What are your top three Kindermusik songs?

Just recently I was awarded Maestro status, a Kindermusik award for exceptional service. Surprised, elated and over the moon were words that came immediately to mind!

But surely every family that comes along to our music and movement classes, every newborn, every baby, every toddler, every pre-school child. Every mummy, daddy, grandma and grandad. They should also be given Maestro status for exceptional service because without all of these families pariticipating in our weekly classes with such energy, enthusiasm, smiles and okay sometimes a huge amount of chatting. Its all these people that take part in our regular Facebook chats and competitions, and throw themselves into our class dances with ridiculous energy. Now, reading this back I realise that it does sound a bit 'urghh' and sickly, my husband regularly tells me off for being 'far too flowery', but I hope you know what I mean!

So, down to business; what are your top three Kindermusik songs?

I asked this question on my Facebook page earlier today and my top three (in no particular order) are Skinnimarinki, Jing Jang and Mama Paquita. Every term my favourites change, just as I think yours do too.

Babies, toddlers and young children learn and develop through repetition and they very quickly find their own favourites just as we do. I wonder which will end up being our favourite songs, dances and bounces for this term? Will we love Mary Ann for the parachute? What about Clap clap your hands, Doctor Eisenbart and that's just the little one's classes! If we start on the big boys and girls list of favourites then we could be here for a very long time!

Classes start back again Monday 6th June, after our half term break, so if you haven't already registered to be with us then don't miss out on the fun.

Register today for a 4 week taster course

Don't you just love the summer term?

It's great to be back, and the summer term is such a lively one!

We've had two weeks of Easter eggs, glasses of Pimms (well, its been sunny) and a royal wedding to fill our break and now that summer looks as though its coming our way its time to kick off socks and enjoy some dance. Did you know that dancing and moving in different directions and in a variety of ways is important to the development of your baby's vestibular system? Their sense of balance, co-ordination and locomotion all depend on the proper function of this very important system. And of course, by being barefoot not only does it feel fantatic (especially if you' re on the beach or on grass) then its even better for sensory development, after all what better way to learn about the world than through touch.

So, banana cake is back on the agenda for this term, and we welcome a massive in take of new mummies and their babies, and daddies and grandparents too. If you'd like Kindermusik to be a part of your family, extended family or even friends families then just drop me a line and bring them along aswell.

Aswell as the songs, bounces, smiles and giggles in every class we absolutely love our relaxation time, its so lovely to hear the older children singing "you are my sunshine", ah.

Finally, some inspirational words:

"Life is borne within your dreams; success is making dreams come true. A succesful life is well within your means. The miracle of future life...is you"

(Francis Rogerson)

So essentially, its time to live, laugh and enjoy.

Suzanne

x

Do we like change?

It seems that we are creatures of habit! Alright, when we reach the end of a term, we wave a fond farewell to all our favourite songs, bounces, and dances and gently ease ourselves into the new term with trepidation and a little reluctance but find ourselves very quickly loving our new routines. Okay, so we can cope with change?

Just as long as the cake doesn't change, this is what our lovely Thursday mummies and daddies had to say about the changes afoot. Why? Well, I took the very bold and brave steps of changing from our usual delicious banana loaf to a rather yummy fruit loaf to a very mixed reception. Not that it didn't all get eaten up, no still the whole loaf vanished and was wolfed up by little people and big people. It seems that change was not wanted. So I guess the fruit loaf has made a very brief appearance, although lots of people asked for the recipe, so here it is before it disappears never to be seen again...

Kindermusik fruit loaf

3 weetabix

1/2 cup of sugar

1 cup dried fruit

2 cups self raising flour

1 tsp mixed spice

1 1/4 cup milk

mix everything together (ideally in a mixer as its much easier).

pour into a lined loaf tin and bake for 1 hour at gas 4

Enjoy!

Have a lovely Easter everyone, see you in two weeks for the beginning of our new term with so many exciting new songs, dances and activities, musical storytime, relaxation....and banana cake!

x

Priority Registration has opened for our brand new summer term

The end of our Spring term is approaching and this week its Priority Registration for all those currently enrolled in classes. Don't miss out, as next week general registration begins for lots of new little people to join us after Easter. Many of our 'babies' will be moving up to Our Time classes with the big boys and girls, so if you feel like easing yourself in gently then arrange to come along and visit a couple of Our Time sessions first.

We've had the very lovely and talented Mandy Charlton in classes this week, and next, snapping away and capturing some beautiful images of the children singing, dancing and bouncing. She's currently looking for models of all ages as she's putting together an exhibition titled Dressing Up. If you fancy getting involved then choose your favourite outdoor location, and ask the kids what they'd like to wear....be it tutu and wellies, Minnie Mouse, Bob the Builder, or you could even wear your wedding dress!

I cant post any pictures on here just yet, but it won't be long I promise! All our Kindermusik children are so full of character and it bursts out of these photos.

www.mandycharlton.com for contact details. I'll be sending out a link to everyone very soon so you can view your pictures.

Remember to register this week as places are in short supply.

x

Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday to you...

It's party season, March seems to be the month for birthday parties and I'm partying every

single weekend in March, and April is filling up quickly too. Of course I'm Kindermusik partying, is there any other? My favourite recently has to be gorgeous Jonathan who turned 3, and invited all his nursery friends to join us as we muddy puddle jumped, skipped, swooped, swirled and twirled.

I emailed his mum immediately afterward to thank her for asking me, and for making me feel so welcomed, and received a really lovely reply:
Dear Suzanne,
It is you who deserves all the thanks, you made it great, we ALL had a good time (children and adults. You are so natural and close to the heart that it couldn't have possibly got better. A great big thank you.
Celine.x

It is an enormous privilege to be invited to be a part of a special celebration, be it 1st birthday, 2nd birthday, 3rd birthday, 4th birthday or 5th birthday, they are all equally as special and just as much fun. This weekend finds me at a very special 1st birthday, and 3rd birthday and a 4th birthday, phew, serious amounts of party fun!!!

If you are planning ahead, then drop me a line (as much notice as possible is good). Tips to remember when booking a venue; a church hall is always a good option, a nice big empty space, ideally no soft play or toys around to distract us or trip us up, and obviously somewhere warm and clean. Keep party food nice and simple, draft in lots of help from aunties, uncles, grannies and grandads so you can join in with the party and enjoy it too! I've taken my first booking for June, so don't leave it too late...

Happy Birthday to all our March birthday boys and girls!

x

The importance of a child in our lives...

Here's a quote for you to mull over....
"A hundred years from now...it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove...but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child".-Kathy Davis.

Just looking at some of our Monday afternoon mummies and babies its quite clear how important they are in each others lives. Finding the time to be together quietly is difficult to squeeze into a daily routine, but babies learn through intentional touch and focused listening time. The mummies faces are filled with love for their little ones, and just look at our bigger babies connecting with each other. May there always be sunshine is one of our favourite bits of the class as it allows everyone time to relax, reflect and wind down...we all need a little of that every day!

I'm off to the North East Baby Roadshow this Saturday (12th March) at Gosforth Park Racecourse, so come along and say hello to me....

New babies, big boys and girls, delicious cake...

Fab to be back at classes today after our half term break. Today we met two gorgeous new babies, Callum 12 weeks and Lucy just a mere 7 weeks (although she's not the youngest Kindermusik-er we've had). Our youngest Kindermusik participant has to be baby Rose who came to her first class at just 12 days old! Admittedly she was at her big sister Daisy's class but Rose just wanted to join in, and I got to have all the cuddles and dances with her! Even at this young age we all noticed lots of reactions to our songs, dances and movement activities, especially our stop/go dances.


So, both our newbies managed to stay awake for the whole of their first Kindermusik experience, although they did get a little peckish towards the end. Unfortunately no banana cake for them this time, but it won't be too long!


Our big boys and girls were over the moon to be back with us and threw themselves (quite literally) into our scarf dancing, a fantastic rendition of Jing Jang (as a lovely circle) and the truly wonderful Walk Along Rover (massive thanks to all our rollers).


We finished off with lashings of banana cake and steaming hot mugs of coffee (okay, plastic cups of coffee and banana cake on kitchen roll), but it was all delicious and there was lots of chatter to accompany it!


Don't forget, if you can't make it along to your favourite class one week then drop me a line and I'll make sure that we fit you in on another day so you don't have to miss a single class. That way you get to attend every single class in our term.

Suzanne

x