Today I brought Rainbow Songs Animal Week to Birkdale. I brought animal ears and stuffed animals for the kids to wear and hold onto. We sang lots of animal songs, including I Had a Rooster, Baby Shark, Crocky Crocodile, Elephants Have Wrinkles, and Sleeping Bunnies. The kids loved the animal theme week.
A number of people were sick with the cold this week, so we had a bit of a smaller group at the Plaza hotel. However, there were some very eager kids (three of whom were attending for their first time). The kids picked up the lyrics very quickly, and were particularly delighted by songs with tempo changes, like 1 and 2 and 3 and 4, and a sped-up version of Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes. The kids connect to the songs physically just as much as they do lyrically, and I will be sure to incorporate lots of movement songs into future classes.
This week at Robertson House was full of smiles and awesome singing. I also noticed some great listening skills! It is always encouraging to see young kids with so much energy, dutifully engaging in song through words and actions. I witnessed this first hand during our “Rainstorm” activity. Parents and kids carefully mimicked my actions to create a cacophony of rainstorm sounds. I look forward to another great class at Robertson House next week!
Today I brought the Brazilian agogo to class to elaborate on the Latin beats that we learned last week with the cowbell. We explored the two tones that the agogo instrument makes and practiced keeping the beat to some Latin tunes. The kids were super excited when the music came on and some of the caregivers and kids got up and started to spontaneously dance about!
I'm so impressed by how far the kids at Ernestine have come in their rhythmic participation. They were clapping along for the Hello song before it even began! We did a number of counting songs, and the kids were proud to show how quickly they could count. Then there was a sudden spike in energy and I rearranged the class to include every bouncing song I know (which were all very well received). By the end of the class, I think everyone (parents included) was ready for a well-earned nap.
It was nice to see the attendance this week after last week's warm weather left a light turnout. Many kids were new to the program, and delighted at hearing their names sung by the group during the Hello song. Though there is a bit of an age gap between some of the kids, there was something in the class for everyone, and some of the older kids seemed to really enjoy helping their younger siblings with the hand gestures. I'm sure next week will be just as rewarding for everyone.
Another great class at Robertson House this week! This particular group of moms seems to love singing. Their enthusiasm helped the kids to get motivated and involved. I was very impressed with everyone’s focus when learning Listen to the Water. It paid off when we sang the song and passed the ocean drum around. Great actions and great participation!
Today I brought the cowbell to class for the Instrument of the Week. The kids and caregivers alike enjoyed trying to keep a steady beat on it while I played Latin music in the background. One older child was a real pro at playing both regular and double time beats. We also did some partner dancing and practiced freezing when the music stopped.
This week was one of the most fun classes at Ernestine in a while. The staff at the shelter made a couple of announcements stressing the importance of parental attendance, and the turnout was much better than in previous weeks. While some seemed shy at first, by the end the parents were having as much fun (if not more) than the kids! There were lots of opportunities for parent-child bonding, and hugs were all around. I'm also so proud of how far the kids have come with remembering the lyrics and singing along, and they are sharing instruments during jam time without having to be reminded. Today we focused on the tambourine, and the grown-ups provided some nice fancy flourishes. All in all, today was a joy from beginning to end.
Today, our friends were all about animals. Everyone really put their all into roaring like tigers, running like cheetahs, and hopping like bunnies. It was a full menagerie! During our instrument sharing, I’ve been really pleased to see how this group is progressing, as well as our “older” friends helping the younger ones with passing along to the next person. It’s still a work in progress, but that’s the key word — progress!
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