14/07/2026
Music in an OSHC is not simply entertainment, it is an evidence-informed pedagogical tool that directly aligns with the My Time, Our Place V2.0 Framework focused on play and leisure, the National Quality Standard, and your own philosophy of play-based learning.
The Science Behind Music in Play
Why Music Matters in Children's Development🍂
Music is far more than background noise. It is one of the few activities that activates almost every area of the brain simultaneously, supporting emotional wellbeing, cognition, movement, language and social connection.
Research from Johns Hopkins Medicine highlights that listening to enjoyable music stimulates the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure, motivation and learning. Studies have shown dopamine activity can increase by approximately 9% when people listen to music they enjoy.
The result is children who are more likely to:
* feel calm and emotionally safe
* engage positively with others
* remain motivated during challenging tasks
* transition more successfully between activities
* participate more confidently in learning experiences.
Music Reduces Stress and Supports Regulation🍂
Music has been shown to:
* reduce cortisol (the stress hormone)
* lower heart rate and blood pressure
* reduce anxiety
* improve mood
* increase feelings of safety and belonging.
For school-aged children, arriving at OSHC after a structured classroom day often means they are carrying emotional and cognitive fatigue.
Calm music creates a "soft landing", allowing children's nervous systems to regulate before they engage in play.
When children are emotionally regulated they are far more capable of:
* problem solving
* cooperating with peers
* managing frustration
* resolving conflict
* concentrating
* taking healthy risks.
Music Supports Brain Development🍂
Music strengthens neural pathways involved in:
* memory
* attention
* executive functioning
* sequencing
* auditory processing
* language development
* mathematical thinking
* spatial awareness.
Because music stimulates multiple brain regions simultaneously, it helps children build stronger connections between thinking, movement and emotion.
These neural pathways are the same pathways children rely upon during classroom learning.
Music Through the Playwork Lens🍂
Within Playwork theory, music naturally supports several recognised play types.
🌱🍂Communication Play🌱🍂
Children use music to communicate feelings before they have the vocabulary to explain them.
Examples include:
* singing together
* call-and-response songs
* chanting
* rhythm games
* making up lyrics.
These experiences develop:
* language
* listening skills
* turn taking
* confidence
* social interaction.
🌱🍂Recapitulative Play🌱🍂
Recapitulative play allows children to revisit cultural traditions and historical experiences.
Music supports this through:
* traditional songs
* Indigenous music
* cultural dance
* campfire songs
* drumming
* folk music
* storytelling through song.
Children explore identity, belonging and shared history while building appreciation for different cultures.
🌱🍂Dramatic Play🌱🍂
Music naturally enhances imaginative play.
Children transform into:
* explorers
* superheroes
* dancers
* pirates
* wildlife rescuers
* movie characters.
Music provides emotional cues that deepen storytelling and imaginative thinking.
This develops:
* creativity
* empathy
* emotional expression
* flexible thinking
* collaborative play.
Music Supports Learning Pathways🍂
Music strengthens many of the same pathways required for academic success.
These include:
🌱🍂Literacy🌱🍂
* phonological awareness
* rhythm of language
* vocabulary
* storytelling
* listening comprehension.
🌱🍂Mathematics🌱🍂
* counting
* patterns
* sequencing
* timing
* fractions through rhythm.
🍂🌱Physical Development🌱🍂
* coordination
* balance
* bilateral movement
* body awareness
* fine and gross motor skills.
🌱🍂Executive Function🌱🍂
Music strengthens:
* working memory
* inhibitory control
* sustained attention
* cognitive flexibility
* planning.
These executive functions underpin children's capacity to participate successfully within classroom learning.
Music Supports Emotional Regulation🍂
Children often use music instinctively to regulate themselves.
Depending on the environment, music can:
* calm heightened emotions
* increase motivation
* provide predictability through routine
* reduce sensory overload
* support transitions
* improve resilience.
Rather than behaviour management, music becomes a preventative wellbeing strategy.
Supporting Active Classroom Participation🍂
One of the greatest benefits of music in OSHC is that it prepares children for successful learning the following day.
When children experience opportunities to regulate through music they are more likely to:
* arrive in class emotionally settled
* demonstrate improved concentration
* show greater resilience
* participate positively
* engage in collaborative learning
* retain new information.
Music therefore supports children's readiness to learn rather than distracting from learning.
Alignment with My Time, Our Place V2.0🍂
Music directly supports the principles and outcomes of the framework by promoting:
🌱🍂Outcome 1🌱🍂
Children have a strong sense of identity
* Belonging
* Confidence
* Emotional safety
🌱🍂Outcome 2🌱🍂
Children are connected with and contribute to their world
* Shared musical experiences
* Cultural understanding
* Respect for diversity
🌱🍂Outcome 3🌱🍂
Children have a strong sense of wellbeing
* Emotional regulation
* Physical movement
* Relaxation
* Mental health
🌱🍂Outcome 4🌱🍂
Children are confident and involved learners
* Curiosity
* Creativity
* Problem solving
* Executive functioning
🌱🍂Outcome 5🌱🍂
Children are effective communicators
* Singing
* Rhythm
* Listening
* Storytelling
* Non-verbal communication
Conclusion🍂
At Outsiders OSHC, music is intentionally used as an educational and wellbeing resource, not simply as entertainment. Grounded in neuroscience, Playwork principles, and the My Time, Our Place V2.0 Framework, music enriches children's play by fostering emotional regulation, creativity, communication, cultural understanding, and cognitive development. By supporting children's wellbeing and strengthening the brain pathways needed for learning, music helps children leave OSHC feeling connected, regulated, and ready to participate positively in the classroom and beyond❤️
