Pilke’s music-oriented daycare centre Rytmi opened on Palokärjentie Street in the Pori district of Murtosenmutka in August 2016. Rytmi has five groups and 108 places for children aged 0–6 years. The daycare centre also provides pre-primary education.

Music plays a special role in the early education provided at Rytmi. All children are naturally drawn to music, and studies show that music has positive impacts on children’s development. Music provides rhythm for the day at daycare, it inspires, calms and brings joy and comfort. At Rytmi, the children use music as a daily form of expression (singing, dancing, rhymes), and they learn through music (weekdays, numbers, colours, seasons). Our musical activities also develop the children’s knowledge about instruments and the elements of music, for example.

We take the children’s wishes into account, familiarise them with various styles of music and encourage them to make music with instruments or imaginative use of their bodies. Music can be made in connection with all everyday situations: outdoors and indoors, spontaneously when dressing up or as part of musical movement. We also sing instructions, such as “come wash your hands”, or lullabies when it is time to take a nap. Through instructed music activities, the children learn to wait for their turn and to listen. Children develop both fine and gross motor skills by handling instruments. We practise maintaining a common beat in movement, singing and playing. Various singing games are popular among the children at Rytmi. We support the development of the children’s musical memory and music listening capacities through various experiences and play. For example, spell-and-clap and musical movement activities help children to perceive their mother tongue.