Christina Stewart knows that - and the fact that these days we know that youngsters and mums and dads sharing simple, traditional fun songs is a great way to strengthen the parent-child bond.

It's also a great way for toddlers to learn everything from rhythm and balance to memory skills, as they learn to remember the words.

And a new series of workshops - Learning with Lullabies - being run by Christina with groups across the Highlands will help the 0-to-threes age group to improve their social skills when they meet other parents and kids.

Two years ago, Christina produced a CD of lullabies, called Kist o Dreams, which went with a set of workshops she taught to various groups around the Highlands. The CD sold out its 500 copies.

Now Christina has broadened out the songs she is teaching and passing on as part of a series of workshops from Tuesday.

She explained: "I am now working with Highland Pre-School Services on a youth music project for toddler groups in Inverness and Skye.

"But in fact this time I'm including quite a lot of different Scottish traditional songs with lots of activities aimed at involving parents - and centre staff - interacting with their babies and toddlers.

"Some of the music is traditional dandling songs, there are some action songs and also lullabies.

"We're using songs which will probably be familiar to the adults, like Ali Bally Bee, Wee Willie Winkie, Hey Jock Ma Cuddy and Three Craws, along with less familiar songs like I Had A Wee Hen, Dance Jeannie and Wee Chookie Birdie.

"These are songs we sang as kids and it's lovely to see our kids asking to do them again - and again! I hope the workshops will also help to give parents ideas. A lot don't do these songs."

Choosing which songs to include was not too difficult.

"Some were obvious for workshops and were ones I was actually already doing at workshops. Some were chosen because they were action songs. I wanted ones where the children could be bounced on their mum or dad's leg and I went to Foot Stompin' Records to ask for one. They mentioned Hey Jock Ma Cuddy, which I didn't know.

"I happened to mention it to my mum and she sang it to me. I thought 'I've got this resource sitting in front of me!'. But though she knew the song, she never sang it to me as a child.

"In the workshops, I'll introduce a core of songs and we'll add more in as we go along to give the group the opportunity to expand on what we do at the start "I've tried to make it as easy as possible for people to use the material with their children - and at home.

"There will also be a few very simple Gaelic songs too.

"I usually use some Gaelic songs with the lullabies - I start off with a simple Gaelic one. A lot of groups don't speak Gaelic, but it's a case of listening to the sounds then coming in. You don't have to understand the language, just repeat the sounds.

"It allows the adults to see what it is like to sing something simple and repetitive when you don't know what it means. It sinks in really quickly and it gives the adults an idea of how a child perceives the learning of a song."

The value of getting young children involved in music in early age is never underestimated these days.

Stephanie Bruce, quality manager of Highland Pre-school Services said: "In very young children, it's not just about developing musical skills, but a whole range of skills - physical, emotional and personal.

"Children also develop their sense of rhythm, movement and language too with the repetition of songs - plus memory and listening skills. Music is a great starting point.

It's been known for a long time that music helps in the development of very young children, but now research is proving it. Early this year, research from music charity Youth Music and Northumbria University showed that children as young as two are able to memorise and learn long sequences of words, phrases and sentences, when they are attached to music, long before they can master the same skill in speech.

Christina Stewart with daughters Marsaili (left) and Grace. Pic: Trevor Martin

Taking part in musical activities also seems to benefit the children in social, emotional and physical development.

Areas found to have developed through the twoyear research with over 400 children aged 0-5 included counting, vocabulary, listening to and understanding instructions, creative story-telling, basic addition and subtraction, conversation and sentence building, sequencing and patterning - skills necessary for maths, motor skills and concentration span.

It comes as little surprise to Christina, who has enjoyed singing and playing musical games with her own children.

But she added: "I think children are also developing their attitude to music and fun and games at that age."

Christina feels it is important to make sure that everyone - youngsters and their mums and dads - will have a good time at the sessions.

Her daughters Marsaili and Grace have helped form Christina's views about the best songs to choose.

When the girls are asked for their favourite song from the ones Christina has chosen, they are quick to come up with their own choices.

The idea for the Learning With Lullabies sessions came from the success of Christina's earlier project, Kist o Dreams - and an invitation to come and perform at the Highland Pre-school services AGM.

Ann Brady, chief executive of Highland Pre-school Services said: "We had heard what Christina was doing and invited her to our AGM. It coincided with trying to extend that and trying to take the music and working with music out to parents a bit more.

"We thought this project was a very positive way to take music out to the parents and toddlers, basic singing and enjoying music and helping parents to enjoy their children!"

Funding from the Scottish Arts Council and the lottery has allowed Christina to take 80 workshops with the groups (there are 20 groups in each area, each receiving four workshops).

There are also 10 seminar-type events for playleaders and other professionals in the pre-school childcare sector.

She said: "We are also producing a resource CD of the songs used in the workshops (and other similar ones which the groups can use.

"There will also be other resources such as visual prompt cards and a booklet with background information to help the groups continue to use the songs."

There will be 24 songs on the CD - recorded with Ross and Cromarty Area arts worker Bob Pegg and musicians Olivia Ross and harpist Bill Taylor.

The CD will be available from HPS and Christina hopes more will go on sale. Workshops begin on Tuesday in Dornie, with the first Inverness area workshop on September 22 in Hilton.

Christina then travels round the area until next July 2007.

Most of the Highland Pre-school Services member groups will have four fortnightly workshops, while the other groups, such as Family First, will have one workshop a term.

.For more information for parents about music and their child, check out www.ltscotland.co.uk/earlyyears and www.youthmusic.org.uk and a new online resource for early years' music www.BongoClub.org.uk

m.chrystall@highland-news.co.uk

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