Allyson Loves Her Kindermusik Book!

Allyson loves her Kindermusik book so much that her mommy says, “ 

“Allyson LOVES the Peekaboo, I Love You book.  She had me read it to her about 10 times yesterday.  Daddy had to read it to her twice at bedtime and she wouldn’t go to bed unless she had the book with her in bed.  So, you can see from this picture what she cuddled up with last night.”

Books are such an important part of a toddlers development.  Plus it’s a wonderful way to bring the family together, and apparently a cuddle toy for bedtime.

Thanks Cindy for this picture!

FUN SUMMER INSTRUMENT IDEAS

Afternoons seem to drag on in my house.  My children (6, 4, 2)  all love to make crafts and art projects.  So I always have my own bag of tricks to help entertain the children during the after lunch, before nap lull.  Here are a few of the ideas.  I have the children make the following instruments and then we boogy to the music.

IDEA #1

MAKE A WAVE DRUM

NEEDED: 2 strudy paper plates, colored painters tape, beans, rice or bells, stickers or markers.

STEPS: Take 1 paper plate and have the child place an assortment of beans, rice and or bells in the center of the paper plate.  Second have the child place the other paper plate upside ddown on top of the first.  Then tape all around the edges.  Lastly, have the child decorate the wave drum. 

IDEA #2

MAKE A CUP SHAKER

NEEDED: 2 small plastic or paper cups, assortment of beans/rice and packing tape or painters tape.

STEPS: Take 1 cup and have the child fill cup with an assortment of beans or rice.  Then take the second cup upside down and place on top of the first cup.  Then tape the two cups together and decorate.

IDEA #3

MAKE STREAMERS

NEEDED: Assortment of ribbon, rubber bands for hair (hair bands)

STEPS:  Take ribbon and tie pieces of ribbon to the hair bands.  The bands are a perfect fit for the little wrists.

ENJOY!!

Dear Family Time Parents,
One goal in every Kindermusik Family Time class is to help children move to music in lots of creative ways. The brain has a plan for development that involves specific and intensive motor activities to make full use of our complicated nervous system. This means showing your toddler how to hop on one foot, and giving her lots of room to practice. The same is true for a preschooler. Most will learn by watching their friends and they’ll practice, practice, and practice.

By exploring a variety of movement in everything you do—even as you clean around the house—you not only help your children understand what it means to play an important part for your family..

So don’t forget to “go into the kitchen and take a peek!” Or a jump, or hop, or a swing, or swoop!

 Sincerely,

Mrs. Erin

Dear Imagine That! Parent: Does Bee rhyme with Bead or See?  Your young child may think so. When she hears a word, she sometimes has trouble figuring out which sound forms the end of the word. Rhyming books give your preschooler practice identifying these ending sounds. And, because the book’s rhyming pattern always starts with a “t” sound, he’ll quickly understand how to form the rhyme on each page and how to make up new verses. That’s why rhyming is one of the methods used to help dyslexic readers. Additionally, early child development research shows that rhyming reduces stress and strengthens memory. Throughout the week, you will find many opportunities for “tippities” and I imagine you’ll have a lot of giggles together as you do. See you soon.

Mrs. Yvonne

 

P.S.  Please have the children bring a stuffed animal next week, Tues, May 9th. We will have extras on hand

Away We Go Week #14

Dear Our Time Parent:

 

Together we’re a circle of support, love, and belonging.

 

Our circle dances are a very special time in Our Time. A circle is a symbol of community, and in it we all contribute equally. For your toddler, our circle dances give him a chance to see everyone and be part of our community. There is no beginning or end to our circle, just as there are no leaders or followers; we all create our dance together.

 

At home this week sing, listen, and dance to all of the circle dances we’ve enjoyed as a group this semester. Whether you’re in a circle of two or many, your toddler will experience the vital feeling of belonging.

 

See you next week!

 

Mrs. Erin, Ms. Amanda, Mrs. Yvonne

Zoom Buggy Week #7

Dear Village Parent, 

Almost everything is your baby’s playmate—even water.

More than that, playing with everyday objects like the water activity is a baby’s work. Through play, he learns to understand the world around him. So it’s important to give your baby access to many different “playful” experiences, like Kindermusik, so he begins associating learning with the playful interactions he has with you. And research suggests that children who do the best on all kinds of tests have parents and adults who sit down and play with them.  So this week enjoy playing with water or explore the pans in the kitchen, or a box. Just pick an object and enjoy playing together. Don’t you wish your “work” was always this much fun? Playfully yours,

 

Mrs. Erin Wilson

FAMILY TIME CLASS #5

Dear Family Time Parents:

This week's activities have so many practical and whimsical applications to life around your house.  Simple, fun songs you can sing together will make clean-up time a breeze, and make this important ritual-which is a necessary part of being a family-a fun, musical activity.

You can reinforce learning concepts such as self-discipline when you sing "Shake, Shake the Apple Tree" at home.  Pause at the end of the line, "One for you, one for me!"  Then finish the song with enthusiasm as you sing the last line. 

Patiently waiting until next time,

Mrs. Erin

P.S. You can make your own "Washing Machine" like the ones we used in class with a 2-liter bottle, drops of soap, water, and a few scraps of fabric. I would love to see your "Washing Machine" project next week in class.  Bring it along!

Toys I Make, Trips I Take #11

Dear Imagine That Parent:

What's the train going to do next?  It depends on where you are in our Train-Is-A-Comin' activity.

This game-purchasing a ticket, leaving the station, going faster-gives your preschooler the notion that some things happen in order.  It's a concept called sequence of events.  Like turning pages of her favorite book, she can predict what happens next in the sequence.  And simply knowing what happens next gives your preschooler a sense of confidence and control about her world.

At home this week, look for other sequences, such as what happens from the time she gets up to when she goes to school to how she ends her day.

Blessings, Mrs. Yvonne

Away We Go Week #12

Dear Our Time Parent:

What goes up comes down with a bounce-and lots of laughter!

It's all about learning something new the toddler way, which means challenging and inspiring that natural sense of wonder.  And this week, it was all about having a ball.

Toddler's don't always realize the physical properties of a ball, and may be surprised and thrown off balance when a ball bounces back up.  But, by practicing bouncing and rolling balls in class, she will learn to predict what the ball will do and move as she needs to maintain her balance and keep control of the ball.

Rolling and catching the ball improves hand-eye coordination, which will help her with many activities as she grows.

The week will roll by quickly, so I'll see you soon.

Don't forget to RSVP for our Year-End Picnic on Sat. May 20th from 10-12pm.

Blessings, Mrs. Erin, Mrs. Yvonne & Miss Amanda

Village Zoom Buggy Week #5

Dear Village Parent:

This week your baby enjoyed hearing the different instruments we used for Zum Gali Gali.  The triangle and woodblock offered great examples of long and short sounds.  Noticing the difference of these sounds is key to helping your baby learn to speak clearly.

How so?  Her ability to discriminate one sound from another-like a woodblock from a triangle-is important for learning how to speak, which happens between eight and eighteen months.

Not only did your baby hear the difference, but she felt and saw it when we rolled and bounced the chime balls.  This contrast in long and short sounds is how your baby learns best, in wide contrasts, instead of subtle differences.

We'll see-and hear from you-next week!

Blessings, Mrs. Erin