Join us for a taste of Kindermusik this Holiday Season!

Why should the big kids have all the holiday fun?

December 22 or January 5 at 9:30am

January 4 at 11:00am

$20 includes a 1-hour Jingle Jangle Playdate class, a Kindermusik instrument and music to take home!

Additional Siblings are ½ price!

Jingle Jangle Playdate is appropriate for kids aged 0-7 years with a parent or caregiver.  A great “taste” of Kindermusik or a fun way to take a break and spend some quality time with the special little ones in your family this holiday season!

Call 905-329-4983 or email kindermusikwithmissmegan AT yahoo.ca to register for this popular session!

Small Business Saturday Sale!

In honour of Small Business Saturday on November 24th, we are having a weekend sale on our Winter Semester classes!

Enter code SBSAT2012 when checking out, and receive 25% off class tuition...sale ends Sunday at midnight, so make sure you take advantage of this great deal!

Thanks for buying local and supporting our small business...we really appreciate it!!! 



January Class Schedule is now up!

It's only November, but the new year (and a new semester of Kindermusik!) is just around the corner!

I'm very excited to be expanding our class offerings in January...there's a class for everyone!  We even have gift certificates...why not give the gift of music this holiday season, or ask the grandparents for music classes for your family!  Email me at kindermusikwithmissmegan@yahoo.ca for more info.

Here's what's up for our next semester (click on the links for more details on that class, to view images of the home materials, or to register!):



Village (ages 0-18 months with a parent/caregiver) - Hickory, Dickory, Tickle and Bounce
Village is for lap babies, crawlers, and walkers. It incorporates the most current research on early childhood development and provides families a special place for learning and connecting with other parents and babies through music and movement.
Classes  are Fridays at 9:30am (beginning January 18/2013).  Sessions run for 8 weeks.



Our Time (ages 1.5-3 years with a parent/caregiver) - Fiddle-Dee-Dee
Our Time reflects the emotional foundations of school readiness and the latest research on music and early childhood development. Our Time is a unique opportunity for parent and child to interact and learn together in an unhurried and joyful manner.
Classes are Fridays at 11:15am (beginning January 18/2013).  Sessions run for 15 weeks.

 





Kindermusik for the Young Child (ages 5-7) - Semester 1
Young Child prepares the young school-age child who is eager for first experiences with musical symbols and instrument discovery, but is not yet ready for formal lessons and traditional music reading with an instrument.  A great foundation for future music lessons, and a lifelong love of music!  Semester 1 prepares students for later semesters by introducing the glockenspiel, as well as singing, reading and writing music, and rhythm through fun games, activities, and musical movement!
Classes are Saturdays at 4:00pm (beginning January 19/2013).  Session runs for 15 weeks.

 



Wiggle & Grow (Family) - On-going Subscription (January: Silly All Over)

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 are Saturdays at 11:15am (beginning January 26/2013).  Sessions are monthly and themes change each month.

 

 



 

Laugh & Learn (Family) - On-going Subscription (January: On the Go)

Each week in class we combine your preschooler’s natural love of music, storytelling, and imaginative play with age-appropriate activities that introduce early music concepts and foster independence, social and emotional skills, language growth, and self-control. We also connect you with other parents who share in the wonder of parenting a preschooler. Parents join class for the final activities. The Kindermusik@Home digital home materials bring the music, activities, and each month’s story everywhere you go. The repetition enhances the learning—and the fun!

Classes are Thursdays at 11:15am (beginning January 10/2013).  Sessions are monthly and themes change each month.



Move & Groove (4-6 years) - On-going Subscription (January: Rhythms of the Land)
From the moment you became a parent, you wanted the best for your child. In class, we engage your child in music and movement activities that also promote language, social and emotional skills, early math and early literacy, physical coordination, creativity, and more. Plus, your child will learn basic music vocabulary and notation—all setting the stage for future school success and formal music lessons. Parents join the fun for the final activities. The Kindermusik@Home digital home materials extend the benefits all week long with music from class, activities for the whole family, and each month’s story.
Classes are Saturdays at 2:30pm (beginning January 19/2013).  Sessions are monthly and themes change each month.

 

 



And the new name is...

With 56% of the vote, Martha is the new name for our Kindermusik Village baby!  Congratulations to the Reid family, who will receive 50% off tuition of the Kindermusik with Miss Megan class of their choice!

Voting closes at midnight on Friday for our name the Kindermusik baby contest!

Hurry and cast your vote in the name the Kindermusik Village baby contest...voting closes at midnight Friday!

Name the Kindermusik Baby voting is now open!

Check out the voting widget to the right and cast your vote for the Kindermusik Baby's new name!

Name the Kindermusik Village Baby and Win!

In Kindermusik Village classes, we often use a baby doll to demonstrate things to do with the babies.  This is our new doll...but around here we think the baby needs a name!

So, we are having a naming contest!  Give us your best name, and we'll pick the top 3 for a vote on the blog and our Facebook page.  The person who submits the winning name will get a credit for 50% off the Fall class tuition of their choice!

Email your names to kindermusikwithmissmegan@yahoo.ca by Monday, October 8th, 2012, for a your chance to win.  Good luck :-)

Relaxation is a Learned Skill...

 

 

Teething was a hot topic of conversation in our Village class this morning...it seems that most of the babies are experiencing some degree of trouble with those pesky teeth, and as a result, no one is getting much sleep!

 

The more tools you can give your baby to relax, the more comfortable they will be at bedtime - especially during those difficult times when they are colicky, teething, or sick.

 

Infant massage is a great way to help baby relax.  Try giving baby a warm bath and then use a bit of baby lotion or oil (I used grape seed oil with my kids) to give them a massage.  Your baby may seem fussy or over-stimulated at first, but once they are used to this routine, it will help them to relax and ease into sleep!

 

Another great way to signal bedtime for baby is to get ready for bed (don't forget the comfy PJs!), snuggle together, and enjoy a good book.  You don't have to read it cover to cover...let baby look at pictures, flip the pages, explore the book (yes, even chew on it...as long as it's a safe, sturdy board book!), and before you know it, you'll have a relaxed, sleepy baby who's ready for bedtime!  As a bonus, you'll have inspired a lifelong love of reading in your little one, and set the stage for future literacy and success at school!

 

Minds on Music, Kindermusik International's blog, has a great article this week on some of the other tools you can use to help your child relax and ease into bedtime.  You can check it out here!

 



Thank You!

Thanks to everyone for dropping by our table at the Mom 2 Mom show today!  I had a great time meeting all of you! 
If you are still curious about Kindermusik and why you should register, check out this video!

Mom 2 Mom Show!

Come visit us at the annual Mom 2 Mom show!  Lots of great deals, tons of activities for kids and families, and gift bags for the first 100 attendees!  Be sure to drop by the Kindermusik table to enter our draw, and you also can get the chance to win a free Fall semester of Village classes!

It takes a Village...

You know that saying "It takes a village to raise a child?"  That is so true, especially when you're a new parent.  In previous generations, new parents had a support network close by of family, neighbours and friends who could help out, offer advice, and give them a break if they needed it.  But nowadays, grandparents and family members may be in a different town or a different country, we don't always know our neighbours, and there's so much information out there in our wired world, it can be downright scary to consider how you're going to raise your child!

When I had my first baby, none of my close friends I grew up with had kids yet, and I was an only child, so I didn't have any experience with younger siblings.  Sure, I'd babysat as a teenager, but it's definitely a whole new ball game when it's your own baby! 

I was immensely thankful when I found Kindermusik and met other parents who were experiencing the same joys and challenges of having a new child.  We continued with many of those babies and parents through the levels of Kindermusik and into preschool, and at age 5, my daughter is still friends with some of them! 

In Kindermusik Village classes, the sense of community is just as important as the music!  The babies benefit from socializing with each other, learning from each other, and having special one-on-one time with their parent (or grandparent, or caregiver!).  The adults also have the chance to socialize, make friends, and enjoy special time bonding with their child.  In Village classes, you're not only building baby's brain through music and movement activities, you're also building a toolkit of ways to relate to, calm and soothe your child. 

It really does take a village to raise a child...come join us in a Village class and see how much you and your baby can grow together!

Classes begin September 15th....click here to enroll now!



An Olympic Musical Moment

“Where words fail, music speaks.”

-children’s author Hans Christian Andersen

If your house is anything like ours, the Olympics have been taking centre stage this past week on the television.  When the Winter Olympics were in Vancouver, we watched (we even got to see the Olympic flame when it came through our town), but this is the first year that my daughter is really old enough to "get it" and understand a bit about what the Olympics are all about.  She's watched the many different sports with interest (and asked lots of questions!), and is very keen on watching the little segments about the Olympians and their journeys to the Games. 

But most of all, she's been waiting.  Wanting to know when they were going to play "our song" for the Canadian team.  She has been dutifully practicing "O Canada" all over the house (with her little sister happily accompanying her, with much flag-waving and banging on her little drum).

Today, she got her chance, when Canada got its first gold medal.  

Listening to the national anthem played, she watched as the flag was raised.  And at 5 years old, she somehow understood what most adults take for granted: that it's not just about winning medals or being "the best".  The Olympics are about people coming together, and fairness, and mutual respect.  And that the music being played was more than just a song, it represents our country, and the ideals that we aspire to.  

And that's the great thing about music - it's so much more than just some notes on a page.  Just like the athletes at the Games, music has the power to inspire, to teach, and to bring people together.  

So, how about you?  What music inspires you and your family?   

We're up and running! (And bouncing, singing and dancing!)

I'm so pleased to announce that our site is up and running at http://www.kindermusik.com/legacy/classes/classlocator.aspx

Our class schedule is listed and you can register right there!

We'll be starting our semester with Village and Our Time in September, adding a Family Time class in October, and a Sign & Sing class in November. Wondering what these classes are all about?  Check out http://www.kindermusik.com/classes/ for more information :-)

If you have questions, please leave me a message here or at
kindermusikwithmissmegan AT yahoo.ca

I can't wait to share the joy of music with you and the special little ones in your life!

Coming Soon!

Welcome to my Kindermusik blog!  I'm so excited to start teaching in the Fall of 2012...class information will be posted soon and should be live at Kindermusik.com in mid-August.  Please feel free to leave a comment if you are interested in Kindermusik and would like more information, would like to join us for a free demo class, or would like to enroll your family!

I look forward to seeing you in class, and thanks for stopping by!