I love the wiggles and the wandering.  I really do.

I love the way those faces light up as I move around the circle to sing hello to each child, that look of “It’s my turn!”

I love toddlerese, even when I require a Mom interpreter.

I love the older toddlers and preschoolers who have a million stories to tell me right in the middle of class that have absolutely nothing to do with what I’m talking about.

I love when Princess Aurora and Spunky the Alien and dogs who moo come to visit me at class.  (I also love being asked to be “Prince Phillip.”)

I love hugs at the end of class.

I love regular requests to hear the “choo-choo train” again even when it’s supposed to be the week we listen to car sounds.

I love all the amazing creative ideas you and your kids have – choo-choo train sandblocks, homemade ukuleles, giving kisses hello.

I love seeing parents who are obviously in love with their kiddos and invested in helping them learn and grow and make memories together.

I love the “presents” of leaves, crafts, coloring pages, and notes that come to class.

I love hearing children count 1…2…8…9…10.

I love watching first words, first signs, first steps.

I love the laughter.

And most of all I love the way you all love and support one another.  You are amazing.  You are amazing parents – kind, nurturing, teachers.  You (and your kiddos) are amazing people – creative, smart, fun.  And you are an amazing community.  So…Happy Valentine’s Week, from the bottom of my heart.

With much love -

Miss Joy

Making Valentines with 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 your chosen Valentine. Have fun and remember that along the way you’re encouraging important language and turn-taking skills.

Making Valentines with 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.

Making Valentines with 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 your Valentine.

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!

Enjoy your Valentines!

Many parents don’t play with their children.  They buy them toys to “occupy” them.  They are missing one of the best ways to “bond” with their child – to strengthen and reinforce the relationship.  Dr. Stanley Greenspan, a pediatric psychiatrist, and author of First Feelings, Milestones in the emotional development of your baby and child, coined the term “Floor Time” and outlines how parents can connect with their children in this emotionally powerful way.

How to Do It

1. Let the child take the lead and decide what to play. You act as the “stage manager” and help gather the things you’ll need.  Then ask the child what role you should play, and even what you should do.  “What are we playing?”  “Who am I?”  “What should I do?”  Let your child be the train conductor and you be the passenger.
2. Do what she says. If you’re playing with blocks, copy what the child is building, or build something similar.  In pretend play, go with her idea and play your assigned role.
3. Add an idea. After you’ve copied her, add a small new idea of your own.  See if she accepts it.  If not, go with her agenda.  Let her add to that idea and see how many back and forth new ideas you can come up with.
4. Sustain the play. See how long you can keep it going, keeping her interested.
5. Don’t edit. There are only two rules for your child:  1.)  No hurting, and 2.)  No breaking things.  Otherwise, anything goes.  See where your child takes the play theme.

Materials to Use

This type of play works best with pretend play and dolls, puppets or stuffed animals, or playing with miniatures.

What’s the Benefit?

There are many benefits when you play with your child.  It’s about power.  You are putting your child in a position of legitimate power. He can take the lead and direct what’s happening.  Playing this way can help reduce other “power struggles” you may be experiencing.  It is also suggested that you increase the amount of “Floor Time” play after you have had to discipline your child or impose limits.  It re-establishes the positive emotional connection.

It is also a way of showing your child that you find him interesting and that you value his ideas. “You have such good ideas.  I would never have thought of that.”  You can learn about your child, as well.  You may find out about what is on his mind, or hear some vocabulary you didn’t know he had.

Play becomes richer than when the child plays alone or with an age-mate.  You are teaching your child how to be a good player and how to elaborate roles, add ideas and take suggestions from others.  You are supporting your child’s imagination.

Finding the Time

One suggestion is to turn the TV off for half and hour and play, read or listen to music.  It should be when everyone is reasonably relaxed and not hungry.

Remember, this is what real “quality time” is all about.  It works with any age child, even babies.  You’ll have fun, you’ll laugh, you’ll relax and your child will remember these times.

- Written specifically for Kindermusik International by Karen Miller, Early Childhood Expert, Consultant and Author

It doesn’t matter the age – kids love to move, or be moved. Bouncing, wiggling, running, jumping, climbing on furniture, it seems they never stop.  And in fact, such energetic locomotor movements are valuable, appropriate, and fun activities for little ones.  The child’s innate need to move is inextricably linked to learning.  We not only learn to move as we grow, but we literally move to learn.  Educational Psychologist, Dr. Becky Bailey is fond of saying, “The best exercise for the brain is exercise”, and science bears it out.  (Just check out the recent Newsweek article on how to make yourself smarter.)  So,  movement is important and provides outlets for your child’s energy as well as for her skill development.

Moving and controlling one’s movements are learned skills, and one of the best features of learning to regulate one’s movements as we learn to crawl, walk, run, jump, and swing is that it helps us learn inhibitory control, or the ability to stop oneself and wait.  Now, I love inhibitory control because it’s an amazing developmental bonus you can often hide in a fun activity or game.  Kids will be playing along, giggling and smiling and never know that they are working on learning how to stop and wait, which really means they are learning self-control or impulse control. Having inhibitory control is important for social skills like taking turns, waiting in a line, waiting your turn to speak, asking for a toy rather than just grabbing it from another kid (or pushing them over for that matter).  Inhibitory control helps us stop and think through the choices rather than repeating past behaviors that got us into trouble like hitting a sister, jumping on the couch, or eating all the cookies.  In fact, a lack of impulse control or inhibitory control can cause us to get into a lot of trouble in school as well as in life.

So, I mentioned earlier that I love inhibitory control because it’s so easy to sneak it into fun activities.  How?  Simply play “Stop and Go” games.  Even babies love ‘em because they delight in anticipating when the stop and start will come, while kids of all ages find great joy in developing mastery over their own bodies as they command their feet to stop.  We’re going to be doing lots of stop and go play in all our classes over the course of the semester.  But here are some fun things you might try at home:

• Learn the ASL sign for STOP. One fun way to add stop and go to almost any activity is to learn the ASL sign for STOP.  In class with the preschoolers you might hear us chant, “Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, walk, and STOP (all-caps is a common signifier for American Sign Language signed words).  Simply as it sounds, the kids love it.  You can use any locomotor movement – jump, drive, swing.  For babies, this can be a great way to teach the sign.  Simply push baby in a baby swing and then surprise them with a quick STOP as you sign STOP.
• Play Move and Freeze. It’s musical chairs.  Well, sort of.  Most of you probably remember in playing musical chairs how you moved to the music, and when the teacher paused the music you had to race to find a seat.  Same idea minus the chairs.  Instead of racing to find a seat when the music stops, simply freeze your body.  If you want to add more silliness for preschoolers or big kids try have them freeze in silly shapes or statues when you pause the music.
• Play Red Light Green Light. This is another game I remember fondly from my childhood.  It’s a little too involved for toddlers unless they have adult assistance, but it would be great fun for preschoolers with a bit of help or bigger kids on their own.  One person (works well for a grownup to take this part) is the traffic light and stands a good distance ahead of the other players with his back turned to them.  The traffic light calls out “green light”, which means the other players can attempt to sneak up and tap him on the shoulder.   However, when he calls “red light”, they have to freeze before he turns around and catches them.  Anyone the traffic light sees moving when he turns must return to the starting line.  The first player to sneak up and tap the traffic light wins.
  

*The fine print.  You must reside in Kansas or Missouri to participate.  No class enrollment necessary.  By submitting an entry you enter our contest without expectation of compensation and with the understanding that all entries, photos, videos will be used exclusively by Kindermusik with Joy.  Kindermusik with Joy may choose not to use your photo, video, or entry at this time, but may do so at its own discretion at a later date.  Once your video, photo, entry is posted on Kindermusik with Joy’s website/public blog/Facebook page, the image can be downloaded by any computer user.  Entry in the contest signifies agreement to indemnify and hold harmless from any claims Joy Granade or Kindermusik with Joy.  This contest is not sponsored by or associated with Facebook, and all information submitted is submitted to “Kindermusik with Joy” not Facebook.

This year for the holidays, consider a gift that takes up no extra room on the toy shelf, offers more value than the shiniest plastic toy, and supports music education in your local community.  Plus, it is sure to hold your child’s interest for longer than any other present they unwrap.  This year, consider a gift certificate for classes with “Kindermusik with Joy”.

You can’t put a price on your child’s growth and development. And despite what songs and movies might say, money can’t buy you love.  But, our award winning early childhood education program will put a smile on your child’s face, a love of music in her heart, and give you both memories to last a lifetime.

For more information on how to purchase a gift certificate for someone you love, contact, Joy Granade or Darcy Maret at kindemusikwithjoy@gmail.com or 913-322-3703.  Classes for newborn to 7 yrs.

by lalofont used by Creative Commons License via Flickr

“Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, doorbells and sleighbells, and warm woolen mittens, brown paper packages tied up with string, these are few of my favorite things.”  Gets you in the Holiday spirit doesn’t it.  I have such great memories of watching The Sound of Music with my family at this time of year growing up.  Well, here are some Kansas City favorite things to do with the under 5 crowd during the Holiday Season, with a little something for everyone I hope.  (Recommendations come from both our family and several other families in the Kindermusik program.  If you have others you’d like to share, we’d love to hear them.  Just add them in the comments here or on our Facebook page.):

Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens Holiday Luminary Walk

Dec. 2-3,  5 – 8:30 pm

Now while I can’t say I’ve been to this special walk, the Gardens themselves are lovely, and I have been to similar walks in other states and loved them.   Admission $7 per person.  Kids 5 and under free.

Journey to Bethlehem at 2nd Presbyterian Church

Friday, Dec. 2,  7-9 pm

Saturday, Dec. 3,  5-7 pm

I have driven past the sign on Brookside Boulevard for years, but only two years ago did our family decide to find out what “Journey to Bethlehem” is all about.  I must say I was very impressed with this 45-min walk-through of the story of the birth of Christ.  We felt truly immersed in the story as we turned in our “census” to the Roman rulers, “bought” things at the Bethlehem market, and then were led by a shepherd all over Bethlehem to see the exciting events of that first Christmas.  As an additional treat, I recently learned to one of our longtime Kindermusik families is involved with their two kiddos as performers each year.  My kids loved it.  However, I recommend attending well diapered and fed as you may have to stand in line for quite a while.  Admission free to all.

A Very Important Christmas Pageant and Birthday Party for Jesus at St. Andrew’s Episcopal

Sunday, Dec. 18 – come see the pageant from 9:15-10 am and stay for a Birthday Party for Jesus

The angel squadron has been gathered. News of peace and joy are to be shared with a young girl named Mary, with shepherds on the hill, and the whole world. And this isn’t just any news. This is the VERY IMPORTANT message announcing the story of the birth of Jesus Christ!

Come watch as the children of St. Andrew’s Sunday School classes present this year’s VERY IMPORTANT Christmas pageant from 9:15-10 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 18, in the undercroft!  (After attending St. Andrew’s All Hallow’s Eve Party, the super fun “Boo Bash” last year I would expect this to be a delightful time.  Glenda, the Children’s Minister at St. Andrew’s is so lovely and welcoming.)

Powell Gardens

Dec. 3, 9: o0 am – noon – Fun with Santa and Mrs. Claus

Enjoy a Chris Cakes style pancake breakfast when you come out to meet Old St. Nick. Afterward, make a craft to take home, join Mrs. Claus for storytelling and admire the Victorian display in the conservatory. Then bundle up for a ride on the outdoor mini-train (weather permitting). Reservations are required.
Call for reservations: 816-697-2600 x209 Members age 4 & under $5, Members age 5-12 $6, Members 13 & up $8, Non members age 4 & under $7, Non members age 5-12 $9, Non members age 13 & up $13

Dec. 10-11, 5:30-7 pm -  Luminary Walk

Another fabulous garden to check out is Powell Gardens, though it is a bit of a drive, so you might plan to go and stay for a while if possible.  Having been to other events they have held in the past, I feel sure their Luminary Walk will be beautiful.  Enjoy live holiday music, homemade cookies and hot chocolate by the fireside and a walk along a candlelit path to the peaceful Marjorie Powell Allen Chapel.  Admission $7/adults, $6/seniors, $3 children 5-12, children under 5 free, free for members.  While you’re at the Gardens, be sure to ride the Trolley (really our favorite part.)

Holiday at Union Station

Every year we make a trip during the Holiday season to Union Station to see the enormous 8,000 square foot holiday model railroad exhibit.  There is also a fun train ride around a huge Christmas tree at the end of the Grand Hall and special events going on all the time.  Admission to the Model Railroad Experience is free.  Other charges may apply to special appearances, exhibits, and train rides.  (p.s.  Memberships are great and can give you some nice discounts if you have a kid who likes Science City, like we do.)

Hope these ideas will help you create a few special family traditions to share for years to come!

by WishUponACupcake via Creative Commons License/Flickr

Don’t Forget!

There will be no classes the entire week of Thanksgiving, November 21-26.

But just because we’re closed doesn’t mean you can’t take Kindermusik on the Road.  We’ve got some perfect ideas for filling the long hours for a trip to Grandma’s.  You’d be amazed how much time a Kindermusik CD or two and a few of your favorite activities can fill.

Tips:

With a few songs from class you can turn a long day on the road into a time to build memories and make connections you’ll share together forever.

The Story:  An Old Complicated, Stressful System

“Becoming a careful observer of young children reminds us that what might be ordinary at first glance is actually quite extraordinary.  A string of “ordinary” moments for a child becomes like a bead on a necklace, each one unique, though related to the others, combining to create a work of wonder.”

When you look at your child, what do you see?  Perhaps it’s the shiny blue eyes that mirror your own.  Maybe it’s that familiar nose or the dark, wavy hair.  And maybe you see a budding teacher, artist or musician.  But what else do you see?

Every day your child is doing something or saying something that provides a beautiful window into her developing traits and personality.  During the preschool years, your child’s wondrous individuality is truly beginning to form.

Christopher was thrilled about the classroom “trip” to the imaginary Grasshopper Park.  When the children were asked what animal they saw in the park, the other children responded with bird, squirrel, dog, cat, skunk.  Christopher, on the other hand, saw a dinosaur — the same dinosaur he saw on a recent family trip to Science City.  And that’s how it goes in class, whether your child is 6 months or 6 years, we want to encourage a lot of individuality, creativity, and personal expression as we work to foster a classroom that truly “follows the child.”

Following the Child is a Montessori concept expressing the idea that children learn best when they are allowed to lead and even direct the learning experience.  What does that look like in the classroom?

• A baby claps his hands at the start of class leading the teacher to say “Are  you ready to clap hello today, Will?”
• Teachers constantly monitor and choose to extend activities, repeat activities, or move on based on the reactions and inclinations of the children.
• Babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and big kids are all given the opportunity to explore and discover how props or instruments might be used on their own.  “Look at how Sarah is rolling her sticks on the floor.  Sam likes to use his sticks to tap his knees.  Eli is making the letter L with his sticks.”  The kids ideas are then incorporated into the following activity.
• Older toddlers, preschoolers, and big kids begin to add to stories and songs creating new ideas and verses.
• Movement exploration is often built from the kids’ ideas and extended from there.

And the kids love it.  Not only does it mean class often moves in a direction that interests them, but the validation is satisfying.  Listen to the rising confidence in your child’s voice as she expresses her opinions during class.  Such expression will help her as she begins to pick out different sounds while listening to a song and then describe which sounds she likes and why.  Take note of his original thoughts and ideas – and how he relates a concept to a previous learning experience.  Then watch his face light up as his idea is utilized in class.  Sometimes the teacher even thinks their ideas are important enough to write them down!  That must mean his ideas are really special!

Kindermusik allows your child to express his thoughts, actions, and imagination in his own way.  There is no right or wrong.  By soliciting and incorporating a child’s ideas and feelings into each lesson, we are affirming that their thoughts and ideas are important and worth exploring.  Each little success is noticed and celebrated.

And you can “follow the child” at home, too.  Now’s the time to “stop, look, and listen” as your child begins to cross the street of independence and individuality.  More importantly, you can cross the street with him by taking some steps to help nurture his budding originality.  For example:

• Let your baby take the lead as you play peekaboo, determining how long the game goes one, whether you hide or she does.  When her interest wanes, let her show you what she wants to play next.
• Listen closely and respond to your toddlers thoughts and ideas – let her lead the way when it comes to navigating around the zoo…or let her make up the rules to the game.
• Encourage the “process” by allowing your preschoolers to “try,” then offer positive reinforcement for his effort.
• Solicit your big kid’s opinions on various subjects – why does she like or dislike a certain song or type of music?

Not only does “following the child” provide greater creativity, independence, and problem solving skills, but it also helps you stop and tune in more fully to all those moments you share together helping you make memories that last a lifetime.