Kindermusik International

How Imaginary Friends Help COVID-Era Kids

Is your child conversing with an imaginary friend or stuffed animal? That's a good thing.

Does your child have imaginary friends? Wondering if it’s a positive or a negative phase? Let me tell you a story…

My mother grew up in a small southern US town in the 1940s, when polio was rampant. My grandparents, who were older and struggled to have a child, were naturally fearful of the disease and scared to lose her. So, Mom wasn’t allowed to play with other children very often.

Except for one.

Boost Early Literacy Development with Just 30 Minutes of Music per Week

How 30 Minutes of Music a Week Can Boost Early Literacy Development - Kindermusik

Increased literacy development is one of the major benefits of a consistent music program. And that can happen before elementary school!

In fact, an independent research firm found that preschoolers who experienced just 30 minutes a week of Kindermusik demonstrated 32% greater gains in language and literacy skills.

Newborn Bonding: How Infant Music Classes Connect Parent and Baby

Newborn Bonding: How Infant Music Classes Connects Parent and Baby

From the benefits of skin-to-skin to rocking to massage, there is so much conversation around newborn bonding. And that’s a good thing!

Here’s one idea you may not have heard of…infant music classes.

First, let’s look at the why, when, and how of this critical part of early development.

3 Ways Music Boosts Social-Emotional Learning in ANY Environment

Preschoolers connect hands during a partner dance to boost teamwork, empathy, and other social-emotional learning skills.

Social-emotional learning is a critical piece to positive early childhood development, and we know that music can accelerate this growth.

But how can educators and families consistently use music to boost social-emotional skills in different learning environments?

Outdoor Music Classes Bridge COVID Socialization Gaps

When the pandemic forced families to social distance and quarantine, the negative effects of social isolation hit young children perhaps the hardest. The need for connection is pressing and real. And that’s where Kindermusik’s outdoor music classes come in.

Many Kindermusik families love our virtual class opportunities (they’re a huge hit!) and they’re here to stay. However, some of our educators found that children responded better to a physically distanced, outdoor environment.

3 Ways Screen Time Boosts Development in a COVID-Era World

For years, parents have been advised to limit screen time. We’re all aware of the limits suggested by organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and families try hard to follow them.

But then…a pandemic hit, and the world turned upside down. Routines and rules changed, and technology was recast as a positive necessity.

3 Music Rituals to Help Alleviate Back-to-School Change

3 Ways Music Rituals Alleviate Back-to-School Change

Change—especially for children in any capacity—is hard, but one thing always helps…music! Here are 3 quick tips on how music rituals can help alleviate transitions (like drop-off times) and enhance child and family engagement.

5 Ways Unstructured Play Boosts Learning (Plus Tips-By-Age Guide!)

Ways Unstructured Play Boosts Learning - Kindermusik

This is a brand new day.

Ev’rything is just fine.

Time to go outside and play

Ev’rything is just fine.

(from Kindermusik’s rhythmic chant, “Ev’rything Is Just Fine”) Listen below!

“Ev’rything Is Just Fine” is a Kindermusik track that gets stuck in your head. And if you have or care for young children, that’s a good thing!. “Time to go outside and play…” Exactly. We must never forget that young children NEED TO PLAY. For everything to be “just fine” for them, a key ingredient is regular, unstructured play.

6 Ways to Prevent Summer Slide

Summer typically signals a well-deserved break for children and grownups—longer evenings outside, vacation, festivals, summer camps, and more. However, the looming threat of “summer slide,” which extends from babies to early elementary students, rears its ugly head each year. So, how can families ditch the negative pressure of learning loss with joyful tools that foster learning gains?

Here are six no-cost ways to combat summer slide…

A Message from Kindermusik: We will not be silent.

To Our Kindermusik Community,

The birth of a child comes with such great promise, excitement, and joy. However, we know that the promise for every child is not equal. Inexcusable hardships begin at birth for some children, and for many, simply because of the color of their skin.

The events of the past week have unnerved and outraged our communities globally. And though the murder of George Floyd brought issues of Black social injustice and blatant racism to light, they have been an ongoing theme that can no longer be ignored. While inclusivity is at the center of what we do at Kindermusik—whether in a studio or through a school system, library, or outreach programs such as Head Start—it is not enough. Kindermusik will not be silent. We can do better and we will.

Like many companies, Kindermusik is reflecting internally on what we can do to show our solidarity and how we can make lasting change within our organization and communities. We pledge to do the following as a company:

Continue expanding our efforts to create content that incorporates a global perspective, promoting lasting bonds within families and communities, and acceptance of people from all faiths, ethnicities, cultures, and across all age groups and economic situations.
Actively seek rich and honest guidance from fellow early education leaders and parents everywhere.
Weave diversity conversation ideas into our classrooms, curriculum, and general conversations to help parents and caregivers address these important principles early and often.
Listen to what YOU have to say. If you have feedback on how we could improve our Kindermusik experiences, please email us at info@kindermusik.com.
Implement an inclusion task force to determine where–internally or externally–we can improve our practices.

As an early childhood company, we are especially focused on the healthy development of each and every child in an environment where they feel seen, heard, and treasured. For the best future of all children, we raise our voices to stand now and forever against racism. We will work hard to continue to promote positive connections and to sing loud and clear that Black Lives Matter.

Sincerely,

The Kindermusik Team