Babies R Us Early Learning Expo Coming July 12

Join Julie and other Johnson County Kindermusik educators at the Babies R Us Early Learning Expo!

Kindermusik is once again partnering with Babies R Us to show you how to enhance your baby’s physical and mental development. Here are the details:

• Date: Saturday, July 12
• Time: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m
• Demo classes: 10:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 1:00 p.m.
• Location: Overland Park Babies R Us, 8500 West 135th Street.

Stop by and meet Kindermusik educators througout the Expo.  Learn why Kindermusik is the best choice you can make for your baby.  Register for free gifts and discounts on Fall 2008 classes.  We hope to see you there!

Announcing…Fall 2008 Kindermusik Class Schedule

Julie is pleased to announce her Fall 2008 Kindermusik class schedule:

Village ~ Newborn to 18 mos. with parent ~ Zoom Buggy!

Hop into the Zoom  Buggy! Swoosh, vroom, and clickety-clack your way through this delightful unit. Babies and adults will dance, sing, and play instruments to the theme of being on the go.  Class activities also include infant massage, lap bounces, exercise, and quiet time.  It’s easy to weave many of these songs and activities into your family’s daily routine.  Home Materials include: CD, board book, 2 art banners, and Zoom Car instrument.

8 weeks ~ Begins August 21 ~Thu 9:00 a.m. or Sat 9:00 a.m.

Tuition & materials: $94

Sign & Sing ~ 6 mos. to 3 yrs. with parent ~ Sessions A & B

Using music and props, this class teaches American Sign Language to help you and your child communicate with each other and enhance your child’s understanding of concepts.  With this curriculum, developed by Signing Smart^®, you will learn how to engage children in signing and bring signs into their world.  Home Materials include: 2 DVDs demonstrating the signs learned in class, 2 sets of flash cards for easy reference, and 2 Home Activity books with ideas to continue signing at home.

10 weeks ~ Start date & schedule T.B.A.

Tuition & materials: $150

Our Time ~ 1½ to 3½ years with parent ~ Milk & Cookies

Milk & Cookies makes everyday home activities and chores easier and more fun with music!  Baking, eating, shopping, and cleaning are all represented in familiar and new songs. In this popular class, you and your child will move, play, and sing together in developmentally appropriate activities.  Home Materials include: 2 literature books, 2 CDs, Home Activity Book, Stir Xylophone instrument, and a durable lunch bag.

15 weeks ~ begins August 20 ~ Wed 9:30 a.m., Thu 10:00 a.m., Fri 9:30 a.m., or Sat 10:00 a.m.

Tuition & materials: $175

Imagine That! ~ 3½ to 5 yrs. ~ Hello Weather! Let’s Play Together

Sunshine, rain, snow, thunderstorms, and more come together in this imaginative and delightful weather-related musical adventure.  Preschoolers will be surrounded in a creative musical environment that integrates music, pretend play, story telling, and movement.  Parents and siblings join us the last 15 minutes of each class.  Home Materials include: 2 CDs, 2 literature books, Hello Weather play set, Family Activity Book, ankle bells, and a rain shaker with scraper.

15 weeks ~ begins August 20 ~ Wed 1:30 p.m., Fri 10:30 a.m., or Sat 11:00 a.m.

Tuition & materials: $196 including backpack

Family Time ~ Newborn to 7 yrs. with parent ~ Here, There, and Everywhere!

Bring your family and let’s go Here, There and Everywhere! This unit centers around family outings, including a picnic at the park, an afternoon at the aquarium, and a day on the farm. Children and families learn from one another while enjoying music and movement with instruments, hoops, scarves, and more.  Home Materials include: 2 CDs, 2 literature books, Family Activity Guide, board game, hand and finger puppets, and 2 Jambourine instruments.

10 weeks ~ begins September 10 ~ Wed 10:30 a.m.

Tuition & materials: 1 child - $140, 2 children - $205, 3 or more - $265

Free tuition if born after 4/30/08

Visit Julie’s website today to enroll! All classes are 45 minutes in length and held at Leigh’s School of Dance in Olathe.  A $60 deposit due at enrollment, with the remainder due by first class. Enroll by August 1 and get $10 off, plus a free CD! In addition, there is a $15 discount for siblings who enroll in the same session.  Scholarships are also available (click here for details).

“7 8 9″ (or “Seven Ate Nine?”)

The Barenaked Ladies are one of my favorite groups, so I was thrilled when I recently learned that they had released a CD of children’s music. Here is a taste of their wacky, warped, sense of humor. Enjoy!

Have a great week!

A Classic Train Song

My 6th grader son came home the other day and was pumped up about watching several “Schoolhouse Rock” videos during his day.  He was singing several of the well-known songs, which brought me back to those Saturday mornings when we would sing and dance along to these fun and educational clips.  (This is the truth: The only way I can recite the preamble to the U.S. Constitution is by singing “We the People.”)

Both the Our Time and Imagine That! classes this session have had several songs and activities devoted to trains.  After thinking about my son’s “Schoolhouse Rock” experience, I suddenly remembered - Conjunction Junction!  Here’s the video, for your enjoyment.

Have a great week!

The Importance of Having Fun

I have written other posts in this blog about the importance of playtime and fun for young children. Here is an article on this subject from one of our nation’s strongest child development advocates. Jone Bosworth is the founding director of the Department of Early Learning for the state of Washington, and also happens to be my sister-in-law. A portion of her editorial is reprinted here:

When it comes to learning, let’s not forget about fun.

When adults think about “school readiness,” what often springs to mind are fundamentals such as knowing the alphabet and being able to count to 10, use a crayon and cut paper with scissors. Those are important skills, to be sure. But let’s not forget about fun.

Research tells us that fun is serious business for kids. Playtime helps young children learn to solve problems, get along with others, express their creativity and develop their physical dexterity and language skills. It is through play that young children experience the joy of learning.

Brain research tells us that the first years of a child’s life are a time of incredible development. But in a culture when the typical child spends more and more hours of her day in front of the television or computer, we don’t always remember the power of good old-fashioned play. In Richard Louv’s book, “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder,” he recounts a conversation he had with a fourth-grader named Paul, who told Louv he preferred to stay indoors because “that’s where the electrical outlets are.”

Is this what we want for the future leaders of our state?

The Washington State Department of Early Learning was created in 2006 to help ensure all children in our state realize their full potential, and to support parents as children’s first and most important teachers. Part of our mission is creating a child-friendly state that supports children in growing up safe, healthy and with a love of learning. We strive to ensure our state offers plenty of safe, low-cost learning opportunities that remind adults and children alike about the importance of play.

It’s why DEL this week is announcing a partnership with Washington’s children’s museums to support healthy child development. We are awarding grants to 13 children’s museums around the state — urban and rural, east and west of the mountains — to help them open their doors to more children and families. Children need to have fun, regardless of their family’s socioeconomic status.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

There are many opportunities for play and exploration in Kindermusik classes. In Village classes for infants and Our Time class for toddlers, we have Exploration Time, where children spend time exploring new instruments or other objects. In the Imagine That class for preschoolers, we engage in guided pretend play activities to nurture children’s burgeoning imaginations. In addition, the class materials and activity books give many ideas and inspirations for open-ended imaginative play at home.

Have a great week!

Announcing…Kindermusik Summer 2008 Camps!

Julie is pleased to announce her Summer 2008 camp schedule. All camps meet once a week for 5 weeks, and each class lasts 45 minutes.

Oh, What Busy Days!

Parents and babies ages newborn to 18 months

Set your baby’s day to classical music. You and your baby will both develop an appreciation for the world’s most respected music. Each class features new activities and songs you can sing for all the places you go together~the store, the playground, the doctor, and more. Home materials include: Board book, parent home activities poster, Home CD with lyric book, and Cage Bell instrument.

Tue 9:30 a.m. ~ begins July 8

Tuition & Materials: $68

Let’s Play

Parents and children ages 18 months to 3½ years

It’s all about playtime! We will visit and explore a pretend playground with a see-saw, swing, and slide. We’ll march like toy soldiers, float like balloons, and jump up like jacks-in-the-box! Your child will learn to listen for both verbal and musical cues to movement. You and your little one will stretch both your muscles and your imaginations. Home materials include: Family magazine with activities and story, Home CD, and Mini Tambourine instrument.

Tue 10:30 a.m. or Wed 6:45 p.m. ~ begins July 8

Tuition & Materials: $60

Giggles

Children ages 3½ to 5 years

Get ready to laugh, be silly, and hear lots of knock-knock jokes! We’ll use word plays, puns, and all-around silliness to boost vocabulary, develop conversational skills, and nurture happy learners. Your preschooler will develop a sense of humor, while gaining confidence in social settings. Home materials include: Family magazine with activities and story, Home CD, and pair of Claves instrument.

Thu 6:45 p.m. ~ begins July 10

Tuition & Materials: $70

Carnival of Music

Parents and children ages newborn to 7 years

Bring your family and join us at the carnival! During this camp, families will imagine visiting a carnival where they play games, eat fun food, enjoy rides and watch a parade. Families will be encouraged in musical exploration and experimentation with different sounds and instruments. Children will get a chance to develop motor and balance skills, social interaction, self-control, and their imaginations. Home materials include: Family magazine with activities and story, Home CD, and 4 Egg Shaker instruments.

Wed 5:45 p.m. ~ begins July 9

Tuition & Materials: $99 for 2 children, $30 each additional child

Priority enrollment for currently enrolled families begins this week and will end May 4. Open enrollment will begin online May 5. Everyone who enrolls before June 1 will receive $5 off! Payment is due upon enrollment, and is accepted by cash, check, or credit card.

Freeze! Taken To a Whole New Level

Those of you who have taken any Kindermusik classes know that we occasionally do activities where we move and then freeze. These activities help children to develop inhibitory control, which is a fancy way of saying, “My body will stop when I tell it to.” Check out this video, where over 200 people take this concept to a whole new level.

Thanks to Lori Burkhardt’s blog for this fun video. Have a great week!

Getting the Most Out of Your Kindermusik Home Materials

Unlike most other music programs for young children, Kindermusik is designed as an everyday musical experience. That’s 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.

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

• Play your 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 Home CD and/or literature books 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 line 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.

Have a great week!

Spring Break Has Arrived!

Julie’s Music Brioso is observing Spring Break from March 17-23.

Kindermusik classes will resume Thursday, March 27.

Piano lessons will resume Monday, March 24.

Have a happy first day of Spring, as well as a great St. Patrick’s Day!

Kindermusik Classes Cancelled March 6-8

Miss Julie is battling a sinus infection, so will be unable to teach Kindermusik classes on Thursday, March 6, through Saturday, March 8. These classes will be made up by extending the semester by one week for each of the classes. (Miss Julie will be in touch with each class about specific make-up class dates.) Thank you for your understanding.