Full House!

I was so glad to walk into a packed room of eager kids! Today was one of those days where we got up on our feet very early into the class, shaking our sillies out (as the song goes).  Rather than try to resist against the occasional attention pull of the activity room, I leaned into it, and took us on a rocket ship ride that led us to various parts of the room before blasting off back at the carpet.  Even when there are a lot of kids, jumping is always the common denominator that can get everyone focused together.

A New Request

The group at the Plaza was fantastic as always this week; engaged, responsive, and clearly picking up on the songs more and more.  The staff member there told me that earlier in the week, she heard the kids singing the Little Green Frog song on their own, and that the parents love hearing it. As the kids are becoming more familiar with the repertoire, they’re adding to it as well! At the end of the class, the kids were asking me if I knew any songs from Masha and the Bear (a show that they all love).  I had never heard of it before, but it could be a new surprise repertoire repository for the next jams.

Full House!

I was so glad to walk into a packed room of eager kids! Today was one of those days where we got up on our feet very early into the class, shaking our sillies out (as the song goes).  Rather than try to resist against the occasional attention pull of the activity room, I leaned into it, and took us on a rocket ship ride that led us to various parts of the room before blasting off back at the carpet.  Even when there are a lot of kids, jumping is always the common denominator that can get everyone focused together.

Ocean Sounds!

We had a great class at Robertson House this week! The kids loved to get up and dance in the circle during each song and the parents were happy to cheer them on. The sounds of the ocean drum soothed us as we passed it around while singing Baby Beluga. Even though it's a big instrument to hold, the older kids were able to be gentle enough with it to make just the right sounds of waves and water. All in all, a very fun time! 

In Good Company!

This week's class was one of the most successful we've had at Arise in terms of the number of children and mothers in attendance! Our longstanding mother and daughter duo were back after recovering from the flu and as always they had a wonderful time. Some newer families enjoyed the class as well. Another woman who is new to the shelter came by herself as her teenaged children were not home. I received feedback from the coordinator that this mother's energy is normally quite low, but that she came alive in the class. She stood up and turned around during the "Hello Song," tea in hand, and had a good laugh. Despite her children not being in attendance, it seemed as if she really enjoyed listening to the music and being in community. Singing together in a group brings so much joy, and it was certainly felt this week! 

More highlights included the wooden frogs as the "Instrument of the Week," and giving a happy send-off to a brother and sister duo who were celebrating their last day at the shelter. All in all a really beautiful week :)

Love is All Around

I’m addicted to the enthusiasm of the kids at the Plaza!  They pick up on songs instantly and the parents seem thrilled to join in.  The kids are especially helpful bringing out the jam bag, and putting everything back (I didn’t even need to help them pick anything up!).  Some of the kids hadn’t heard the 5 Little Monkeys song, but they delighted at making the monkey sounds while jumping around.  It seems like they love everything in the program, and it’s a great feeling to have around the room.

Songs Bring the Smiles

It’s been great having our classes in the morning at Birkdale.  The kids are fully energized, without the afternoon restlessness.  As the grownups were still processing our morning coffees, I could see the energy start to perk up halfway through the class, and I had to do less prompting to sing along (especially when singing “Three Little Birds” during the jam).  It could have been the coffee, but I have a feeling it was the energy being shared around the room.

Silly Frogs and Special Guests!

Great class at Robertson House this week with many excited participants. We couldn’t help but have a laugh on two occasions. One boy was doing a great job showing everyone his frog face during “Little Green Frog.” People were impressed with his dexterity considering he’s only two! Another funny moment happened when we decided to sing “Hello” to a young girl’s toy doll. The girl was so excited to see her doll getting this attention that she lifted her up in the air and started dancing around. So much fun!

Small but enthusiastic beginning!

It was so nice being back at Arise this past Thursday!! It turns out that one of the children who adores our classes is still at the shelter for a few months longer because her family's housing situation fell through. It was a lovely surprise and as usual she danced and sang along to every song and also asked me what the "instrument of the week" was going to be so that she could announce it to the group. The other attendees were a new family at the shelter, a 3-year-old and her mother. Speaking of enthusiasm - this duo had it in spades!! They sang and danced up a storm. The mother had an amazing amount of energy and encouraged her daughter to engage in every song. As I was packing up the mother told me that her mother used to run a day care and she was familiar with kid's songs. She also gave me two hugs on my way out and expressed a lot of gratitude for the class. What a beautiful start to a new session :)!

Early Birds!

Today was the first Birkdale class of the decade, and the first in the new morning time slot. The morning slot worked out very well, with lots of songs to get us woken up and energized. There was a mixture of zealous kids and parents, and a couple of shy ones, but everyone got some smiles out at one point or another. The best part of the class was the jam, where the grown-ups really leaned in to singing along, especially when I went into Three Little Birds. Excited for more morning energy next week!