joyous

We've Moved

2010-06-26T04:09:00.001-07:00

Hi, Friends,
Thanks for stopping by. We've actually recently moved our blog (as well as our main website) to http://kindermusikwithjoy.net. Come see us over there!

Giving Your Child a Great Start in Music

2007-10-09T12:48:00.001-07:00

Parents regularly ask me when is a good time to start music lessons or what to do with their child to develop an interest in music prior to taking lessons.

Here is a lovely article that just appeared in the "Omaha World-Herald" on Monday which answers those very questions.

You can also come for a visit Saturday November 17 at the Community Music and Dance Academy as various Conservatory music and dance instructors discuss "Music and Dance for the Young Child." I'll have more details soon.

Whack Them and They Go BOOM!

2007-08-06T15:45:00.001-07:00

This is what my adorable hubby wrote this week on our family blog about my favorite new instrument, which arrived at our house over the weekend:

"Joy recently purchased the coolest musical instrument you can buy for your child. I'm not kidding. These things are so addictive you'll be wrestling your child for the chance to play with them.

They are nothing more than plastic tubes that have be cut so when you hit them they produce fixed pitches on the diatonic scale. So when you hit the red tubes, you get a "C," the orange one gives you a "D," and so on. And when I say "hit," I mean "hit." You get to smack these things on the wall, the floor, the table, your arm, your child's head, anything really and you get a note. Whack three together and you can make a chord. Sure it comes with mallets, but where's the fun in that?

Best part? The name - Boomwhackers! Doesn't it just make you want to whack the tubes and yell "BOOM!"? Ok, maybe it's just me, but Sam's doing it too.

You also get a black plastic cap that drops the pitch produced an octave, a cap they call the "Octavator," which when combined with Boomwhackers makes these things sound like they will either save the world or take it over (The Octavator is attacking with his Boomwhackers! Take Cover!")"

He was more than a little excited, especially because these funky little tubes reminded him greatly of Harry Partch, wild and wacky musician and instrument builder of the 20th century, who also happens to be the subject of hubby's dissertation in musicology.

Truthfully, his enthusiasm is completely justified. Just hear a sample of some compositions written expressly for Boomwhackers. And then come see my new set this weekend at our Family Music Day (which I'll write more about tomorrow). I also suspect they'll start showing up in some of the Young Child classes soon.

Better than Knife and Fork

2007-08-01T12:16:00.000-07:00

One of the delights of being a parent of a young child is getting to cut tiny morsels of food for those growing little tummies. In fact, one of the best things about a night out in my book, is not having to cut someone else's food. That said, I have been introduced to a fabulous tool to make this job easier - a small pair of scissors. Now, when one of our friends at church first mentioned this little trick, I was doubtful as to its worth. Then she gave me a pair of small scissors in a cute little plastic case, and now I am hooked. We take them everywhere, and when we don't, we berate ourselves for the extra trouble we've caused.

Since we've started this trend with our little man, my mom-in-law has mentioned she does the same with many cooking ingredients for dishes. I must say, cutting up a large breast of chicken, does indeed go quite a bit faster with scissors than knife and fork. In fact, I've now decided I need a pair of kitchen shears just for this purpose. My friend who orginiated the idea even keeps multiple pairs on hand, just so she's never without. I think she may be wise to do so.

So there you have it. Works for me. Give it a try, I think you'll be convinced.

This post is a part of "Work For Me Wednesday" sponsored by "Rock in My Dryer." Head on over to see what other great ideas they might have up today.

One Easy Way to Improve Academic Readiness: Kindermusik

2007-07-27T11:43:00.000-07:00

"If you learn music, you'll learn most all there is to know. "-- Edgar Cayce

Kindermusik can help your child be more prepared for school. Read the full study involving approximately 30 students enrolled in Kindermusik classes: "Study Shows Music Training Improves Intelligence."

Another Favorite New Book

2007-07-25T12:02:00.000-07:00

So, here's another book I've been dying to recommend, but truthfully, I could not remember the title in order to look it up. I ran across it in this darling gift shop in Manhattan, Kansas one weekend in June and am determined to buy my own copy.

How to Con Your Kid is another in the growing line of cleverly written parenting books that remind us all to laugh at life with kids and delivers sage parenting advice with a good dose of wit.
Designed largely to help parents with many of the struggles of uncompliant toddlers (and I would say preschoolers), this book uses a lot of the best techniques from early childhood educators and experts but makes it the most fun I've ever seen. The author stands ready to arm you with an ansenal of great "cons" but promises that for those few instances when all else fails, he's still included two pages of stickers at the back of the book for bribes.

Check it out.

Summer Water Play in Kansas City

2007-06-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

Both the Village classes and the Family Time class talked about water this week, so I thought it appropriate time to mention a few places worth checking out for fabulous, fun, water play:

The new Spraygrounds around town that make for a delightful adventure with water. We visited the one at Loose Park a few weeks ago and enjoyed playing in the giant sprays of water.
Though we haven't visited, I must say that the small beach at 1,250 acre Shawnee Mission Park also look worth investigating. It's open daily from noon to 7:30 pm (6 pm on the weekends). Entrance is roughly $3 for kids and $5 for grownups. Lay on the beach and enjoy watching the boats pass by or build your own sand castle.
And if you love water parks and swimming pools - check out this great site reviewing some of the best pools in the Kansas City area.

Why Music?

2007-05-10T08:08:00.000-07:00

Music really does help kids do everything else better - dance, read, sing, write, climb, play sports, listen, learn, count, color, and laugh.

Thanks again to the illustrious Molly McGinn for sharing this.

You've Got Mail!

2007-04-23T18:23:00.000-07:00

The preschoolers in Imagine That! this week will be discussing mail and creating pretend letters. It's a great pre-literacy activity that among other things helps emphasize the importance of the written world in our world.

I've been so excited for the class to reach this unit because it means I get to recommend a rather inventive children's book:

The Jolly Postman by Allan and Janet Ahlberg.
This delightful little book includes a series of letters between fairy tale characters such as Goldilocks, the Giant from Jack and the Beanstalk, and Cinderella. Even better, there are actual envelopes to open with letters inside to pull out and read.

Favorite Farm Animal Books

2007-03-21T08:08:00.000-07:00

Here are 15 of our favorite farm animal books for the kids in Our Time.

1. One Moose, Twenty Mice by C. Beaton

2. Fiddle-i-fee by Jakki Wood

3. In the Tall, Tall Grass by Denise Fleming

4. Little White Duck by Walt Whippo (lyrics) and Bernard Zaritzky (music)

5. Down on the Farm by Merrily Kutner

6. Serious Farm by Tim Egan

7. The Noisy Farm by Marni McGee

8. Does a Cow say Boo? by Judy Hindley

9. Mommies say Shhh! by Patricia Polacco

10. Once Upon MacDonald's Farm by Stephen Gammell

11. Sally goes to the farm by Stephen Huneck

12. Old MacDonald had a Woodshop by Lisa Shulman

13. Book! Book! Book! by Deborah Bruss

14. Barnyard Banter by Denise Fleming

15. The Cow That Went Oink by Bernard Most

One Man's Trash is Some Child's Treasure

2007-03-02T17:36:00.000-08:00

I have taken to saving trash to give to my 17- month-old son. Bizarre as it may sound, it provides for hours of entertainment at our house, and I'm not the only one.

The teachers and leaders at the Reggio-inspired College School in St. Louis, which offers programming to children in preschool thru middle school, speak of collecting bits of gum wrappers, clear cellophane candy wrappers, and scraps of paper to share with children in art explorations in the classroom.

It is true, much of what we consider trash (packing paper, tin foil, egg cartons, and empty boxes) hold a wealth of inspiration and stimulation for children. Today I was finishing off the last piece of Valentine's candy and thought, I wonder what our little guy would think of this box. I shook out the leftover bits of forsaken chocolate and handed it to him. Sure enough, he was fascinated by opening and closing the fun yellow box and emptying out the protective layers which held and cushioned the candies inside. Each piece of interior package made a different and interesting crinkling sound which we explored together. I even thought, what a fun instrument this might make, and as I peered into the interior with the special niches for each different shape and size of chocolate goodness, I remembered how I treasured such things as a child for spaces to put little trinkets like buttons and beads.

So, as you go through your day, before you pitch an item in the trash reconsider. Perhaps it is something your child would find fascinating. A gum wrapper makes great material for a collage, an egg carton when painted or colored with markers could be transformed as a caterpillar, or a coffee can could become a drum or a nice loud shaker. Each piece of trash you reclaim as treasure for your child expands his imagination and his creativity (as well as your own.)

NOTE: The photo in this post is of packing paper. Amazing isn't it.

American Sign Language Online Video Dictionaries

2007-02-13T19:10:00.000-08:00

I get tired of staring at black and white drawings of people demonstrating signs. They always have these lovely little arrows and handshape suggestions that take entirely too much time to decipher. Enter the world of the online video dictionaries for American Sign Language. Instead of staring at drawings, you can view actual people demonstrating signs, and you can replay them as many times as you want. It's a happy thing.

Here are two of my favorites that I frequently recommend to our Sign & Sing classes:

The American Sign Language Browser
(sponsored by Michigan State University)
While not a comprehensive dictionary, the videos are large and clear. You can also be sure that all the signs are genuine ASL.

ASLPro.com
All the staff for this program include certified ASL Interpreters, Teachers, and members of the Deaf community. This website also has a section devoted to ASL for babies, which limits the number of words you have to scroll through to signs more commonly used by babies and young children, which is a very handy feature indeed.

What Music Looks Like

2007-02-07T11:03:00.001-08:00

As promised, here is your first installment from "Our Kindermusik Share Wall."

Many a piano student has sat frustratedly staring at a piece of paper with notes written on it, wishing desperately to be able to read the darn thing or at least to read it better or faster or more easily. One of the big secrets that piano teachers share is that a piece of sheet music is much like a map, it is a drawing of sounds. Notes that are drawn high on the page make high sounds when you sing or play them. Notes that are drawn low on the page make low sounds when you sing or play them. And that is only one of the many ways in which written music is a very graphic representation of what we hear.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could all learn that concept before we started to try to read music? Well, that's what our students in Kindermusik for the Young Child are doing right now. (In fact, that is something the students in Imagine That! sometimes talk about as well.) Last week, our Young Child students, listened to a recording with moments of musical sound and moments of silence and were asked to draw in response to what they heard. The result (above) is something quite fascinating to see, a graphic representation of sound and silence. Who knew the beginnings of learning to write (and read) music could look so lovely and feel like so much fun?

Cures for Cabin Fever

2007-01-31T17:46:00.000-08:00

There's a toddler at my house who is in desperate need of some playground time. But in his words (or word) it's "Cooooold" outside, far too cold for the playground, though I guarantee you that would not stop this 16-month old.

My solution: the wealth of indoor playgrounds in this lovely city. We may just have to visit them all before the winter is through.

You can find a great list of all the available Indoor Play Areas, including descriptions, hours, addresses, and fees from the ever useful Brookside Mothers' Association website.

4 Creative Kid-Friendly Holiday Activities

2006-12-06T08:14:00.000-08:00

Want to put a new twist on finding ways for your kids to participate in the Holidays?
Here are a few ideas from Kindermusik Mom Leslie Smith that her family has shared around their house so far, or plan to do soon:

· We purchased a small Christmas tree (ours is 4’, just big enough on which to fit several ornaments, but small enough not to be overwhelming) and let our kids pick out the ornaments that will go on it. This year our daughter chose candy-shaped ornaments, and we even wired a little gingerbread man ornament to the top. Since this tree accommodates so few ornaments, one could easily change out the ornaments every year to fit a new theme or child’s choice without breaking the budget. For what it’s worth, Hobby Lobby has their trees of all sizes as well as their ornaments on sale (often 50% off!) for part of the month of November and almost all of December. I think that the kiddos love the little tree more than they love the big one!

· Last year I made personalized stockings out of those simple red and white fake-fur stockings that craft stores sell, often for less than $2. I’m not overly crafty, but even I could handle this – I attached a decorative trim under the “white” part of the stocking with hot glue, and then cut out the initial of each family member from a gold fabric (ribbon or fabric paint would work well, too) and also glued that to the stocking. For fun, I added a jingle bell to the toe of each one. While I would hardly call their look “sophisticated,” they look wonderful, and the kids just love it that they have their own stocking “with my letter!,” as my three year old says. In fact, I attribute my daughter’s early letter-learning to the discussion we had last year around the making of the stockings – the letters A, B, C, and L (the initials of our first names) were the first letters she was able to easily recognize, and this right after she’d turned two.

· I think this year we’re going to try carrolling! Thanks to my children’s love of music (for which Kindermusik is largely responsible, of course J), I thought how much fun it would be to carroll at neighbor’s homes. Who wouldn’t love to see a three year old belting out “Jingle Bells” while her one year old brother shakes a bell-rattle from the comfort of mom’s sling?????

· I’m also thinking about ways that we can emphasize the giving aspect of Christmas. Any ideas, anyone? We’ve talked about how the Salvation Army bell-ringers are gathering money for those who don’t have a warm place to sleep, or not enough food to eat, but I’d like to personalize it a bit more. I’ll be thinking more about that in the coming days.

I hope these ideas inspire you to make special traditions for your family. Important bonding rituals like these remind kids how much they are loved!

Christmas Craftiness

2006-11-28T10:27:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are now in the thick of the Holiday Season. I usually have only just begun thinking about Christmas this time of year. My Mom is usually begging me for Christmas lists, and I haven't even thought about Christmas cards, but I'm feeling inspired this year. Inspired enough to think about Holiday crafts and cookie baking. Recently, a parent recommended this fabulous site for great kids birthday cakes called FamilyFun.com (by the folks who bring you Family Fun Magazine). I discovered, not only do they have fantastic birthday cake decorating ideas, but they also have great craft ideas, coloring pages, and activity suggestions.

I'm in love with the Sock Snowfolk, but there are tons of other great crafts for children from Toddlers on up.

Reading with Your Child

2006-11-09T05:36:00.000-08:00

In Sign & Sing the last two weeks we've been talking about reading with young children. Last week part of our discussion included talking about early literacy behaviors. Young children explore books much as they would toys. They demonstrate an interest in reading with the following behaviors:

- chewing or mouthing
- gazing at pictures
- giggling, laughing, babbling, cooing
- talking or signing
- pointing in general or at pictures of interest
- turning pages
- changing books frequently

The goals of a reading session with a child are very simple. You don't have to read a book cover to cover or even use the text at all. Aim instead to create an enjoyable experience, to foster positive feelings about books, to share a moment together, and to expose your child to language and pictures.

Here are some great links for parents looking for further information on early literacy and/or book suggestions for young children:

Zero to Three's fabulous page on early literacy

The Denver Public Library's amazing Babble, Scribble, Read page for Grown-ups
Check out their "Book Buzz" for favorite books categorized by age

The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio also has a great section with book recommendations by age

My favorite list for books is the National Parent's As Teachers Suggested Reading lists which inlcude a list for birth to age three that goes so far as to list a few books for each month of life. The books we've chosen off this list for our little guy have usually become quick favorites and often include books I would not have found otherwise.

If you know of any other great resources out there, please share in the comments below.

Hip Kids' Crafts

2006-11-06T18:23:00.000-08:00

My very hip sister-in-law keeps hooking me up with these incredible blogs for crafting with or for kids. Here's the latest. I'm all about the bunny hat and the sun painting. Wow!

Kindermusik: Amazing Musical Learning

2006-11-02T07:13:00.000-08:00

One thing that amazes me about Kindermusik is the way its classes prepare kids for a lifetime of music making. Yes, it's true, there is so much more than musical learning going on in the Kindermusik classroom, all that other great development in the social, cognitive, and physical areas of the brain...but oh, the musical learning.

For example: Audiation. Now what on earth, you might ask, is audiation. Well, you know how sometimes you get a tune stuck in your head. As it happens, that magic ability to sing something in your head is called "audiation." It is a learned skill, and one that some of us are much better at than others. Your Uncle Fred who can't carry a tune in a bucket. At the heart of his struggle to match pitch is poor audiation. This skill is essential to building true musicianship and those who really master it use it to be able to hear in their heads music they've never heard out loud, but only seen written on a page!

We are actually working on teaching audiation in class right now with our babies and early toddlers, kids from 0-18 months. The kids love it. We sing a little song, and then leave out the last line. By doing so, we are teaching them to fill in the rest mentally (and sometimes out loud). It's an activity that is great for all ages. Try it at home with songs your kids know or an old favorite like "B-I-N-G-O."

A Beautiful Craft Idea

2006-10-12T12:18:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law recently sent me this beautiful post about making dolls with children. There is something so beautiful about handmade dolls and wooden toys, but I've never thought until now about making my own, much less about attempting such a task with a child. It's a beautiful idea and could even be opened up to making not just dolls but also stuffed animals - things like dinosaurs, rocketships, or even monkeys! Thanks, Misty.

Easing Transitions

2006-10-11T11:23:00.000-07:00

Routines and rituals are a very important life for many people, but especially for young children. Having established routines and rituals provides a sense of comfort and predictability for young children who have limited control over their world. Including children in talking about and createing routines gives children yet another way to feel a greater sense of control in their world. It allows them to anticipate and thus prepare for those often difficult transitions in their lives.

One fun way to do this is by creating a "My Day" book or poster. Create a set of pictures that represent your child's daily routines (meals, naps, clean-up time, bathtime, bedtime). You can take photos of your child, find and color some great coloring pages together, or cut pictures out of magazines. Then create a book from your collection, writing a little story about your child's day. The "words" can be simple ("breakfast," "nap," "bath," etc.) or a full-fledged story (include rhymes for extra fun). Another variation is to create pictures for different parts of the day, add magnets to the back, and place them on your fridge.

Benefits of this activity: easier transitions, sequencing skills, pre-literacy skills, creativity

Kids' Music You Can Love: World Music

2006-10-04T13:08:00.000-07:00

Putumayo, Putumayo, Putumayo

Okay...that's basically what it boils down to. Let me back up. To begin with, exposing your kids to music from around the world is fabulous. Let me tell you why.

Firstly, it often exposes your children to foreign languages.

Secondly, it exposes your children to different musical languages (meaning different scales, instruments, and styles they wouldn't commonly hear). Both of these aspects of world music help wire your child's brain differently and give their ears a much broader range of understanding. They will be better students and better musicians, and in my opinion better people for having been exposed to music from other lands.

Yes, I said I believe it makes them better people, too, and that's because listening to world music teaches us to respect people who are not like us, something I think we all need to learn again and again in life.

You can find beautiful world music in lots of places (including Kindermusik CDs). But I think the best is Putumayo Kids, my absolute favorite series of folk tunes from around the world (including a collection of American folk tunes). It's great stuff, and fun for grown-ups, too. Oh, and did I mention that Do-Re-Me & You! just picked up a couple of their albums for their special get-ready-for-Christmas mini-catalogue. I nearly fell over I was so excited when I found that out a couple weeks ago. We'll have the CDs for you to listen to (along with some of the other new Do-Re-Me & You! releases) at the Do-Re-Me & You! Halloween Party sponsored by our studioi Oct. 28th. Call (913) 322-2151 or email kindermusikwithjoy@gmail.com for details.

Toddler Sidewalk Art

2006-09-20T13:08:00.000-07:00

So, the weather here is beautiful and very fall-like and begs all of us with little ones to be outdoors. Rather than go to the park today, here's a fun suggestion for your toddler, preschooler, or older kid. Sidewalk art.

Here's how my 2 1/2 year-old nephew found a fun way to play with sidewalk chalk. (I love the way little minds work. The way he and his mom created a game to play out of the drawings they had made just makes me smile. And they used one of my all-time favorite Kindermusik songs, "Walk and Stop" from last spring's Our Time class - Away We Go!)

A Nature Walk

2006-09-14T18:53:00.000-07:00

Do you remember going on nature walks as a child? I must admit that I still relish walking through the woods and just marveling at the natural world. We did that today. It was a day for chasing (or at least watching) squirrels and a few birds.

The weather is beautiful, and it's a great way to pass the hours and build some special memories. Pick up leaves. Talk about acorns. Chase squirrels. Just be caught up in the wonder of it all. And...if you've got a little one whose signing, now's a great time to add squirrel to your signing vocabulary because they are out in droves and nothing inspires signing from little ones like a live animal.

More Paper Happiness

2006-08-31T07:40:00.000-07:00

But this time it's wax paper. If you're looking for a fun activity to share with your older child, you might check out this fun activity via Kids Domain Crafts for making stained glass windows with wax paper. They use leaves as their template, but you could create a window of anything. Adult supervision is necessary.

And by the way, baby lovers out there, you know those fun crinkly sounds all those great little baby toys make...that's wax paper sewn between pieces of fabric. You can make little squares or shapes yourself that make the same sound by simply cutting out shapes from a couple of fun pieces of cloth, inserting a similarly sized and shaped piece of wax paper and sewing it all together. Who knew?

This One's For All the Paper Loving Babies

2006-08-31T07:23:00.000-07:00

Last week's Home Acivity for the Village class included exploring the Art Banners from our Home Materials. We'd already pulled out the banners and let our little man explore them a bit, but mid-week I decided I'd try something new. I decided to cut the banners into picture cards and "laminate" them with contact paper.

Now let me stop and explain. The adorable 10 month old who lives at my house has an obsession with paper. He comes by it honestly. I must admit to being the same way. But, we can't put the child on the floor if there's paper of any kind down, or he makes a mad dash for it. PAPER! PAPER! PAPER! clearly the words behind his excited babble. Oh, this makes me think, maybe we showed learn the ASL sign for PAPER.

Well, this week I learned something. The Village Art Banners are not only visually stimulating, they fulfill that inexplicable need for paper. Now our little guy has paper of his very own to play with and attempt to wad and chew, with no worries from me about the banners being torn up or swallowed. As a bonus, I discovered that the backs of contact paper (the part you're supposed to peel off and throw away) also are fairly indestructable and entertaining. They make a great crinkling sound!

Kindermusik in any Language

2006-08-25T17:30:00.000-07:00

Music Educators and Experts like Zoltan Kodaly agree that folk music provides a great foundation for any child's music education. He speaks of folk music as the child's native musical tongue. Well, Kindermusik has plenty of folk songs for you and your family, and we've even collected them from around the world to give your little one exposure to a variety of cultures, musical languages, and yes, foreign langagues.

This fall you will hear:

For babies
Zoom Buggy - May There Always Be Sunshine (Russia) Zum Gali Gali (Israel), The Keel Row (Northumberland), Suliram (Indonesia), Les raftsmen (Canada), Canoe Song (Native Americanish) and Polovtsian Dance (Poland).

Toddlers
Milk & Cookies - Barn Sull (Scandanavia), Duermete, mi nino (Latin America), Fais do-do (France), The Muffin Man (England), Shakin’ Shakin’ (Apalacia), Savez vous plantez les choux (France), and Shake Hands (African-American).

Preschoolers
Hello Weather, Let's Play Together - Sally Go ‘Round the Sun (North America), Morning Sun Has Risen (Israel), The Mulberry Bush (England), Japanese Rain Song (Japan), Uskudar (Turkey), Weggis Song (Switzerland), Funiculi Funicula (Italy), Lirum Larum (Germany), Siyahamba (Zulu), and Rain or Shine (Texas).

via The Little Brown Music Studio

A Sound Hunt

2006-07-14T05:40:00.000-07:00

Want to make your child a better listener? Go on a sound hunt. Try your neighborhood, your local park, a hiking trail, the beach, or even better the zoo. Take a little walk and hunt for interesting sounds along the way.

For Babies

As always, use this as a chance to build language development through labeling. Engage in some vocal play with your baby as you try to imitate the sounds you hear.

For Toddlers

Toddlers love imitating all kinds of sounds. Ask your child both to help you find and identify the sounds, and to imitate them. You might even make a game of "capturing" the sounds with a video or audio recorder.

For Preschoolers and Big Kids

After your hunt, sit down with your child and create a storybook about the experience. You could start with "On Friday, Sarah decided to go on a sound hunt..." Add pictures and text as you desire. You could use stickers, crayons, markers, magazines, or stamps. Think about adding sound words (from your sounds) or even a rhyme. Make your storybook as simple or elaborate as you wish.

Community Music Making

2006-07-13T10:28:00.000-07:00

(or Folk Jam at the Old Town Square)

I fear our culture has lost the art of community music making. For centuries people gathered to create music together whether in worship, in celebration, or for entertainment. They gathered around pianos in homes. They gathered with fiddles in town squares. They gathered in formal salons on Friday nights to share new compositions and classics. They sang, they danced, they all joined in as one.

Somehow along the way, with the advent of the radio and the television, we became a world of solitary spectators. We listen to music alone in our cars or our offices, through our headsets and on our ipods. If we are lucky enough we listen to music live, perhaps in a concert hall, a club, or a stadium, maybe at church or at school. Still, we are often little more than the audience and the performer, separated by a stage. Connected through vibrations and emotions, but little else.

There are pockets, areas in our world where spontaneous, joyful song erupts in true community, places where music is deemed participatory by nature. I rejoice that they exist. I hope they are contagious. Silly as it may sounds, I hope that the Kindermusik classroom is one of them, a place where communities are bonded through children and families making music together, sharing in creative improvisation. That is the dream. May it lead us to more families gathering around the piano more and the tv a little less. May it create growing pockets of family and community bands who celebrate life in spontaneous song that invites everyone to join in.

Kindermusik at the Doctor's Office

2006-07-05T13:01:00.000-07:00

I laughed out loud this week as I read through the home activities for our Village class. One of the recommendations is something I've been doing with my nine-month-old for quite sometime, Kindermusik at the Doctor's office. Yep, we sit there during well-baby visits as we wait in our assigned room moving and singing to favorite Kindermusik songs. It's a great way to pass the time, makes the experience much more pleasant, and can keep a moody baby in better spirits. It works equally well in airports and on road trips!

Dance, Baby, Dance!

2006-07-03T14:08:00.000-07:00

Children and babies love to move. Truthfully, it's hard to keep them still. Often, their little bodies demand they practice their most newly acquired skills, whether crawling, walking, hopping, jumping, skipping, or all out dancing. You might as well put this impulse to good use, harness that energy, have a bit of fun, and help your child learn all he can from his eagerness to be on the go. And don't forget to have a video camera handy to capture the moment.

For Babies and Young Toddlers
Put on a favorite piece of music and move along, making sure to explore all the shapes and colors of the music with your movements. Label your movements and describe the music in order to help those burgeoning language skills. Encourage young toddlers to explore new locomotor skills as they join in the fun.

For Toddlers, Preschoolers, and School-aged Children
Expand upon the directions above by encouraging your child to lead the dance, choosing favorite movements of his own. Ask him if the music sounds like marching, sliding, or wiggling music. Perhaps he'd like to show you a crab dance, a blue dance, a fireman dance, or my 2 1 /2 year-old nephew's favorite--the "King Tut" dance.

Benefits from this Activity
Language Development, Locomotor Development, Creativity, Expressiveness, Family Bonding, and a good bit of Laughter

What It's All About

2006-06-28T15:18:00.000-07:00

I just read this quote from the book Simple Steps by Karen Miller and had to share it:

"...play with your children for your own enjoyment. Playing is a wonderful way to 'slow down' and simplify life for a few moments. It puts you in touch with your authentic self, and with what's really important. You can give yourself permission to relax and enjoy the moment--to be 'fully there.' When you experience a child's delight at the simplest of things, you will come back to your adult world with a new perspective."

Stop. Take a deep breath. Think on that a minute, and find a moment to play with your little one today.

Climable Art Installations

2006-06-28T15:13:00.000-07:00

If you're feeling up for a road trip with your little person, let me suggest one of my favorite museums of all time--The City Museum in St. Louis. This "museum" of sorts is the most brilliant, audience friendly piece of modern art I have ever seen. Now, I love modern art as well as 20th and 21st century art music, so this museum of course speaks to me, but I hear you saying to yourself, why would you ever take a two-year-old to an art museum. Well, this art is climbable, much like a giant playground of found objects. It's the most fantastic and fun place you can imagine, a surrealist painting come to life without all the scariness. Plus, they have giant slides, enchanted caves, an aquarium, and giant airplanes you can climb through. Yes, I say again, giant airplanes you can climb through! It's about time.

Sing Your Way Home

2006-06-21T06:37:00.000-07:00

I read this today in the book The Baby Games by Elaine Martin:

"Your voice is your babys most important musical instrument because it is YOU singing with HIM."

Wow, while I might phrase it a little differently, I could not agree more. Now, I know not everyone is a "singer," but it really does not matter one bit whether or not you can carry a tune in a bucket. Singing creates a very special kind of bonding between you and your child. I know I have all kinds of special memories of my mom, who would claim that she is not terribly musical, singing to me. I remember she and my dad, who fully admits he can't sing, singing lullabies and hymns when I didn't feel good or was sleepy. I remember silly songs and made up songs about funny things around the house. And I definitely remember singing the hours away on very long road trips (that and playing house with the luggage in the back of our van. Yes, I grew up before it was law to wear a seatbelt much less be in a carseat.) Even today, hearing my mom sing brings back a flood of emotions. It still tells me how much she loves me. What a gift she gave to me.

So, yes, singing promotes learning and language development and musical development, and all of that good stuff, but first and foremost, singing is a great way to say "I love you."

Sign Language: Early Communication for Babies and Toddlers

2006-06-16T07:08:00.000-07:00

A recent report on NPR discussed the new surge in using sign language to communicate with babies and toddlers. Interviewed teachers and researchers pointed to the usefulness of signing as a developmentally appropriate way for children to communicate since the physical skills necessary for signing develop long before the articulation skills necessary for speech. The interview also referenced research showing that children who sign frequently develop larger vocabularies and learn to read earlier than peers who don't use sign language.

Just this week, we held the first class for our new Kindermusik Sign & Sing class at the Community Music and Dance Academy. As a parent, as well as an educator, I am thrilled with the class which makes signing feel easy for parents as well as fun for kids. We use music, toys, and instruments to engage children and teach them signs when they are most primed to learn -- during engaging play! And parents who've participated in the class before sing its praises. One parent I know, who completed the class last fall, shared with me that each week her young toddler picked up a new sign in class. Then before they could even make it back to the next class, he added speaking the word for the new sign. During and shortly after their time in class, his vocabulary both in signs and in speech simply exploded!

If you'd like more information about our Sign & Sing classes, you can find it here. We have one session this summer, on Thursdays from 9:30-10:15 am, and in the fall we'll be expanding our Sign & Sing class offerings. More to come soon about our Fall Schedule.

Shake! Shake! Shake!

2006-06-13T11:29:00.000-07:00

Making homemade shakers is a favorite activity you can enjoy again and again with young children.

Choose one or more empty containers. Plastic, cardboard or metal food or drink containers work great. Choose the materials to put inside (multi-colored goldfish crackers, beads, dried beans, loose change, rice). Fill the container with one or more different sound-making materials. Seal tightly (using tape if necessary). Decorate your shaker if desired. Then, explore all the different ways to play your new shaker.

Variations for Babies
Add more fun, and sensory stimulation, by using clear plastic containers filled with colorful objects. As you play, you can describe the ways your play your shaker as well the materials inside. This is also a great way to create a fun crawling toy for crawlers. Just choose a container which will roll. Benefits of this Activity: language development through labeling, physical development, sensory stimulation

NOTE: Be sure to keep safety in mind in your choice of container and filler materials. Babies will be likely to mouth their shakers, so they should be safe for mouthing, tightly sealed, and only used with adult supervision.

Variations for Toddlers and Up
Allow older children to participate in choosing the containers and filling materials. They will also enjoy decorating their shakers with stamps, stickers, crayons, colorful paper, etc. Encourage Preschoolers and Big Kids to strengthen their reasoning skills by testing out the effects of using different materials for containers and filler. How does a coffee can with beans sound different from a water bottle with rice? What makes them sound different? Is there a way to make a louder or softer sound with the shaker by changing the materials? Benefits of this Activity: language development through labeling, sensory stimulation, creativity, cognitive development

After exploring your shakers, don't forget to turn on your favorite music and play along! Shake, shake, shake!

We Love You, Dad!

2006-05-31T13:36:00.000-07:00

This is a great idea for creating a musical Father's Day gift I adapted from the February 2003 edition of Tune In, Kindermusik's free quarterly e-newsletter.

For Babies

Make a recording of you engaging in some vocal play with your child. You might read a book and allow your child to share in the play of copying animal sounds or car, bus, or truck sounds. You could also simply play with tongue clicks, favorite syllables (ba, ma, da), or blowing raspberries and see if your child will follow along. Create your own little conversation, pausing to allow him to add his own sounds as he chooses. Label the recording with the date and age of your child and give it along with a card as a gift to Dad (or Grandpa and Grandma). Have fun and remember that along the way you're encouraging important language and turn-taking skills.

For Toddlers

Follow the instructions for the activity above with a few adaptations. You might see if your child would "read" a favorite book such as Shiny Dinah from memory or even sing or echo sing a favorite song (you sing part of the song, and he echoes back with the same). If reading a book, try asking your toddler what comes next in the story in order to build sequencing skills.

For Toddlers, Preschoolers, and School-aged Children

Select several favorite songs, maybe even some songs that say "I love you." Record your child singing them along with you. You might even think about adding some instrumental accompaniment with a simple percussion instrument, like an egg shaker or a drum. Give the recording along with a card to Dad. Another variation on this is to make a recording for Grandparents.

In addition to creating a great memory and gift, you are encouraging your child's solo singing abilities as well as creativity and problem solving. Make sure to include him in the choices of songs, the making of the card, and the choice of instrumental accompaniment (if included). School-aged children may even want to create a song of their own!

Happy Father's Day!

Free Things to Do With Kids in Kansas City

2006-05-29T06:05:00.000-07:00

I was so happy yesterday morning to open up the Kansas City Star and find this article. I'm always looking for fun things to do with my little guy, and it's even better when they're free (or at least low cost). You'll find lots of great ideas here with parks, museums, movies, animals, water activities, and the arts included. Not all of the suggestions are appropriate for our littlest ones, but many are just perfect. I'm sure you'll be hearing more from me as we check several of these ideas out over the summer. Thanks, KC Star!

Fabulous Free Activity Ideas for Kids

2006-05-25T09:42:00.000-07:00

Kiddley - you just have to check it out. It's full of great activity ideas for kids of all ages. And for those of you whose little ones just couldn't get enough of the Kindermusik Our Time class we just finished, today's post deals with, you guessed it -- Trains, Planes, and Cars, Oh, My! For pennies or less, who can beat it!

Read to Your Bunny

2006-05-23T06:13:00.000-07:00

Reading is good for kids from the time they are born for so many many many different reasons as discussed here by Claudia Quigg, Founder of Baby TALK in an article from "Illinois Kids Count 2005":

"When a parent snuggles close to a child to read a book, much more occurs than the recitation of words on page:

First, the physical closeness of book sharing results in biochemical changes in the neurology of both adults and children. Hormones diminish stress, slow heart rates, quiet the mind and create feelings of affection.

Listening to books with an adult mentors children into the reading process. Learning that the black marks on the page mean something, that the illustrations relate to the words and that the text flows from left to right--these and other important concepts set the stage for reading instruction.

Following the line of a story and its beginning, middle and end train a child's ability to attend and to maintain a thought over time.

Sharing a protagonist's challenge or dilemma, then observing how that tension is resolved, gives a child important experience in problem solving."

So, we know reading is important, but it's even more fun if you're reading books that are developmentally appropriate because they target your child's interests and abilities at each of those special moments of growth and discovery. Here is a great list from the National Parents as Teachers website which gives recommendations for books for each age by month. Grab a few from your local library or bookstore. The ones we have shared together in our household have generally been huge hits and right on target for all the developmental ages and stages.

Going on a Bear Hunt

2006-05-15T10:03:00.000-07:00

Here's a twist on a familiar singing game. Instead of just singing about the bear hunt, actually create one. You can hide favorite stuffed animals around a room or your whole house. Then, go on a "hunt" to find the animals.

Variation for Lap Babies, Crawlers, & Walkers
You place the animals around the room, perhaps even hiding some from view behind chairs or under blankets. As you discover them together make the most of the vocal play element, exploring sounds the animals might make. Add time to let your child explore the animal as you describe about how it feels or looks. Example: "What a soft, fuzzy bear! It's a brown bear." If you chose to hide animals, also engage in some animal "peek-a-boo." Benefits of this Activity: language development through labeling and vocal play, sensory stimulation, obejct permanence

Variation for Toddlers
Again, you place or hide the animals around the room. As you discover them, help your child name the animal and come up with sounds it might make and some ways it might move (stomping, jumping, hopping, crawling). Example: "We found the bear. Can you make a sound like a bear? How might a bear move? Let's stomp like a bear." After a bit of fun movement and vocal exploration move on till you find the next animal. If you'd like, collect the animals along the way in a basket, bucket, or bag. Benefits of this Activity: language development through labeling and vocal play, expressiveness, gross motor development, creativity, pretend play, object permanence

Variation for Preschoolers
Follow the directions for toddlers with a few additions. After playing through the game one time, you might allow your preschooler to hide the animals for you or siblings to find. Make a point to take turns with your child or encourage him to take turns with other friends or siblings. You might also ask your child to pretend to find another animal. Make sure to ask lots of open-ended questions to encourage storytelling and burgeoning language skills. Example: "Can you think of another animal we might find? Have you ever seen a bear? Where do bears live? What do you think a bear might eat? Can we pretend to eat some too?" Enjoy the pretend play as you engage your child in this activity, there's no telling where it will lead! Benefits of this Activity: turn-taking, expressiveness, gross motor development, pretend play, game playing, creativity

Variation for Big Kids
Continue to build on this activity with your school-aged children. Instead of using stuffed animals, gather a group of friends or the family and play hide and seek. Each family member or friend gets to pretend to be one of the animals on the hunt. One person acts as the explorer and "finds" all the other animals. Let the children create a whole setting for their play. Each child can choose their animal. Ask questions to initiate more pretend play and storytelling. You might ask where a particular animal lives. How does the explorer travel to find these animals (by boat, plane, car)? What are the animals doing when she finds them? In what order should the explorer find the animals? Children can take turns being the explorer, or all the animals can gather on the journey to find more friends. Benefits of this Activity: storytelling, expressiveness, creativity, turn-taking, social skills, pretend play, sequencing

Happy Hunting!

These are a Few of My Favorite Things

2006-05-12T10:12:00.000-07:00

So, I'm still a fairly new mom, but I've already discovered (as everyone tried to tell me) that it is the hardest and most wonderful job I could ever have. In honor of Mother's Day, here are ten of the things I love best about being a mom:

1. Snuggily, sleepy babies
2. Little people laughs
3. A constant reminder to slow down and savour the day
4. A world full of wonder and possibility
5. Raspberries, babbling, and tongue clicks
6. Lullabies
7. Wiggling
8. New discoveries
9. Bathtime
10. The amazing person that my little one is and is growing to be

Take a moment today to maybe flip through old videos, photos, or that baby book and remember all the joys, struggles, and laughs that have come as a result of being a Mom. And I'd love to hear any of your favorite things.

Bargain Hunting with Babies

2006-05-04T17:08:00.000-07:00

It is Garage Sale season, and there's nothing better than a good garage sale for finding great deals on kid's gear. But how do you know which products will stand the test of time, which toys your kid will really love, and what you really need amongst the thousands of options out there. Well, as someone who loves hunting out the best product for the best price, here are three books I have run across that I would highly recommend to any parent. In fact, if you see me at a local garage sale or consignment sale, you may see me with one of these in hand.

Baby Bargains & Toddler Bargains : These two books are the "Consumer Reports" of baby gear. They help you sort through all the many options and come up with what you really need, what will fit your lifestyle, and what you will love, plus they give you suggestions of where to go to find the best deal.

The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio
These authors hand out awards every year for best new toys, books, videos, and CDs on the market. In their books, you can find a list of toys your child is guaranteed to love. Their website gives a great reduced version of their most current list.

Happy Hunting!

Playing for a Living

2006-05-04T14:40:00.000-07:00

It all began a few years back when I decided I needed a personal mission statement. I was going through a period of great transition in my life, and this was a good way to focus a little more clearly on what I really wanted to do. My mission statement:

I want to play and imagine for a living, for my life.

And then I happened upon Kindermusik, the leading early childhood music and movement program for ages 0-7. It inspires me almost daily. Something about the spontaneity, the community, the exploration, the shared music making, the freedom, and the creativity breathes Life into my grown-up world of housekeeping and computers and television and cars. Watching the world through a child's eyes (and getting a few big hugs along the way) can have that effect on people.

For me it is apparent that this is a real part of my calling. Some may find it silly. Some may think it's simply strip-mall fare. But I know better. As a musician I know it's training our future students, performers, and audience members to be creative, open, and musical. As someone who was a music professor for a time I know it's based on the best research and methods available for early childhood learning and music training. As a parent, I applaud its recognition of adults as the child's first and most important teacher, and its emphasis on parent education. When it all comes down Kindermusik is about inspiring children with a love of learning and music that will last a lifetime while creating family bonds and memories that will shape them forever. What's not to love about that?