We love connecting to all the families in our classes, getting to know each and every adult and child. We love knowing all the details, small and large, of your family like how little Sarah loves shakers in any form, that Peter is teething and having trouble sleeping, that one family in the class has just moved into town, and Grandma Isabelle is starting a watercolor class. We also love connecting our families to one another. We love having you share stories with one another, check with other peoples’ experience about a troubling moment, and get advice for the best place to find bargains on baby clothes! We start each class with Gathering Time to provide an opportunity for everyone to check in and chat. Our goal is to create strong community in each class so everybody knows they belong and feels comfortable participating in whatever way is most helpful for them. We also know how important support is from others who share our concerns and questions. The connection continues as the children get to learn and practice social skills with other children and grownups in a safe, friendly — and musical! — environment.

It is so important to us that you be able to take home all the fun from class! We know that as an already excellent parent, you are your child’s first and best teacher and we want to support you in any way we can. We also want to make it easy to include Kindermusik in your regular daily routine. The CD of music for each class, the literature  books, and instruments in the home materials are essential and are just the first steps in helping you include Kindermusik at home. Each class includes an activity book as well as a link to play.kindermusik.com so you can download even more wonderful ideas and music. In addition, each week your educator provides insights for why we’re doing what we do in class and ways you can extend those activities at home.

In each class, we love to share our expertise to give you insight into your child’s miraculous learning and development.  We can help illuminate all the steps — both obvious and subtle — your child is taking even as they play or explore or discover throughout each activity. We also help each family understand their child’s unique and wonderful style because there are so many ways to experience and participate in a Kindermusik class. We want each parent and each child to be comfortable with their own ways of being part of our class.

Dear to our heart is how important it is to us that Kindermusik class be a time for each grownup have plenty of time to bond and play with their child. We live in such a busy world and these tender moments are so important to a growing child’s healthy development. The flexibility and creativity of Kindermusik classes allows plenty of time for that cozy, face-to-face time that goes into making the memories of a lifetime. Because we treasure that time, we create an atmosphere of comfort and safety where those spontaneous moments can naturally arise.

Valentine’s Day is an opportunity for all of us to tell those who are important to us that we appreciate and love them. We wanted to take the opportunity to tell you how important you are to us, how grateful we are to spend time with you each week, and how we love creating a Kindermusik class that reflects our love and commitment.

We wish you a very happy Valentine’s Day filled with the love of family and friends!

Our special Valentine’s Day playdate “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” is on Tuesday, February 14 at 9:30. FREE for enrolled families – only $5.00 for friends! Everyone is welcome! Please email Helen at helen.peterson@mchsi.com to register.

Some are tiny ones like Chloe who is figuring out every last sound, movement, emotion, color, texture, taste, and smell of everything around them, but who mostly has eyes for the one in the room who loves her the more than anyone else.

Some are older, wiser children like Nolan who, at 17 months,  understands a lifetime and a universe more. Nolan plays cooperatively with his mom, tapping bells and then looking to see if she will copy him in their game of follow the leader.  He sees the class in sections – this song, then this game, then this cuddle, then this dance.

And there are the children in the middle, like Henry, who is social and watching, stretching and playing, and enjoying the class experience as one big happening, exhausted by the end, with full on action: moving, listening, playing, and learning.   

In every Village class, each parent or caregiver has the opportunity to take some time and really study where their baby is: Sensing and reaching out, watching and starting to put more complex ideas together, or engaging fully on different levels. Every moment there is something to celebrate, something to remember, and something to look forward to.

We look forward to seeing more babies in our Kindermusik class. We are out to make the world a better, more caring, connected, and beautiful place for all babies and their families.

Join us!  Mondays at 5:00,  Fridays at 10:30, or Saturdays at 10:00.

Use the links at the right to register or contact Helen (helen.peterson@mchsi.com) for more information.

— Helen Peterson, Director, Kindermusik of the Valley

If you haven’t registered yet, please consider registering for a class or joining us for a preview class. We love having people visit because there’s nothing like the experience of a Kindermusik class to see the fun and learning that goes on in every single class. Each class includes a variety of music, instrument play, poetry, and movement.  All the time we’re having fun and thoroughly enjoying ourselves, all that we do in class has been carefully researched and created to support and nourish your child’s learning and development in the best possible way. Your Kindermusik educator explains what is going on with the activities in each song so you know why we’re doing what we’re doing.

We know that each child and each adult learns and participates in their own way. We welcome and appreciate everybody’s unique contribution. From the child who participates with lots of movement and singing to the child who is quiet and observant, we know that each child is learning in their own lovely way.

Our hope is that Kindermusik class is a time for you and your child to just have fun and time together. Researchers are discovering that spending time with people who love them is a simple but important way of helping a child learn. Learning and emotions are closely tied together and a child who is with someone they love, relaxed and having fun is a child who is ready to learn.

You’ll receive lots of simple, fun ideas for ways you can bring Kindermusik home. The home materials include class music on CD or download, one or two books, and an age-appropriate instrument. We also share lots of resources for ideas to extend the activities we’ve done in class. Our goal is to make your already excellent parenting easier.

Kindermusik class is also a wonderful place to meet and connect with other parents. Parents and caregivers have time before class and after class to connect with one another, share notes and stories, and talk over ideas. We have known many parents who meet in a Village class with their babies and are there together at the last Young Child class celebrating graduation together, sparkling eyes filled with all the wonderful memories the families have shared together in those 7 years.

Use the links on the right to register for a class or sign up for a preview class. Use the “Contact Us” link to call or email with questions. We’d love to have you join us!

— Merry Obrecht Sawdey, Kindermusik educator, Kindermusik of the Valley

Here’s a link to Stephen Hough playing his own arrangement of Rodgers’ and Hammerstein’s My Favorite Things from “The Sound of Music.”

New classes are starting the week of January 30. Join us for a free preview class and see how you and your children can be musicians, too!

— Merry Obrecht Sawdey, Kindermusik Educator

from fivestarfoodie.com

One of our family’s favorite books is Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco. It’s about a grandmother who teaches her granddaughter, step by baby step, to have courage in the face of her own fear. A thunderstorm is coming and the little girl is hiding under the bed but her grandmother entices the little girl out with the prospect of making a Thunder Cake, which can only be made during a thunderstorm. The really wonderful part of this book is that there’s a recipe at the back – and as odd as it sounds to add tomatoes to a chocolate cake – go ahead and put them in. It adds to the moistness of the cake.

The author, Patricia Polacco has a webpage for this book with some goodies like email postcards you can send, discussion questions, and links to the National Weather Service that explain about thunderstorms.

Another book we’ve enjoyed is How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Pricemen. (She also illustrated another Kindermusik of the Valley favorite, ZIN! ZIN! ZIN! A VIOLIN by Lloyd Moss.) Ms. Helen originally read this book to us in a Kindermusik class, but we quickly decided we needed to get our own copy. It was featured on an episode of Reading Rainbow and you can hear it read by Helen Mirren. The reading starts at 7:40, though there’s some fun discussion about cooking at the beginning of the show. This book is about a woman who wants to make an apple pie but when she goes to the grocery store to buy ingredients, the store is closed. So she decides she needs to gather the ingredients from the places of origin – Italy, France, Sri Lanka, etc. A great travel AND cooking book! And, of course, a recipe is included!

-Merry Obrecht Sawdey, Kindermusik Educator

The Kindermusik songs we learned in class helped our family when my son didn’t want to stop what he was doing to get his diaper changed or come to a meal. An unhappy little boy could be cheered up and eased into a new activity with his favorite songs. Sometimes we sang the actual words and sometimes we made up our own words just to fit the moment. Singing songs relieved some of the stress of moving from one activity to another.

One parent told us how she had sung her daughter’s favorite Kindermusik songs to her when she had to get stitches. It helped to ease a sad, scary situation. Kindermusik songs helped our family get through vaccinations!

On those really cold days of winter when it’s just too cold to go outside even if you bundle up, put on some music and instigate some dancing and movement to get those sillies out. Leftover containers and woodern spoons make some fine drums and scraps of fabric are fun to wave and twirl. Lead the singing and show your kids different ways of moving: tiptoe, hop, slide. If your house is too small for running safely, you can encourage BIG motions like marching with those knees lifted way up high or great, big stomps. CRAWLING can be a great energy release without jeopardizing the furniture!

If you hit an emotional wall or some resistance, trying slowing down and using a few minutes of quiet music to diffuse the situation. Sometimes some quiet face-to-face time and your voice singing is all that’s needed to turn around some sadness or frustration.

Check out play.kindermusik.com for more songs for singing, listening, and playing!

New Kindermusik units are starting up January 30. If you’re not signed up already, consider coming to a free preview class to check out what all the fun is about!

- Merry Obrecht Sawdey is a parent and Kindermusik educator.

In Kindermusik, we include a quiet time specifically designed to learn and practice relaxation techniques, such as rocking, listening to soothing music, or snuggling a favorite
stuffed animal. Your child’s world can be full of stimulating experiences. Teaching her how to relax after a period of activity gives her time to recoup and prepares her for what’s next. An added bonus: Children who know how to relax and self-soothe can be better sleepers. (Although, you might still wish for a visit from the Sleep Nanny at 2:34 am!)

Forget about a “play list.” Make a “relax list” in iTunes. When your child needs to wind down for naptime or bedtime, play songs like “Sleep, My Little Bird” and “Wild Geese Are Flying.” Eventually, she will begin responding to the musical cues and the relaxation techniques from class and . . . well . . .relax. You will, too! Let music make bedtime easier.

Looking for more relaxing music to listen to with your child. Search “lullaby” at http://bit.ly/nfeDRe for Kindermusik favorites!

Here’s a little something to get you started!

If there’s a little too much complaining and tears, put on some happy music and march, stomp, leap, squirm, and scamper your way to smiles. You probably know which songs are your family’s favorites, but here’s some ideas from fall classes (check them out on your home CD or play.kindermusik.com): “Tinga Layo,” “Zig-Zag,” “Clapping Land,” “Gee, But It’s Great to Meet a Friend.” Here’s one to get everybody going: it’s a version of a song we had some fun with in fall classes, “Lukey’s Boat” done by the Newfoundland group, Big Blue Sea and the Chieftains.

For the toddlers and babies, get a bucket or bin and load it up with various blocks, clean leftover containers, small stuffed animals, fabric scraps, and other baby-safe oddments. For these  young children, the simple act of unpacking and exploring something can be a great load of fun.

If you’ve begun to receive Christmas parcels in large-ish boxes, don’t forget the value of an empty box! These can be decorated with crayons or just add some paper towel tubes, towels, or stuffed animal friends and see what happens.

In the Puppet Cookbook published by In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theater, they suggest that anything can be a puppet with a little imagination! What would your left shoe say to your right shoe? What if the kitchen spoons and whisks had a party? Old socks or paper bags (large or small) can be given faces with watercolor markers and who knows who they might become?

Many mommy blogs out there have some really great ideas for SIMPLE craft projects that are fun and creative.

Here’s a few of the ideas we’ve found:

One idea is to make wrapping paper. This can be as simple as a roll of brown craft paper or grocery bags cut flat along with some crayons. But here’s another idea for homemade wrapping paper.

The archives for Kid’s Craft Weekly are loaded with ideas for craft projects. The complexity of the projects vary. Take a quick look and see if anything appeals to you and your kids. Remember, this time of year – the simpler, the better! Easy easy easy!

When my son was little, he enjoyed making “Christmas Decorations.” Anything could be a Christmas decoration if it could be taped up or hung on the tree. Sometimes this just involved punching a hole and threading a ribbon through a drawing he made. Sometimes we taped up strings of wooden beads, pieces of construction paper glued together every which way, whatever we were handed, and it became a decoration. See what your little ones do if you invite them to help decorate the house for the holidays. They love to feel useful! Help them gather their materials – maybe they’ll already have some ideas or maybe they’ll need a little spark from you.

Sometimes, what the kids need is a little face-to-face time with you. Even in the busiest times, be willing to put your tools down and bring everything to a grinding halt. Sit down with a book, a blanket, and everybody pile in for a story and a cuddle. Sometimes just a 10 minute break can change the whole color of a busy afternoon. It’s these moments – unplanned, unexpected – that sometimes create the warmest memories.

We’re really excited because this Monday, December 19 there’s a couple of wonderful opportunities for playdates. It’s a nice way to get everybody out of the house for some fun and family time!

- Merry Obrecht Sawdey, Kindermusik Educator, Kindermusik of the Valley

At Kindermusik, we know a thing or two about traveling with the under 7 crowd. After all, we play Virtual Travel Agent each week in class. This semester in Village we booked excursions to go bird watching in Australia and Africa, learned infant massage in South Africa, sang songs in France, and even went dancing in Virginia and Charleston. In Our Time, we visited Clapping and Stomping Land, watched frogs in Sweden, hopped on Lukey’s Boat, and took a donkey ride in the West Indies. No packing required!

(Next semester in Village, we are headed to the farm! Reserve your spot now for the hayride! Ready for Our Time? Then buckle up for traveling by planes, trains, and automobiles.)

Everyday connection: Kindermusik for the Kindertraveler.  Few children enjoy being strapped in their car seats for long periods of time. Music makes it easier. Create a playlist of your child’s favorite Kindermusik songs for the trip or download these parent-child favorites: http://mindsonmusic.kindermusik.com/bringing-music-home/kindermusiks-favorite-road-trip-playlist/.

Happy Holidays! Thank you for choosing to spend each week in Kindermusik. Please enjoy this free “Winter Wonderland” song download. Click on the link and then the orange download button to download for free. http://play.kindermusik.com/en/tracks/3008-winter-wonderland/.

Coming up on December are two more opportunities for playdates! Join us for the fun!

Give the gift of music! Kindermusik, that is! Gift certificates are available now. Contact Helen Peterson (helen.peterson@mchsi.com) and she’ll make sure there’s a gift to put under the tree!

In Village this week, our focus is short and long – which, in Imagine That and Young Child classes become the musical terms staccato and legato. “Grassey Grass Grass” is a folk song written by Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Woody Guthrie and it’s his voice you’re hearing on the CD from a Smithsonian Folkways recording. This week we add the Owl to our vocal exploration song “Who’s Making All That Noise?” Take a few minutes at home to listen to a variety of owl calls with your baby. Imitate the owl calls for your baby and watch carefully to see what she does!

More of his songs are available for purchase at the Smithsonian Folkways website.

In Our Time, we continue to explore musical binary form, a fundamental two-part structure common in much folk music, for instance. Playing with this two part form helps your child begin to learn about the concepts of time, sequence, and pattern. The song “All By Myself” allows the children to explore the newly discovered independence that is such an important quality of children this age. You provide a solid, loving base for your child that allows them to go off to explore and discover, then return to you for reassurance and comfort. You can have some fun at home with this activity finding even more different things your child can do “all by myself.”

In Imagine That, we get to play a new game about “Going On a Picnic.” Singing games are one of those fun activities that improve social skills as children learn to listen and take turns, encourages positive interaction, and helps them practice communication skills. This activity plants the first seeds of ensemble playing as it teaches the importance of connection to others through music. At home, listen to “Children Laughing” (Home CD 1, track 4) and talk about laughter. Then sing “All the Day Long” (Home CD 1, track 5) and play the movement game. How many movements can you and your child think of? And how much laughter can you enjoy while playing?

In Young Child 1,  the children are learning about the note c on the music staff. Help your child “write” c on Activity Page 9. If you have any music at home, help your child “read” the note c by locating the note on space number three of the music staff.

Listening in music consists not only of listening to music but learning to focus our attention on abstract sounds and on speech. Help your child further “attend” (pay attention) to sounds by pinpointing sounds in your environment such as water lapping over stones, rain falling on the rooftop, or wind rushing through the trees. Also, play a listening game by speaking a 4 or 5 word sentence and asking your child to repeat what he heard.

Movement with music consists of free movement as well as choreographed steps. How many of the “Minuet” dance steps can you and your child remember? At home, enjoy dancing together both freely and with prescribed steps! Try dancing to several styles of music. How do different types of music affect your movements?

In Young Child 3, we are continuing to explore and discover about Native American music. Children learn best when they’re learning is done with joy. We hope that playing the circle game “Grinding Corn,” dancing the “Toe-Heel Step,” and “paddling” through the “water” as we sing “Canoe Song” brings your child many moments of joy. Have fun playing the Mystery Tune Game (Music at Home 42) this week and take time over the break to have enjoy some of the other home activities from this semester.

We wish you the warmth and joy of this season and a happy new year filled with fun new adventures. We are so grateful to have your family in our class each week. If you’d like to have some extra fun over the holiday, check out our playdates that are happening on December 19. We look forward to seeing you again after the new year, starting the week of January 2!

—Merry Obrecht Sawdey, Kindermusik Educator, Kindermusik of the Valley