel Mountain Preschool is a magical place especially for toddlers and preschoolers. We have created some very special spaces that really allow our children to explore and learn through movement. One of those very special places is our Musical Garden. The Musical Garden is filled with instruments set up in a natural loop on a slope so the children can run around from each instrument to play. Running from each instrument to the other allows the children to get out their energy so they have an easier time connecting to the music when they arrive. This also allows for many children to play a variety of instruments at the same time – children can play instruments together or by themselves. You can read about the benefit of music in early childhood education on our interview with Norm of Rhythm Child.

Our Musical Garden includes the following instruments:

  • Akambira (“African Xylophone”) – This African natural wood instrument inspires children to explore pitch, rhythm, and melody as they express their own creativity. It allows children to experiment with a C major pentatonic scale to make music that is always pleasing to the ear.\
  • Marimba – The sounds, sights and movements of this South American natural wood instrument inspires children to create music that expresses individual thoughts and feelings. It encourages creative exploration of pitch, rhythm and melody through improvisa
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  • Winged Chimes – This instrument has peaceful two-octave C major tones that help each child musician create easy-on-the-ear melodies. Children can experiment with volume, tone, and rhythm as nature expires them to create.
  • Resonated Metallophone – This professional-quality instrument encourages children to experiment with sound and express their own creativity. Preschoolers have the opportunities to mimic the natural sounds they hear around them and teachers can discuss the science of sound travel as children hear each note resonate long after each key is played.
  • Melodic Metallophone – Children have the opportunity to discover sound, tone, volume, and melody.
  • Rhythmic Metallophone – Children can explore rhythm, sound, and tone with fun wood-like tones.
  • Tube drums – These fun drums resemble traditional conga drums and children love using their bare hands for creative self-expression. Drumming provides preschoolers with physical and mental relaxation.


Come explore our Musical Garden and see why it’s such a great learning environment for our Carmel Mountain Preschool Preschoolers.