Play Time

As parents we feel the need to make sure our child is entertained. I know I sometimes find myself feeling guilty when I leave my 3 year old to his trains while I do the dishes, the laundry, the cleaning, etc etc etc. But truly, making sure our children have enough open play time is vital to their development. So if your child is happily playing, don't feel the need to swoop in and rescue them. Read the article below for more info on the benefits of unstructured play time.

"Play is a natural activity for children. The child a play is self-motivated and actively engaged. Whereas games are governed by rules, the value of play is that it provides freedom from evaluation and judgment. The freedom of a playful atmosphere fosters intellectual development as well as self-construction and the development of personality.

Tips for parents: There are many things we as parents can do to inspire play. Just making sure your child has lots of time for free play is an important first step. You might also want to look at the play areas – inside and outside – and ensure that they are safe and inviting. Finally, consider adding some very simple toys and props to the playroom – things like wooden blocks, cardboard boxes and tubes, blankets, dress-up clothes, etc. will all help your child make his imagination come alive through his play."

- Contributed by Theresa Case, whose Greenville, SC program, Kindermusik at Piano Central Studios, is proudly among the top 1% of Kindermusik programs worldwide.

looking into some class fun

What a fun place to learn and play! A great look inside a kindermusik class.

Spotlight on Learning: Early Literacy

Spotlight on Learning: Our Time Away We Go

Big idea: Early Literacy

At Kindermusik, we love the quote by Emilie Buchwald: "children are made readers on the laps of their parents." Reading picture books together with adults helps children internalize some skills that are crucial in the development of true literacy.

 

Reading together:

• Fosters reading enjoyment
• Provides predictability through repetition
• Introduces new vocabulary
• Expands understanding of story structures
• Promotes critical thinking
• Encourages language play and creative expression

Each week in class when we read Shiny Dinah or another favorite story, your child receives all these key early literacy benefits. Plus, children develop music literacy through the rhythm and movement elements of Kindermusik stories.

Everyday connection: Act on it! Read your child's favorite book together and then pretend to be the characters in the book. Is it Shiny Dinah? Be the train or a passenger. Where are you going today and what will you see and hear along the way?

Spotlight on Learning

Big idea: Vestibular System

A hammock gently swaying in a warm ocean breeze or the quiet creaking of a porch swing in the dappled afternoon sunlight can bring thoughts of a little life balance in an increasingly complex world. As a parent of a child under 2, however, the nursery glider moving back and forth at 10:16pm, 2:01am, and 5:34am might be the closest you can get to that beach or front porch. It can work in a pinch though!

All that nursery rocking reinforces balance of a different kind in your child. The rocking, swaying, and movement stimulate your child's vestibular system, the part of the brain that controls balance. In Kindermusik class, we rock to lullabies, bounce on knees, and even make hammocks out of blankets to help lap babies and crawlers begin to develop their sense of balance and to reinforce balance and stability in young walkers.

Everyday connection: Rock on! Try out some of the rocking moves from class at home. If your child feels nervous about hammocking in class, try it at home where she feels most comfortable. Think of different ways you can hold your child as you rock or bounce together.

Spotlight on Parenting: Village and Our Time

Big idea: Kindermusik makes it easier to communicate with your baby or toddler

Traveling to another country can be exciting. New sights, sounds, customs, food, and time zones that wreck havoc on your sleep! If the locals speak a language you don't understand, your communication abilities quickly downgrade to that of a one-year-old: the use of full-body gestures and speaking louder and louder in YOUR language thinking that will increase comprehension. Yikes! Where is the loo?

 

At Kindermusik, we know parenting a young child can be a bit like visiting a foreign country. New sights, sounds, customs, food, and your sleep is definitely wrecked! Plus, your little one does not exactly speak your language. Most grown-ups are no longer fluent in baby or toddler. We understand, which is why we intentionally include activities that will increase your child's communication abilities. In class, when we use sign language, sing "Oh well, you walk, and you walk, and you walk and you stop" or when we listen to and imitate different sounds, your child is learning and practicing language. Eventually, this will lead to him speaking your language. (Well, until the teenage years, and then you'll need your passport again!)

Everyday connection: A match made in Kindermusik. Your child loves the sound of your voice. Feed his love and grow his use of language at the same time by singing, listening, moving, and dancing to the music from class.  The repetition helps increase language acquisition and retention. Plus, music is a language you both understand.