Kids Activities Archives - Page 14 of 16 - Minds On Music

Sweet Mollie Greene: from Kindermusik Educator to published craft book author

One of my favorite bloggers is former Kindermusik Educator Mollie Greene. She posts pictures, adores coffee, and in the summer, complains about the heat like a paper daisy wilting in the sun. My favorite posts are the lists, like this one: “2013 things to do in 2013.”

say no to guilt

say yes to long walks

buy large houseplants and keep them alive

play goldberg variations

play gin rummy

make the dog behave

Her carefully crafted sentences and lists drop and gently spin like her carefully crafted paper mobile artworks. In addition to writing, Greene also creates and makes paper art, available on her Etsy shop, Royal Buffet.

Hey Mollie. Add this one to the list: Publish that new paper craft book.

The former Kindermusik educator, musician, writer, blogger, crafter, and mother of four is about to add “published author” to her list of accomplishments. In July, Greene and California publisher Chronicle Books will release Sweet Paper Crafts, 25 Simple Projects to Brighten Your Life. You can pre-order it now on amazon.com

Greene created the book with photographer (and her husband) Aaron Greene. Her paper work has also been featured on numerous Web sites and blogs including Martha Stewart Weddings, Free People, Design Sponge, and Decor 8. In print, her work has appeared in Southern Living Magazine and the craft book Playing with Books.

Her first paper-craft book was a self-published project with Aaron, Make & Do Paper Fascinations for Every Lovely Occasion.

We recently caught up with a properly caffeinated Mollie Greene to say congratulations, and to ask, “how’d you do it?”

ki 25 simple paper crafts — Mollie’s new book is available for pre-order now on amazon.com

Name: Mollie Greene
Location: Greenville, SC
Kindermusik Educator: 2001-07 at Piano Central Studios. The studio’s founder and owner, Theresa Case, is also author for this blog’s Foundations of Learning posts.

Why did you start teaching Kindermusik?

In college (for Piano Performance at Bob Jones University) I had to observe a Kindermusik class, and I was impressed with the storytelling aspect of the class, and the themes, and dancing, and using music to work with kids is always fun. I just thought it was a whole lot of fun, and I thought it would be a fun way to make a living for a little while.

Why did you stop teaching Kindermusik?

After I had my third baby it was just too crazy. I have four children now. Henry is 10, Jude is 8, Lola is 5, and Dot is 5 months.

The new book is different from your first self-published book. How so?

In the self-published book we did about 10 tutorials. They were mostly things that people had asked me about. We thought about putting the tutorials in a blog format but, because there were so many, we just did it as a book.

The new book with Chronicle has 25 projects and the crafts are all different, there’s much more variety.

Some activities are things that I’ve sold in my Etsy shop. Most are new projects that I’ve been working on with my editor so there would be more variety – in the kind of paper you would use and the variety of projects – so there wouldn’t be 25 butterfly projects. They all needed to be different so there will be more appeal to more people across the entire book.

Some were things I haven’t made in years, made when I was a kid, for a more modern, grown up way to make it.

Mollie sells her paper creations online.

Are the crafts for kids or adults?

The book targets adults. Most of the projects take a little more time or skill with scissors, but most of the projects could be adapted for kids. Otherwise, most of the crafts are good for kids around middle school and up.

How did you get the book published?

Chronicle Books is a great source for art books, books about the arts – especially crafting books. I sent them a copy of the self-published book because we didn’t know if they’d be interested in picking that one up; and because it was a good sample of the work.

The editor I sent it to liked it and she helped us get it started.

How long did it take for Chronicle to respond to you and and pick up the book?

We sent the first book in October and heard back in November, 2011. We started working on it in February and it was only a few months before we had to get the ball rolling and start writing.

On your blog, you said this project started last spring, “when I was morning sick and in the midst of a big household move.” Why in the world would you do that?

It all kind of came at once. I’d just found out I was pregnant with Dot and we were moving across town, and they just wanted to get started so we could publish it by this summer. So we had to get it all done by last summer.

And I just thought, you know, you have more time than you think you have. If you can get organized, you can do more than you think you can. Which is not my typical way of living.

You can find Mollie’s writing online at molliegreene.com.

And if, like Mollie, you’re looking for a fun, creative way to make a living, ask us today about becoming a Kindermusik Educator.

Sign-up to become a Kindermusik Educator
Learn more about Teaching Kindermusik
Get info on Starting Your Own Kindermusik Program

5 early literacy Christmas activities

Mother Goose could well be called the Mother of Early Literacy. “Hey Diddle, Diddle,” “Little Miss Muffet,” and other nursery rhymes support early literacy by building phonemic awareness through experiences that recognize, repeat, and predict rhymes. Rhyming word play contributes to phonemic awareness as children begin to hear the differences and similarities between words like “moon” and “spoon” and “muffet” and “tuffet.”

Along with favorites from Mother Goose, this holiday season add a penguin to your early literacy activities with Penguin’s Christmas Gift. This story download, created by Kindermusik International, combines rhymes with active listening as children hear the story of a tiny penguin who turns an ordinary tree into an extraordinary one for an extra special Christmas at the zoo.

Download Penguin’s Christmas Gift here and use it in your class next month to support early literacy growth.

4 additional early literacy activities to use with Penguin’s Christmas Gift

If you are like many early literacy educators, your Pinterest boards contain dozens (if not hundreds!) of early literacy activities to use in the classroom. We culled through some of our favorites to use along with Penguin’s Christmas Gift.

Letter P Penguin Craft
Beginning Middle & End Instead of using a candy corn image, use a Christmas tree.
Rhyming Tree Literacy Activity Use branches of a Christmas tree instead. Also for pre-readers, use images and words.
Body Rhyme Early Literacy Activity This early literacy activity isn’t really about penguins or Christmas. We just love the movement and use of rhyming words to support phonemic awareness.

Follow our early literacy and language board on Pinterest for even more ideas.

Early literacy curriculum that uses music as the vehicle for learning

ABC Music & Me, our early literacy curriculum, uses music and movement to teach young children early literacy and language. In addition to the research-based curriculum, ABC Music & Me increases parent involvement in early childhood education by providing families with materials to use together at home.

For more information about using ABC Music & Me as an early literacy curriculum, email us at info@abcmusicandme.com.

Thanksgiving song and activities: Over the River and Through the Woods

Do you remember this song?

Over the river and through the woods
To Grandmother’s house we go.
The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh
Through white and drifted snow.

It’s hard to say when this famous American poem became so synonymous with the Christmas holiday, but the tune truly belongs to Thanksgiving.

Written by journalist, poet, and human rights advocate Lydia Maria Child, the poem first appeared in Child’s Flowers for Children, Volume 2, in 1844.

It was originally titled “A Boy’s Thanksgiving Day,” and celebrates Child’s childhood memories of visiting her Grandfather’s house.

As an advocate for Native American rights, anti-slavery laws, and women’s voting rights, Child raised her voice on many issues flaring in the in the 1840s, but refused to raise a fist. Her writings urged people to find a peaceful, non-violent way to progress.

The song can be a great holiday tradition for your family, too. We’ve put together a few simple ways to adapt the song to your child’s learning ability.

Learn more about helping families create musical traditions together in online Kindermusik Educator training. Click here to receive FREE information on becoming a Kindermusik Educator.

Baby (newborn to 2)

Hold your baby close and bounce in rhythm to the music, or pat the steady beat of the song on her back as you sing the song. Studies show a baby prefers the sound of her mother’s voice, and the sound of your voice paired with rhythm of the words – as you gently rock baby, or pat her on the back – helps your baby begin to identify the patterns of language.

Toddler (2 to 3 years)

The “giddy-up” tempo of this song makes it a great lap bounce for toddlers. Exaggerate the movement words, and make the weather and animal sounds mentioned in the lyrics to help your toddler better connect the vocabulary word to the physical movement.

Preschool (3 to 5 years)

Sing the song together and ask your preschooler to draw a picture of the story, and act it out: Pretend to ride a sled, ride through the wind, and ring bells!

Big Kids (5 to 7)

Engage your big kid’s active imagination and write your own lyrics about your family’s Thanksgiving tradition. Use the “Over the River” melody with lyrics about your own journey to Grandma’s house. What do you see? What does the weather do? Do you go over a river? Write your own lyrics.

Click here to see the long and short form of the lyrics.

AMERICA_THE_MUSICAL_PART_I — play.kindermusik.com

Play Kindermusik @Home

Talk with your family about the meaning of the Thanksgiving holiday. You’ll find several folk and Americana songs in this collection of Kindermusik songs, “America the Musical Vol. 1 and 2.” Lydia Maria Child would have loved the song, “Follow the Drinking Gourd,” a song used to help people find the Underground Railroad.

Alvin and the Chipmunks

The Andrews Sisters and Danny Kaye

Bed Time? And do lullabies really work?

“What are you doing? You’re supposed to be going to sleep.”

It’s late at night, and your baby needs to go to sleep. Everything’s been taken care of – clean diaper, quiet house, feeding, burping … so what’s with all that squirming? Maybe all that’s missing is a lullaby.

All research points to yes — lullabies are scientifically proven to lull babies to sleep, stimulate language and cognitive development, as well as strengthen the emotional bond between a parent and child.

This bond is communicated without words. Since your baby can’t yet understand words and language, a lullaby can communicate that everything in the house is taken care of, there is no danger, and so much love that a voice is literally lifted into song.

See (or sing) for yourself

Many thanks to Kindermusik parent, Janice Müller, who filmed this video of herself singing her baby to sleep with a lullaby in the Zulu language. Janice is enrolled in Brandy Butler’s Kindermusik class in Switzerland.

You can watch the video and hear Janice sing here: Click the Oct. 1 blog post.

Janice writes:

“If you want to hear the legendary Miriam Makeba do it justice: click here. The words and translation:”

Tula Baba | Traditional Zulu lullaby

Thula thul, thula baba, thula sana,
Tul’ubab ‘uzobuya ekuseni
Thula thul, thula baba, thula sana,
Tul’ubab ‘uzobuya ekuseni

Kukh’in khan-yezi, zi-holel’ u baba,
Zim-khan yi-sela indlel’e ziyak-haya,
Sobe sik hona xa bonke be-shoyo,
Be-thi bu-yela u-bu-ye le khaya,

Thula thula thula baba,
Thula thula thula sana,
Thula thula thula baba,
Thula thula thula san.

English Translation

Hush, little man, hush, child of mine
Daddy is coming in the morning
Hush, my child, hush, my son
Hush, Daddy is coming from the mountains

We will be here, as the saying goes
They were saying; come back home
We will be here, as the saying goes
I say come back, my child, come to your home

Hush, hush, my son
Hush, hush, my little man
Hush, hush, my child
Hush, hush, my little man

Keep quiet my child
Keep quiet my baby
Be quiet, daddy will be home by dawn

There’s a star that will lead him home
The star will brighten his way home

The hills and stones are still the same my love
My life has changed, yes my life has changed

We’re working to celebrate the diversity of languages around the world, as well as to preserve the lullabies from disappearing languages, and we’d love your help. Do you have a favorite lullaby in your mother tongue? Let us know, and check out “The Mother Tongue Lullaby Project,” a special effort from ABC English & Me.

Why Spatial Awareness Is Critical to Whole-Child Development

Preschool children jump in a defined space to build spatial awareness skills during class.

In a nutshell, spatial awareness is the understanding of objects (including your own body) in relationship to the surrounding space. For children, that starts with discovering hands and feet, grows to moving safely on a playground, and leads to judging distances while driving or solving math problems. It’s a huge skillset that affects so many critical aspects of positive whole-child development.

So how do you know if little ones are on or off-track with these skills?

Music for Halloween Knights, Princesses, Engineers, and more!

Are you having a Halloween Party for your Kindermusik or ABC English & Me classes? We have a few albums and songs in mind to help you and your little ones enjoy a little musical play with their holiday costumes — and here’s the trick: sneak in a little musical learning along the way!

The Polite Knight

He might be shaking under his armor, but Sir Henry the Polite Knight always uses good manners. You can find out how to make an easy, no-sew costume here, and play the Knight-themed music while you and your little one get ready for Halloween!