Cock-a-doodle-Moo!

Thinking ahead to term one of 2010! A little bit about our first Village unit for next year...

Hop on the hayride—it’s time to head for the farm! In this class, you will sing songs about the farm, including “Old MacDonald,” “Hayride,” and “Clever Cows.” You’ll engage in rituals and playful activities with your baby, including infant massage, lap bounces, exercise, and quiet time.

Home Materials: A picture board book with charming farm animals and the sounds they make—Cock-a-doodle-Moo, a CD of the songs heard in class, a Sunshine Jingle instrument for music-making at home, and a set of Art Banners for the nursery wall.

We'll get started the week of February 8th, with the day & time yet to be decided.

Families who are interested in finding out more about Kindermusik are welcome to make an appointment to come & check out a class (free of charge) this term - we'd love to grow our Kindermusik family in Gisborne! Call me on 8686146 to find out more.

Stop & Smell the Flowers

Our babies are amazing! Everything is a new experience, and every new experience fills baby's senses with new sights, sounds, smells, feelings, movements, positions in gravity, & tastes.

The brain is constantly organising these new sensations, integrating them to create a fuller understanding of the world around us. In little people this is so important!!

Not only are they learning about their environment, but within the brain these sensory messages are converted into electrical impulses which travel to the spinal cord & brain, are combined, and produce some very important things - posture, movement skills, co-ordination, emotions, thoughts, memories & learning. The brain really is a fantastical place!

The sensory system doesn't just develop by itself, it needs to be stimulated. This happens every time a child has a sensory experience! By the age of ten, the growth of sensory connections in the brain is mostly finished with - which is why is it so very important to offer loads of sensory opportunities to our little people. In a child under 7, the brain's primary job is as a sensory processing machine - over 80% of the nervous system is totally dedicated to organising the many sensory experiences had!

Find ways to offer your baby a variety of wonderful sensory experiences!

A favourite around here is holding Jarvis above the oregano and letting him dance on the leaves...his toes feel the texture & coolness of the plant, his eyes see the green shiny leaves, his nose and mouth are filled with the aroma of the herbs, his vestibular system is being stimulated by being upright, and these are only a few of the wonderful things going on!

Check back in a few days for more interesting information about the importance of the senses in our wonderful babies, and pleeeeeease feel free to share any of your ideas, I really would love to hear them! Sensory experiences are infinite & limited only by the imagination!

Have a musical day!
Kath & Jarvis

Mirror Mirror...

Babies are fascinated with mirrors! When he or she looks in the mirror, your baby is starting to develop some form of self-awareness. Responses can be many & varied - smiling & cooing, babbling, waving, patting, or eating the mirror! All of these reactions help him or her to learn more about the body.l

There are so many neat things you can do with your baby & a mirror! Put a mirror in front of your baby when they have tummy time, make silly faces, play peek-a-boo, use baby sign, make silly noises...Endless possibilities.

I'd love to hear your ideas about mirror play with your baby!

Balance the High & Low

The pitch of a sound (how high or low it is) initiates different responses from babies. How you use your voice can affect the energy level of playtime with your baby! Exposure to high sounds plays an important part in maintaining the alertness & energy needed for learning, then low sounds can be calming and soothing for when it's time to relax.

This week, try to use a wide variety of voice ranges when you talk to your little one. Integrate movement too - move your body from low to high as you make a low to high sound! Say poems & tell stories using your voice in different ways, sing songs which are high and low, and see how your baby responds :)

Feel free to post their responses here, along with any wonderful ways you can think of to explore high & low!

Dance with your Baby!

A great article from Kindermusik International about the wonderful things that happen when you dance with your baby :)

Next time you're out in the backyard, the park, or even an outdoor concert – dance with your baby. Do so and two amazing things happen. First, responding to music is one of the few activities – other than laughter – that engages a baby's entire mind and helps her express emotion, pay attention, and move. Add the unpredictable movement of dancing and you'll turn on another vital system, the vestibular system, which controls balance and coordination.

Babies need plenty of opportunities for unrestricted movement. So choose or create a safe environment that encourages exploring and the development of skills such as reaching, rolling, sitting up, crawling, pulling up, cruising and walking. Set up a large blanket wherever is best for you and your baby to stretch, play and dance! It will also give your baby a welcoming place to practise lifting her head or develop strong muscles during ‘tummy time', and allow her to learn to roll, creep, crawl and sit. If you place a toy just out of reach, you'll encourage your baby to make an extra effort that will help her physical development.

Playing lots of games is also rewarding. Even only slightly physical games, like pat-a-cake and peek-a-boo, can do a lot to help your baby's learning and movement skills. And taking your baby to new places will stimulate her curiosity.

And when it comes to dancing with your baby, don't worry if you don't know how to! Repetitive swaying and bouncing are age-old strategies for distracting a cranky baby, or just using rhythmic movements. Just think of a word then do it, like: glide, sway, bounce, two-step, swoop, fly, zig-zag. To really help tune up your baby's sense of rhythm, why not put on some great dancing music with a thumping beat and have a real boogie – you'll have as much fun laughing and dancing with her as she will!

Many parents swear by the therapeutic effect of salsa music's syncopated rhythms on colicky babies. Lay your baby on her stomach across your arm, putting light pressure on her tummy with your hand (sometimes known as the “football hold”). Place your other hand on her back to hold her securely, and sashay away. Or if she prefers being upright, hold her in a seated position facing forward, with one hand under her bottom and the other on her tummy. If Latin dancing isn't to your little one's taste, try something else: reggae, pop or even some good ol' country!

Kindermusik Begins!

A warm & friendly welcome to all of the new families in our Kindermusik Village class! I had a wonderful time this morning and it was lovely to have such a great group of mums & babies.

We'll be using the blog to give you more information about what we've done in class, information about the Foundations of Learning, and interesting musical bits & pieces I come across. Be sure to check in often!