Minds On Music – The Kindermusik Blog - Page 3 of 105 - For three generations, Kindermusik has helped millions of children around the world build a strong foundation for a lifetime of learning.

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

5 Ways to Balance Work-from-Home AND Parent-from-Home

Even as businesses start to slowly re-open, many indoor play places remain shuttered, and sports programs are cancelled. If you’re still trying to balance life at home 24/7, check out these tips to help get you through those long summer days!

But before you start charting things out, here’s an important reminder…

Step back and breathe.

3 Things You Can Expect from Kindermusik Class

Do you create your own playlists? Maybe one to calm you when you feel stressed, one to pep you up when you feel down, one for a special holiday, or one for busting a move when no one else is around (those are the best!).

Music has incredible benefits, not just for our grownup moods, but for childhood development—from the womb on! That’s what we explore every day in Kindermusik studios around the globe.

4 Ways Music Boosts Executive Function In Kids

Executive Function.

That sounds like a skill set a major CEO possesses, right?

The term executive function refers to a set of skills that are essential to the healthy development of young children and that lead to an overall healthier life. These skills must be learned, and music is one fun and easy way to help practice them.

Top 5 Under $5 Musical Stocking Stuffers

The big gifts are great but who doesn’t love a holiday stocking? They’re a win-win for kids and parents.

The psychology of the stocking:

For kids: the joy and satisfaction of acquiring multiple gifts at once.
For parents: the opportunity to save $$$ by filling them with fun but affordable items.

But did you know there are plenty of engaging, educational, and lasting stocking stuffers under $5?

Continue reading “Top 5 Under $5 Musical Stocking Stuffers”