Children LOVE to pretend to be animals. Even children younger than 18 months old are acute observers of the world, and begin to imitate what they see how others… or other ANIMALS… act . WATCH ! and when you see these imitations, let it develop into a learning experience. … HOW?

FIRST, specifically describe what the child is doing, with a focus on “I see you…” This not only encourages the child sense of self and confidence in their abilities, but it also helps increase their language skills and vocabulary (which they will grasp quickly because of their strong interest).

Then encourage them to expand, lead them to consider what else a puppy would do. “It looks like the puppy wants to play. What shall we do today, puppy?” Again, continue to describe their actions, interpreting for their “animal language”. Play along as the puppy’s owner, asking what the puppy needs to be happy. These are open ended questions that help guides their imagination, and allows them to remain the creative “leader” of this playful activity.

If they need some further encouragement, (some are too young to know the options, some are overwhelmed with the many options) ask simple choice questions, like “Is the puppy begging for a scratch behind the ear, or does he want his belly rubbed?” Or if there is time, “Would the puppy like to go for a walk, or play ball in the back yard?” Then it becomes easy for them to decide, and can become creative again once they get started that direction.

After a bit of open play, it may be wonderful to learn more about that type of animal, through active observation of your own pet (describing what they are doing) or reading a book featuring their favorite animal, or singing a song about that animal that includes the animal doing some of the typical things that animal does.

This will help them expand their knowledge of options for that animal, which will be fun to include during the next play session. Will they bring this new action into the play themselves? Or will you gently add that in through a choice question? During each new play session, WATCH to see what the child will ADD that is NEW for them. It is amazing how quickly they can learn so much about an animal they are interested in.

Pretend Play develops over time through a specific set of steps, and according to the experiences that child has. One of my previous blog postings “A Parents Guide to the Stages of Pretend Play” goes through those stages specifically in a more formal way.

But today is a good day to just get in a few good ideas and enjoy animal play with your young child. My next few blogs will contain some fun SONGS and RESOURCES that are about specific animals, which you can USE in your fun play. PLEASE feel free to ADD your thoughts about books, songs, rhymes, and simple PLAY ideas for our young “animal” friends.

In the Fiddle Dee Dee semester of Kindermusik Our Time, we are fully exploring lots of animals, the ways they move, the sounds, they make, and the things they LIKE and DO.  We are in the midst of enjoying rhymes, songs, and stories encouraging interactive animal play.   If you’d like to visit a class, check out www.kindermusik.com, to find a class near you.

If you are already part of MY Kindermusik class, or the class of another teacher… TELL ME…  which animals would YOU like to see the focus on.

I must end by sharing a story.  One of my best friends daughter, and her cousin, were enthralled with squirrels.  They pretended to be squirrels regularly throughout an entire YEAR !  With squirrel next “forts” in the living room, short tree climbing, and halloween costumes, they explored every aspect of being a squirrel. 

Which animal does YOUR child like to pretend to be?

Unlike most other music programs for young children, Kindermusik is designed as an everyday musical experience. That is why Kindermusik puts so much energy into creating high quality “At Home” materials that are second to none. Thoughtfully crafted sets of materials are purposefully incorporated to provide the most complete and the best possible musical learning experience available for the entire family.

Kindermusik’s uniqueness stems from the fact that it recognizes parents as the child’s best teacher. Besides attending classes with their child, parents can help the child derive much more benefits from the activities experienced in class by playful engagement in these activities at home.

The Home Materials support this intention marvelously. The Home CD contains all the songs, chants and music taught in class. The Journal / Home Activity Book, besides containing the lyrics and notation for the songs and chants on the CD, also provides many great ideas for fun activities parents may share with their child at home.

These materials will last a long time. Satisfied parents have often told us how the entire family including other siblings have benefited from these activities at home.  

We have also observed keener participation, and enhanced ability to focus, with children who use their home materials regularly.

Following are some helpful and practical ideas for helping to make your child’s life even more musical:

- Play your At Home CD. Children love repetition and the more you play the CD together, the more your child will be comfortable with the songs and activities.

- Use your At Home CD and literature book to add music to your nightly bedtime story ritual.

- Sing to or sing along with your child. Sing to a pet or even a stuffed animal.

- Swing and sway to music, or dance through the water droplets of a sprinkler.

- Record your own songs and listen to your own voices and music.

- Vary your movements and instrument playing. Maintain a steady beat, move to a faster beat, then a slower beat.

- Discuss the music you hear. What does it sound like? What types of instruments do you hear?

- Sing or chant favorite tunes to help pass the time while waiting in a kew or while sitting in the pediatrician’s office.

- Explore musical sounds with home-made instruments, using boxes and other assorted containers, scrapers, shakers and jingles.

- Attend community concerts and other local musical events to give your child a taste of many types of music.

- Music at home is a great memory builder for your child. In years to come he will mention the things you did together at home when he was little! …priceless!

(A great THANKS to Monica Mitchell of the United Kingdom for this wonderful blog posting.  She has a wonderful blog with lots of great information.  Check it out:  http://musicandgiggles.blogspot.com )

As an educator for 10 years now, I have a bit more to add, since many of my loyal families have expressed their opinions of the home materials, and what they mean to their families.    – Debbie Mondale

As families continue to enroll and enjoy the Kindermusik curriculum as their children grow and progress through the different programs, they are able to collect such a wide range of music, instruments, and books that their children grow to love and use for MANY years  These songs and stories are connected with fond memories of interacting with family, and the friends they made in their Kindermusik classes.  These materials stand up to the test of time and child use.  So much so that siblings often get to re-use the same materials when THEY get enrolled in their OWN class as they reach the right age.  That reduces the costs for the sibling’s class, and allows the family to revisit some of their favorites that they have only found through Kindermusik.  As the Kindermusik motto says  “A good beginning never ends.”

Kindermusik is FUN and Purposeful  

Here are the Top Ten reasons to enroll.

10. My child will be learning while having a lot of fun!

9. I will learn more about my child’s developmental abilities, and how music can enhance developmental progress in so many ways.

8. We will both make new friends that can last a lifetime.

7. The weekly PROCESS of Kindermusik builds and strenthens connections in my child’s brain, which improves my child’s abilities in many areas, including: physical coordination, listening and language skills, regulating personal emotions, interacting with peers and adults, as well as gaining musical abilities.

6. It will allow my child to use his/her creativity and imagination.

5. My child will be able to explore and experience a wide variety of instruments and music in a way that they may not otherwise have a chance to experience.

4. Kindermusik fosters joyful music making using quality Instruments and recordings, and prepares my child for future formal music studies.

3. It provides wonderful bonding time for me and my child that lasts all week when we use the included home materials (CDs, Books, instruments, and more) which are ours to keep.

.

2. My Kindermusik educator is trained and licensed to facilitate these well researched curriculums.  This educator will truly care for me and my child, and will do their best to meet the needs of my family.

1. Kindermusik is the BEST CHOICE for my child!

Thanks are given to some fabulous Kindermusik bloggers who started and inspired this list.  I’m not quite sure where it started, but I hope noone minds that I modified it to include my own favorite reasons, and favorite pictures.

Merry Melodies,   Debbie Mondale   http://musiconnx.kindermusik.net

If interested in a Kindermusik program for your child, please visit www.kindermusik.com where you will be able to find educators near you with their schedules ready for you to view.

Fortunately, the Friends of Florida Folk is a group of dedicated volunteers determined to “identify, protect, preserve, encourage, and promote folk arts, crafts, dance and music of Florida”.  Their website, www.foff.org  is fabulous.  Immediately you are greeted with wonderful music, and podcasts are offered frequently, and there is much to see and hear while exploring their many pages. 

For your LIVE MUSIC listening pleasure, there is a calendar of live folk music events, as well as a page that lists the recurring live music events.  These may recur annually, monthly, or even weekly.  This information is specific to Florida, and lists events ALL over this state!

There are so many styles represented, but definitely include bluegrass, blues, folk, and much more.

Some of my favorite ANNUAL Florida Folk Festivals that I have attended include: 

Will McLean in March in Dunnellon (new location this last year)

Gamble Rogers in May in St. Augustine

Florida Folk Festival in May in White Springs

Friends of Florida Folk Fest in February in Tampa

There are so many more I can’t even name them, but they are all listed on the FOFF website.  Look under FOLK LINKS, Category MAJOR FESTIVALS.

We take the family in the camper and attend as many as we can each year.  Most ALL of the festivals are very family friendly, and often have wonderful music activities especially for the children in a tent of their own.  It is a wonderful immersion into a world of music that cannot be experienced otherwise. 

I certainly have my favorite Florida musicians that I seek out, but I’ll leave that for another blog posting. 

ENJOY this live music with your children, and teach them to sing all of the wonderful old folk songs !   It gives children a sense of BELONGING to family, to the community, and to history. 

One of the things I LOVE about Kindermusik is that incorporates folk music from all over OUR country, as well as countries from all over the world.  There are beautiful renditions of them on the CD, AND we learn to sing and do the activities and dances that are the same the world over.  When children have a true appreciation of music of different styles and cultures, it also helps them appreciate the PEOPLE of different styles and cultures and helps them feel connected to the world.  We all experience many of the same things, and music just helps us see that a bit more clearly.

Merry Melodies,
Debbie Mondale 

Please follow the links to more detailed information about summer programs that might be right for your family.  And please scroll down on this posting to find the Top Ten Reasons to enroll.

Summer Kindermusik Adventures with Babies

Summer Kindermusik Adventures with Toddlers, Walkers

Summer Kindermusik Adventures with Preschoolers

Summer Kindermusik Adventures with early elementary ages

Kindermusik educators may also offer creative alternatives for families, using the following curriculum:

Kindermusik Family Time

ABC, Music & Me

Summer is so full of things that make it special, so join us in celebrating these in a musical way!

Find an educator near you through the Educator Locator at www.kindermusik.com , where you will be able to view all the educators AND their schedules in one place.

*****************************************************

Top Ten Reasons to Take Kindermusik Adventure Camp This Summer

10. New music that is not only fantastic for your child’s development, but is interesting listening for the whole family

9. A safe environment for you to play and be silly with your child without out fear of ridicule.

8. A chance to get to meet and know other families with children your child’s age.

7. Books and instruments to take home and continue the play throughout the year.

6. An air conditioned activity for the dog days of summer.

5. Weekly opportunity to focus completely on your child and remind yourself how creative and unique he is.

4. Egg shakers – need I say more?

3. Bubbles, parachutes and singing together – time to be a kid again.

2. Summer session is only 5 weeks long. A great way to try us out.

and the #1 reason to sign up for Kindermusik this summer….

1. Kindermusik activities strengthens your child’s brain and affects every area of her development.

A Good Beginning Never Ends — why not get started now?

(Thanks Miss Christa for a great Top Ten list!  See her blog:  http://misschrista.wordpress.com  – Athens Co., Ohio)

Each educators will choose, from the following units, which to offer during their summer program.

­*******************************************************

Peek-A-Boo! I Love You!
More than just a curious story, Mother Goose games like peek-a-boo help your baby understand language. In this special camp, uncover more ways to say “I love you” using American Sign Language, soap bubbles, and parent-baby dances. Plus, you can meet with other newborns and families in the community and learn how music improves the child development process. Home Materials include: Book, CD, Duck Wash Mitt, Baby Duck Gertie Ball, and Poster.

Busy Days

Set your baby’s day to classical music. With a little more Tchaikovsky in your “Twinkle, Twinkle” repertoire you’ll discover new ways your baby benefits from the classics as you both develop an appreciation for the world’s most respected music. Each lesson features new activites and songs you can sing for all the places you go together-the store, the playground, the doctor, and more. Home Materials include: Book, CD, Village Cage Bell, and Poster.

­*******************************************************

     NEW:  Kindermusik Sign and Sing

This program is specifically designed for hearing children and their families.  In the process of matching signs to concrete items, babies, and even children up to 3 years old, will gain great benefits to their developing language skills.  Developing an ability to use sign language often reduces the frustration of both the child and parent, as they learn how to communicate with each other before a child has the full capacity to talk.  This program was designed in coordination with Signing Smart, and uses American Sign Language.

*******************************************************

 

 

 

 

Find an educator near you at www.kindermusik.com .  The Educator Locator will list ALL the programs near you (based on your zip code), as well as many of their full schedules, and contact information so you can get in on all this fun.

 

]]>

Each educator will choose, from the following units, which to offer during their summer program.

Creatures at the Ocean
Sing sailor songs and make the ocean count. “Five little seashells lying on the shore: Swish! Went the waves and then there were four.” Jump over the waves, squawk like a seagull, chirp like a dolphin, swim like a whale.  Oh, there’s so much fun to be had at the beach.  Materials include: A FABULOUS CD, Seashell Castanets, Storycard set and Picture Folder set.  Educators often choose to include several crafts, and some even offer unique snacks based on the themes.  It’s amazing how easy it is to make a wave drum, and the there are so many sounds the children can explore with it.

*******************************************************

Creatures in My Backyard

Give your child something to sing about in her own backyard. Be the flower from the “seed’s” perspective. Run and jump in rain puddles made from hula hoops. Snack on whole wheat mini-waffles dipped in honey, just like a real honeycomb. Shoo real flies and sing “Shoo Fly.”Home Materials include: CD, Bunny Puppet, and Picture Folders set.  Educators often choose to include several crafts, and some even offer unique snacks based on the themes.  Making worm bodies out of panty hose, or eating gummy worms in Oreo dirt, these students get multi-sensory experiences to support their learning.

*******************************************************

Zoo Train!
Your toddler and the train make a natural match—always on the move. Tag along this summer with a traveling zoo train. Bring your own stuffed animals for the petting zoo. Wear long white socks on your hands for polar bear paws and learn about real animals in the zoo. Sing songs for clapping time, and use music to help toddlers regulate emotions. Home Materials include: Book, CD, Animal Shaker, and Poster.  Educators often choose to include several crafts, and some even offer unique snacks based on the themes.  Have you ever tried making penguins that can’t fall down out of those little plastic easter eggs?  It’s fun!

*******************************************************

Find an educator near you at www.kindermusik.com .  The educator locator includes ALL the teachers near you, as well as many of their full schedules, and contact information so you can get in on all this fun.

Cool crafts are also an important way to express themselves, and enhance the learning from this creative play in Confetti Days (at the circus), or On the Road.

Each educator will choose, from the following units, which to offer during their summer programs.

On the Road

Re-live your childhood, with your child. Every song is likely to revive a memory from your summer’s past. Play Eye Spy and find shapes in the clouds to pass the time. Take imaginary trips in a bus named “Van Go” to fun-filled vacation destinations such as the carnival, a summer cottage, and the beach. Home Materials include: Book, CD, Frog Guiro, and Poster.  Many educators also include fun craft activities, and/or snacks that are based on the theme.  In my classes,the children have really enjoyed making their OWN map of places they want to go.

 ***********************************************

Confetti Days!
Throw a new party every day. Ride a carousel inside the classroom. Play a balancing game and walk on the web of ropes. Learn colors and sing the Spanish song “De Colores,” “Pop Goes the Weasel,” and “Looby Loo.” Home Materials include: CD, pair of Confetti Bells, Story Kit and Picture Folder set.  Many educators also include fun hands-on crafts and/or snacks based on the theme.  One of my favorite crafts is the making of monkey tails, and acting like the monkey in one of our favorite songs.

 ***********************************************

Find an educator near you at www.kindermusik.com .  The educator locator includes ALL the teachers near you, as well as many of their full schedules, and contact information so you can get in on all this fun.

Children, ages 4 – 7

Children enjoy developing friendships as they participate independently for almost two hours.  Then they love to show off all their crafts and the fun things they have learned, as the parents join in on the fun during the last 15 minutes of class.

 *******************************************************

Tell Me a Tale
Through storytelling, your child will develop an early awareness of rhythm, movement, singing, and drama. Each lesson features a new tale from around the world, explored through multi-instrument and multi-cultural elements. All told, it’s an around-the-imagination adventure of the greatest stories from Europe, Malaysia, South Africa, and more. Home Materials include: Book, CD, pair of Lumi Sticks, and Poster.

 ***********************************************

Find an educator near you at www.kindermusik.com .  The Educator Locator will list all of the educators near you, as well as many of their full schedules, and contact information so you can get in on the fun.

  May your days as a mother bring you many fond memories.

  May your Mother’s day be full of love and music, and a bit of   peace and contentment.

  May you feel confident that this choice you made was one of the most miraculous things you could have chosen to enrich your life, and the lives of those to whom you are the mother.

May you remember that as long as you care, you keep trying, and you keep learning more, you ARE doing your best for your children – even if it doesn’t seem like it sometimes.

May you enjoy my blog posting:  Mother’s Day Sing-a-long and Traditions ,  where you will find a fun animated video that you and your child will enjoy singing along with, as well as unique Mother’s Day traditions.

May you enjoy my blog posting:  Songs for Mothers and Fathers  , where you will find a list of albums and songs that are written for parents, and help keep us focused on the miracle, the joy, the learning, and the end result of our efforts with our children.

May you find marvalous moments to bond with your children on a regular basis.  MANY families have found Kindermusik to be the perfect opportunity to carve a special niche into the week just for this.  I hope you find this too.