We had a big baby crowd this past week at Robertson House with some older kids too. Despite some focusing issues throughout the class, we found a moment of zen when we passed around the majestic and calming rain stick. Babies and older kids alike were enthralled by the light trickling sounds of the traditional South American instrument. Looking forward to more classes!
Today was a smaller group at Birkdale. Hopefully it’s just a matter of getting in the swing of things and letting parents make room in their schedules to come every week. The kids who attended were very engaged, but also easily distracted. In these instances, it’s always helpful to have the grown-ups double down on their engagement with the songs and lead by example, but since there were no parents the Birkdale staff had their wrangling hands full and often resorted to calling out to kids to sit down or listen in the middle of songs. I made a point of asking them not to do this, as it just adds to the distraction and makes it harder for the other kids to engage with the songs. However, there were still some great moments today, especially with all the clapping songs. The kids seemed to really want to keep the rhythm, and if I asked them to show me how they could clap that brought them back into focus every time. A good thing to keep in mind for future classes!
It was fun as usual at the Redwood last night! The children enjoyed singing Button It Up and pretending to put on their winter coats, snow pants and hats. Some children were distracted and wanting to play with the other toys in the room, so I decided to pull out Sleeping Bunnies as it was requested when I arrived, and it definitely got their attention and was a big crowd pleaser! They also enjoyed moving around like frogs, dinosaurs and sharks in Johnny Didn't Have Any Breakfast. We had less parent representation again this week unfortunately, but I know that the staff were trying their best to get them to join. The moms who were there however definitely had a great time!
After last week’s cancelled class, I was excited to see all the kids again. This week we were in a new room, which actually had a nicer and more open feel to it. The kids were very well-behaved for the most part, but a couple chatterboxes made it difficult to focus for the first few songs. Since they were a bit older, I asked them to come to where I was sitting and demonstrate the hand movements for the little ones, which helped keep things moving along. Baby Shark really snapped their attention in, and from there the class was a breeze. We all got up in a circle in record time, and there was a lot of laughter for Walk and Stop. Jam time was LOUD, but everybody listened without fuss when it was time to stop, so it’s clear they’ve been taking in the directions of the songs. A very happy class all around!
Despite the blizzard going on outside, we had a great time in class this week at Robertson House. We soothed our souls with the calming sound of the Tingshaw Bells and sang a lot of favourites. During the jam, we imagined we were on a nice hot beach singing Hot, Hot, Hot, just to get our minds off the below freezing temperatures. I look forward to more great classes!
Coming off of last week’s surprisingly low attendance (even the staff were surprised), today felt like a triumph. There were lots of kids who were excited to sing and were clapping along from the get-go. Though there weren’t as many parents as I had hoped, the staff were very engaged with the kids and helped keep them focused. It’s clear that the staff at Birkdale really care about the kids and the program, and they said they’d make an effort to get more parents out next week. Things started getting a bit hectic when it came time to get the kids standing in a circle, but it was good practice because they sat back down in a circle without much fuss. We passed around all the instruments in the bag as I introduced them, and everyone sang along to their ABCs. I’m very excited about this group!
We had lots of silly fun at the Redwood this week! The children loved making silly frog faces while singing The Little Green Frog, so much that they kept doing it into the next song. We also sang Bath Time, and one girl insisted on changing it to “Shower Time” with lots of giggles. The group’s rhythm improved in the jam from last week as well.
There weren’t as many moms again, even with the staff helping to seek them out and invite them. One of the main staff members told me that it usually takes a couple weeks for all the mothers to start coming as they warm up to the idea. I spoke with Linda and she said she often had this challenge too. Hoping for more next week!
Today’s group at Robertson House was an energetic bunch full of different ages. Our babies were the most attentive participants, while the 2-4 year olds had a bit of a harder time sticking with the program. Not to worry though! Many times throughout the class I witnessed the uniting power of music and group singing, especially its effect on the 2-4 year olds. The jam at the end of class really brought everyone together – it turns out we have some future drummers in the class! I look forward to hearing some more drum solos in the classes to come.
A lot of parents were out with their kids on Friday, so unfortunately the start of the session was a bit under attended, with only one child and one parent. Luckily, they were both quite engaged, especially with hand signs and motions. The intimacy of the session also made for a great one-on-one introduction to all the instruments in the instrument bag, and more focused and direct communication. However, I’m very excited to be joined by the rest of the regular group next week!
My first ever RSF class at the Redwood last night was very energetic! The children loved the class and sang along with enthusiasm to such songs as The Wheels on the Bus and Shake Your Sillies Out. They also loved playing the instruments from the jam bag and dancing under the parachute. The ages ranged from around 3 to 10 years old and everyone was engaged. As I was packing up to leave, one girl around 5 years said to me, "I liked the music class!" and others wanted to strum on my guitar before putting it away. This is an energetic and happy group and I can't wait to continue classes with them!
Some lessons from the evening included making sure that the moms were present. There were only a couple women in the room but it was hard to tell which ones were volunteers and which ones were mothers. Jo from RSF was at the class with me, and she suggested that next week I reiterate that it is a family music class and to encourage all mothers to join their children in the class. Some women were sitting on chairs, so I will also encourage them to sit on the floor next week. The room was also a little cramped with all the kids that were present (we started with around 7 kids at the beginning, and that grew to around 15 kids towards the end of the class as they filtered in), so next week I will ask the RSF staff if we can move a couple tables to open up the space. Jo also suggested closing the door 5-10 minutes after the start time to encourage the kids to stay in the class as some kids were wandering in and out.
All in all, the class was a success!
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