Wiggle & Grow!

Here it comes!

Kindermusik Wiggle & Grow - one of the shiny new curricula being released in August - coming to Mahana School.

After a fabulous demo class on Thursday, I've just released a few extra details about what Kindermusik will be bringing to the area in Term Three :) Here's a little more...

This music-filled class celebrates the unique joys of your growing child.

Each week your child will love singing, dancing, and playing instruments with you and her new friends and you’ll love helping her practice a wide variety of abilities such as gross and fine motor skills, turn-taking, social skills, and active listening.

In class, we’ll also share tips and ideas for using music throughout the week.

Plus, the fun (and learning!) continue with the Kindermusik@Home digital home materials, including music from class, musical activities, and each month’s story.

Classes will happen in the Mahana School library, Upper Moutere, on Thursdays from 9.30 - 10.15. 

If you missed our demo, call me to find out more! I'm limiting the class to eight families, so do be in touch quickly :) 

Call me on 03 5289 685, or email me today!

We're back!

We're back!!

After a crazy nine months or so (shifting down South, having lovely Olive join our family, buying a house, Jarvis starting pre school, that sort of thing!), we'll finally be resuming Kindermusik classes really soon!

In association with Mahana School, Serendipity Studio will be bringing some fabulous new Kindermusik programmes to town, with some amazing new home materials. You will be awed! We'll be running some demo classes during term two, then come term three it'll be all go. So many changes have taken place at Kindermusik International while I've been on maternity leave, and I'll be beginning my classes at just the right time to take advantage of all of these exciting new things. New curricula, new structure, new materials, new ways to pay. Exciting stuff.

So - the website has changed - change your bookmarks now! You'll find us at http://kindermusikwithserendipity.webs.com. The blog address has changed too - be sure to save the new address if you visit us through a live bookmark.

We're on the lookout for new students now - so if you have any friends in the Nelson - Mapua - Upper Moutere - Motueka area, please inflict the blog/website/facebook page on them!

It's a gorgeous day - why don't you go outside and find some music with your children. Perhaps a sound scavenger hunt? I think that's what we'll do next - will report back tomorrow with what we've found.

:)

Bubbles, Bubbles!

We're LOVING Family Time here at Serendipity Studio! 

We've been focussed on Bathtime for the past couple of weeks, and have been brainstorming loads of ways to make splashing in the bath even more fun than it is already is!

A few of our fantastical ideas:

• Make soap pens! Using empty liquid glue pens (well washed!), mix together clear liquid soap, detergent, or shampoo, and add a few drops of food colouring. Give it a good shake, and you have a soap pen! Best just to write on the bath itself, or the glass door - just in case the colouring stains the shower walls ;) 
• Make bath finger paint! Mix soap/detergent/shampoo, food colouring, and a little cornflour together to make a paste. Use as above!
• Blow bubbles! Get pieces of food grade hosing in different widths & lengths. Blow bubbles!
• Cooking Time! An old fashioned hand beater is an awesome bathtime accessory - mix up the bubbles :)
• Row your Boat - best with two! Play, sing and splash away!
• Blow bubbles - take your bubble mix and wand into the bath, it doesn't matter if it gets spilled!

We'd love to hear your suggestions - if you have a fun bathtime idea, feel free to add it to the comment section.

Have a musical day!

Kath and Jarvis 

Creatures in my Backyard!

What will we see in term three?

Look up high in the trees! Now see what's down on the ground..Dedicated to the great outdoors, the environment, and our many animal friends, Creatures in My Backyard is full of songs, finger-plays, nursery rhymes, musical stories & dances that will inspire toddlers & their parents to explore, wonder & discover the wonders of the natural world.

As many of you will know, our classes will be taking a break later this year while I add another little person to our Kindermusik Family! 

This is one of the reasons I've chosen Creatures for term three, as it's an extra special five week programme for our very special toddlers, aged 18 months - 3. 

This is a very special programme indeed - as well as your usual At Home Materials, for the first time you'll have access to Kindermusik's brand new, state of the art, digital home materials! You'll find videos, activities, stories, tips and developmental information especially for our class. 

Kindermusik's dedication to providing you with the best ever programme means that our curricula are now being updated constantly - meaning you get the benefit of our ongoing research and expertise :) Pretty exciting stuff! 

Contact me today to secure your place for term three! 

A Very Overdue Post!

Hello!! This long overdue post from Serendipity Studio features a really interesting article about the importance of Children's music for children :) Although it doesn't always appeal to the grown ups in the house, music especially for our smallest friends really does benefit them in so many ways!


And I do find it grows on me after a while ;) It's not only Jarvis singing along to the Wiggles when we're driving down the road!


Enjoy :)
Kath


Why Children's Music is Crucial


Love and nourishment are the keystones of healthy development for every baby. But next is music; in fact sometimes it is hard to tell them apart!


Babies hear sounds and feel the rhythm of the heartbeat in the womb. When they are born, they associate their experience of our moods with the sounds around them; loving voices are soothing, while sudden loud noise is distressing.


As you nurse, the steady beat of your heart is baby’s experience of rhythm. As you sing, shake baby’s rattle or bells, baby is responding to the high frequency sounds and the drama in your voice.


Newborns have been crooned to since the dawn of time; we rock them, singing lullabies - and for good reason: it is fundamental to healthy development! Early learning begins in the senses – through touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing. And learning is faster when baby can focus on simple things, one at a time, (even if only for a micro-second!) Neural pathways are rapidly developing as they taste a particular taste or hear a particular sound.


Though babies respond to all sound, there is a natural progression taking place, from simple isolated sounds and songs on a parent’s lap, through to the full orchestration of music on the radio, and sophisticated singalong songs for older kids. In any arena ‘you gotta crawl before you can walk’



We don’t expect children to behave like adults, so why is it that so many parents, in effect, force their children to ‘jump’ straight out of the nursery into the world of adult music? Our mature taste dominates our adult world, but why do we let it dominate the child’s?


Quality children’s music is a response to the genuine developmental needs of the young, rather than an adults’ world imposed upon them. While good children’s music also often communicates on an adult level, this is only to delight us into keeping involved for our children’s sake.


It is crucial for full, healthy development that we let our children progress from simple nursery songs, through dance and action songs, to a wealth of stimulating songs set in their own world as they grow. They need children’s music, because they are children!


Like us, they need music that celebrates their issues, their struggles, their victories, music that appeals to their sense of humour. And like us, they need to be able to be transported listening to it or to be moved to dance or sing to it. If they are going to watch, let it be a live performance. 


Quality children’s music, in an atmosphere of love:


1) Promotes healthy parent-child bonding
2) Establishes a foundation for a child’s development in speech and reading
3) Provides a "good-feeling" base for a healthy self image
4) Helps to develop motor skills and co-ordination
5) Helps build memory skills
6) Awakens humour and creativity


The "live" music you do with your child is the most valuable. Recorded children’s music also stimulates infants and can aid parents in learning songs and games to sing directly with them. It is never too early to start.


Next time you’re thinking of a new toy for your child, consider giving them music; rather than DVDs, just music or musical toys. Children tire of many toys very quickly, but note how often they come back to their musical instruments and how often they ask for their favourite albums to be played!


Music is primal. And perhaps it is the one worldly thing that can take us through our emotional world to touch the sublime. Our children not only deserve music, it is an essential ingredient in being human.


This article had no listed author and was taken from http://www.ucamusic.com/content/childrens_music_crucial/

Family Time...and a prize!

Something very exciting is coming to Serendipity Studio in term one of next year...

Kindermusik Family Time!

Bringing children of all ages together provides a dynamic and integrated learning experience for everyone. So, Kindermusik took favourite songs and activities from our favourite units, like 'Shake, Shake the Apple Tree' and 'Hammocking' and rolled them into a fun, family class where each child is welcomed & valued, and family 'together time' is celebrated and cherished.

What you’ll experience in class:

• Singing. From the first “Hello” song to the last “Goodbye,” exploring a variety of musical styles and genres leads children to find their own voice. Plus singing helps with memory and recall, physical development, creativity, and socialization.
• Assorted Movement. Whether moving as a family, as a class, or as individuals, Family Time movement activities enhance coordination skills, create opportunities for imitation and exploration, and give everyone something to smile, rock, bounce, or dance about.
• Story Time. Reading aloud to children stimulates their curiosity, expands their knowledge, and broadens their understanding of language.
• Family Jam Children (and adults) will love selecting a unique instrument and joining in one big class jam session each week.
• Musical Concepts. Fun engaging activities bring out the musicality in everyone, from the youngest member of the family to the oldest. Together you’ll learn more about music as you learn more about each other.
• Expert advice. A Kindermusik educator explains how our musically based activities enhance your child’s complete development.
• Learning continues at home. With the home materials, the learning continues at home with your child’s best teacher—you!

To celebrate this exciting new curricula coming to Serendipity Studio, one lucky family will win their whole semester's tuition back in full! As classes are limited to ten children, and my commitments mean I can teach a maximum of two classes a week, those are pretty fantastic odds. Find out more!

Golden Apple Lullabies

Whilst on my fantastical adventure to Australia over the holidays, I had the great privilege of hearing super talented Kindermusik educator Cliona Molins performing a song from her new CD, Golden Apple Lullabies on her harp.

In our Kindermusik class we often talk about the importance of teaching our young ones to relax - it's a learned skill, and something which we adults often struggle with!

A young child's life is a whirlwind of activity - every day they are learning new skills, and millions of new connections are forming in their brains. It's so important to have some quiet time in the middle of all of the adventures - we need to give our children the chance to 'just be' at all times of the day, not solely naptime & bedtime. Sharing beautiful soft lullabies is a wonderful way of sharing some quiet time together, just having a cuddle.

Visit Cliona's website, listen to the beautiful song samples, enjoy a cuddle with your child!

You'll love it.

At this stage, Cliona's CD isn't able to be shipped outside of Australia, however, if you would love a copy please get in touch with me and I can arrange it! It's on high rotation around here, that's for sure.