New discoveries

For your toddler, every day brings new discoveries and opportunities to explore the world around him.

Just as the young kangaroo bounds away then back to the security of the pouch, the toddler is eager to explore alone then rushes back to the parent for reassurance. While the desire to investigate urges the toddler forward, the need for the adult’s security is at the core of the child’s enormous potential to learn. Kindermusik Our Time recognizes her need for both the freedom to try and the assurance of your support.

Exploring an ever-expanding world

Exploration fosters a toddler’s self-esteem and facilitates her discovery of textures and sounds. Language skills are fostered with singing, sound imitation, rhyming and object identification, and the introduction of a handful of ASL signs. Creative dancing to different musical “moods” and styles develops her sense of balance, timing and spatial awareness while affirming her urge to move. The anticipation and rewards of listening are introduced and, with turn-taking activities, social skills begin to blossom.

Encouraging creativity

Kindermusik Our Time encourages her to be creative, to initiate her own ideas and to respond in her own ways, while your active participation gives her the security she needs. As you play instruments, sing, move, and explore, you’ll uncover an engaging musical world while building your child’s confidence, self-control, and communications skills.

Educational for you as well as your child

You’ll have a wonderful time in Kindermusik Our Time classes and you will be surprised by how much you can learn while having so much fun. Throughout your classroom experience and weekly Parent e-mails you will learn how activities aid in your toddler’s development and ideas for ways to continue the learning throughout the week.

Kindermusik Our Time classes

Weekly classes are for toddlers 1 ½ to 3 years old with a parent or caregiver and are 45-minutes in length.

What you’ll experience in class

• Instrument exploration and ensemble skill development. Your child will explore the physical characteristics and sounds of age-appropriate instruments which will eventually lead her to discover her potential for beat, rhythm, and melodic ensemble playing.
• Vocal play. Through vocal play, toddlers learn to form vowels and consonants, say words and phrases, and imitate rhythm and vocal inflection. In Kindermusik Our Time, vocal play is presented within the context of songs, chants, and activities done in class.
• Exploration Time. Your child will love discovering specially designed instruments, textures, sounds and movements.
• Story time and early literacy. Listening to stories enhances language and speech development and fosters awareness of sounds, teaches use of language, and sends the message that words and symbols have meaning. The same experiences that help your child learn to read a book also help her learn to read music.
• Movement Activities. Each class provides various opportunities for movement such as synchronized movement, group dances and circle games, and even expressive movement.
• Together Time. Kindermusik is the essence of quality time, allowing you to make the most of the fleeting toddler years and giving you the time and the tools to make music and memories together in class and at home.
• Expert advice. A Kindermusik educator explains how our musically based activities enhance your child’s complete development.

The learning continues throughout the week

Culturally and stylistically diverse Kindermusik CDs, Home Activity Books, specially designed instruments and specially commissioned art in beautiful books for your toddler will encourage self-play, self-esteem, experimentation and discovery, and language development.

In order for you to enjoy and get the most out of your Kindermusik class, we make the following recommendations:

• Please leave toys at home or in the car. There are times when your child may truly need the security of an object in their hand. In that case, please allow them to carry the object into the classroom. They may lose interest when given opportunity to explore other objects or may prefer that it be put away because of the curiosity of other children.
• Please leave food and drink in closed containers and place out of site.
• Please try to avoid allowing your child to have a pacifier in class.
• We do not wear shoes in the classroom. That being said, there are times when toddlers just cannot continue without their shoes (!) It is not a battle worth fighting—on those days, let them wear their shoes into the classroom. You may be able to slip them off once we start moving around.
• Dress comfortably and plan to participate. We are frequently sitting on the floor and then up and moving!
• Toddlers are physical and sensory learners and you will find every class has active wanderers, shy observers, full participants and everything in between. This is a fascinating, but challenging age and it is sometimes hard to know how to respond to each child’s level of participation. We recommend that you stay actively involved in the classroom activities with your child throughout the entire class, but do not expect him to remain actively involved. There will be times when a child is wandering around the classroom or trying to get out the door and it may appear they are not interested, but they are still learning! They will be drawn back into the group, very soon, when a different activity piques their interest. We find that modeling and gentle guidance by the parent, rather than insistence or resignation, is the best learning environment.
• It will be up to the parent/caregiver to judge when a child’s behavior becomes a distraction to the class. Distracting behavior would include excessive running, hitting, entering the office, etc. You will know when it is time to lovingly pick up your child and take a trip outside of the classroom to “re-group”, and then come back in.
• If your child becomes upset and starts to cry or scream loudly during class, please be very considerate, calmly pick up your child, take a little time out of the classroom and then come back to rejoin the class. This will happen to every child in class, at least once during the semester most likely, and it helps us so much to be able to continue on with the class for the sake of the other children.
• Be your child’s teacher in class. Your educator is the facilitator and will offer guidance and suggestions, but you are your child’s first and most important teacher.

Relax and enjoy music with your very young child. If your child cannot focus on the activities and does not sit by your side at all times – don’t worry. As long as your child is in the room, he/she is participating in Kindermusik. Gently model and lead your child into the activities. The Kindermusik classroom is a sound environment. It is a place of discovery and a place where it is okay to explore and experiment. Most children adore music. They love to dance, to sing and to play instruments. However, a group music experience may be new to your child. He/she may be shy in the group – which is okay. You may see a completely different child at home as you share your Kindermusik activities there. Most families do. As a parent, it is important for you to assure that the environment in which your child is growing includes music, body awareness and movement, freedom of self-expression, exploration of the imagination, and the emergence of self-esteem. Kindermusik classes will assist you in creating an effective learning and growing environment in which your child’s musical instincts are encouraged and rudimentary musical skills are developed.