Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in Philadelphia, PA

There was no way my daughter wouldn't become a singer. My maternal family are all singers. My grandfather was a professor of music (and a lovely baritone) as well as his church's choir director, my grandmother sang all the solos at church, and my mother actually supported our family when I was little as a singer-songwriter (although back then she was known as a folk singer). I sing all the time, both to the radio and in my church choir, and while my husband claims to not be musical, he sings almost as a nervous tick (mostly songs from the depression era--oddly apropos these days). My daughter usually joins me for choir rehearsal on Sunday mornings before she goes off to Sunday School, and has been known to hold a board book as if it's sheet music and sing along with us.

I also sing songs I make up for Tori, well -- more honestly -- songs that I adapt FOR my daughter. She usually requests at least three lullabies to get to sleep each night, and we do a rendition of Good Night Irene that's a bit sanatized (we go live with "Jim" and jump in the river to "swim" rather than say "town" and "drown"), a version of Lullaby and Goodnight (that has recently been adapted to be a "mermaid" song), as well as that old staple Hush Little Baby.

In the last few weeks my daughter has started to sing these songs with me at night (with binky in her mouth, natch) and I have a hard time standing as I melt from the cuteness. But even more adorable is the fact that she has started to make up songs for whatever situation we're currently in; she'll sing the clean-up song, the "we're going to the store" song, the "mommy" song, and can be found humming away at any moment of the day.

We're also lucky enough to own a piano, which we give her unrestricted access to (I know, I see people cringing at the very idea). She often plucks out melodies (she's not much of a banger) that startle us, and we're eager to foster her musical development. BUT. We are also eager to not squelch it. I'd like her to love the piano and not hate it, and to love singing and not hate it, so we're avoiding any sort of lessons for now (er, and because she's not quite three). But we applaud mightily whenever she sings or plays, and that seems to be encouragement enough.

What are you doing to build a love of music in your kids? I'm curious how other families are doing it. Comment below!