Dancing Day

Gooch, as usual, brought an active and large group with a variety of ages and a penchant for dancing! We did lots of action songs as we sang through daily activities. Johnny Works with One Hammer put us to sleep, and then we woke up again through song, brushed our teeth, Shut the Door (a participant request), and went to The Corner Grocery Store. Big kids jumped high and little kids went for rocket ship rides while we danced to Zoom Zoom Zoom. We washed off the moon dust with Bathtime, and stayed asleep after the bath to become Sleeping Bunnies. Everyone let loose in a high energy jam (kids and grown ups both enjoyed Hot! Hot! Hot!) and finally a gleeful round of parachute. I look forward to the remaining sessions with this spirited group at Gooch.

Small, But Mighty

Class yesterday at Jessie's Centre, though more like a private lesson, was a success. We had only one baby with her mom, but two staff members were also very involved and enthusiastic. The mom who was there with her daughter was very involved and attentive, which was nice to see. Her daughter was mesmerized by the guitar, as always, and seemed to be engaged throughout the songs and activities.

Reunion at Gooch

I was so happy to be back at Gooch after being away sick! It felt like a joyous reunion, with some of the students literally putting the guitar in my hands because they were enthusiastic about hearing it. We did lots of active songs with actions and the children enjoyed choosing animals for Old MacDonald. Everyone singing along to In the Jungle ended the jam with a feeling of positive community that I look forward to returning to next week.

Rockin' Robins

Class today at Jessie's Place was so much fun. It was a small group of mostly babies and staff, but everyone was very eager to participate. A definite highlight was the final jam of Rockin' Robin. All the participants were jamming along, when all of a sudden we looked over and the kitchen staff were dancing and singing along across the room. The staff (kitchen included) brought a great energy to the class as did the parent who joined us. I'm looking forward to more Wednesdays like this!

An Intimate Feel

A quiet class at Robertson House this evening, but I led it with an intimate feel and gave lots of attention to each of the two children. Everyone had lots of fun scraping the guiro, our instrument of the week. We put a band together during the jam by singing Old McDonald Had A Band, which was a great way to review instruments in the bag. We ended class with a spicy feel - some Latin music for the children to dance to underneath the parachute.

Jumping Bunnies!

Today’s class was full of energy and smiles from both children and parents. Parents were very involved, for the most part, and sang loud and proud - what a treat! With 17 children and 8 parents participating, the energy was undeniable. One highlight was the demonstration of the Thunder Tube, our instrument of the week, during which all the participants watched in suspense as the Tube made its mysterious rumbles. The children were very excited when the Thunder Tube got passed around and everyone got to shake it for themselves. Another highlight was jumping around during the Sleeping Bunnies song, during which the energy in the room went way up! This was a great way to start the session and I look forward to more classes like this.

Magical Moments

Class was so much fun this evening and it was full of magical moments. It started with a mom coming in with her month old baby who hadn't heard music yet. We all got to witness the baby's calm reaction as her mom observed, "She likes music!" This was followed by a boy keeping a steady groove on the tambourine during the jam, while another boy exclaimed "aaaahhhh" during the ascending "ah" melody part of Twist and Shout. What a wonderful way to end my day :)

Keep It Positive

This evening's class was a bit more challenging than usual. The moms were the quietest they've ever been, and a couple boys were running around playing with cars a lot of the time. Nonetheless, I did my very best to stay positive and tried varying activities to meet the needs of the group. It all came together at the end when the little ones danced underneath the parachute and showed off their moves.

Earth Week Fun

Class was smaller and intimate today for Earth Week. I took the moms through a journey with rain, sunshine, growth and some eco-friendly rides. Everyone had a lot of fun experimenting with the thunder tube and rain stick that were the instruments of the week. The jam had a bright note with I Can See Clearly Now, and You Are My Sunshine.

A Hero's Welcome

There's nothing like getting a hero's welcome as soon as you get out of the car – from the staff – and the ten children and six parents were equally as welcoming. It's great to be back at Birkdale for another session! We sang Sticky Bubble Gum, The Belly Button Song, Tickle Song, and All the Nations Like Bananas. We also got ready for Earth Week by singing Trees Need the Sun, and Oats and Beans and Barley Grow. The children clicked away on the claves, our instrument of the week. And, as usual, the parachute drew screams of delight from the children. Looking forward to more silliness next week.