Enjoy FUN MUSICAL Activities with your child !

As a music and movement educator, I have had so many enjoyable activities with my kids as well as with my students in class. Here are some suggestions from Kindermusik International as to how you can have FUN MUSICAL Activities with your child :

Babies (0 to 18 months): ZOOM! A laundry basket makes a great car, buggy, stroller, boat, or cradle. Line a rectangular laundry basket with towels or blankets. Place your baby in the basket, either lying on his or her back or sitting up, and pull the basket gently along on a ride around the house (a towel or scarf looped through the front of the basket makes a great handle). Add some music to set the pace and mood. If your baby needs a quieter activity, turn the laundry basket into a rocking cradle. Hold onto the sides of the basket and gently rock your child from side-to-side. Sing your favorite lullaby and end with a great big hug. For the perfect lullaby, pick up our You are My Sunshine CD.

Toddlers (18 months to 3 years): If you're grumpy and you know it, make a face. You've probably noticed: your child is in a verbal growth spurt! To reduce terrible two's-related "disagreements", help your child learn some new words and begin to develop his or her emotional vocabulary. Much of a young child's frustration comes from not knowing how to express what's wrong or how to fix it. Use an old favorite song to help teach some emotion words and some good solutions. Along with "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands," try: "If you're sad and you know it, give me a hug" ... "If you're angry and you know it, count to three" ... "If you're brave and you know it, stand up tall" ... Reading Kindermusik's all-time favorite big book This is My Dance to your child might be just the thing to bring a smile to his or her face ... and yours!

Preschoolers (3 to 5 years): Enjoy a "camp-in" with your preschooler! Who needs to be OUTSIDE to camp? Certainly not someone with the imaginative mind of a preschooler! Preschoolers love to pretend, and they should be encouraged to do so often. When your child engages in pretend play, he expands his understanding of himself, others, and the physical world. There's a growing body of evidence to suggest that pretend play also improves a child's ability to take another's perspective, engage in abstract thinking, and communicate with peers and adults. So grab your camping gear and invite your little scout to join you for a "camp-in"! Pack your bags, backpacks, or pillowcases with all the necessary gear. Choose a campsite (guest room, living room, den) and lay out your pillows and sleeping bags. You may even want to set up a fort or a tent!

Activity time: Make indoor s'mores! Toast marshmallows in the oven (400 degrees for 4 minutes), then put them between two graham crackers with a piece of chocolate. After sunset, play flashlight tag in a darkened room of your house. Tell jokes (our Critter Giggles book is perfect)! As the night draws to an end, lie on your backs, turn on some quiet music, and shine flashlights on the ceiling to create constellations or shooting stars.

Big Kids (5 to 8 years): And now we DANCE! If you can count to four, you can dance! But dancing is about more than just sticking to the tempo. The greatest enjoyment comes from making it up as you go along: shaking, grooving, and moving to the music in your own way. By the age of 5 to 7, your child has probably developed all the necessary motor skills to dance the day away. Improvisational dancing helps young children explore their creativity to tap into new ways to explore rhythm, and develop confidence and self-expression. Kindermusik's Get Up and Move CD might be just what you need to "get in the groove'! Here's another short-cut to getting into the groove:

Start out simply, with the foot shuffle. Count along to the music and on every number - 1, 2, 3, 4 - move your feet. Keep those feet moving and add an arm movement on each number. With your right arm, reach high on 1 and 2. With your right arm, point low on 3 and 4. Then, both arms reach high on 1 and 2. Both arms point low on 3 and 4. Snap or clap both hands on 1, 2, 3, and 4. Remember to keep those feet moving on each number.

* You and your child may visit any of the Kindermusik with Dr. Liz studios (New Manila, Bonifacio High Street, and Merville Park Paranaque ) for a one-time Free trial of a Kindermusik experience.