Sing and Dance that Stress Away

Music and movement stress

Stress. We all deal with it from time to time….and friends, so do our kids. Don’t forget – we have a lifetime of experience in managing stress – and even then we can have a hard time with it. Our kids deal with stress, too…and they are stress novices. It’s up to us to help them develop the skills and methods to cope with stress in their young lives. As it turns out, and this is in no way by accident, music and movement, the very things at which we are experts, are fantastic ways to alleviate stress. Science lights the way. Let’s check it out!

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Music & Movement Benefits: Why We Rock, Bounce, Jump & Dance

taking risk risks

music and movementKindermusik is as much about movement as it is about music.  Ask any educator or parent – there’s no need to go to the gym on Kindermusik day!  That’s because we know that children learn best by doing – it’s called experiential learning.  And now a new study highlighted in Science Daily demonstrates just how powerful the doing-learning-remembering connection really is.  There really is such a thing as “motor memory!”
Multiple research studies prove what Kindermusik has capitalized on for a long time – movement is KEY to learning.  In fact, the movement we do in our Kindermusik classes is essential for the children in many ways.

The powerful, but happy, combination of movement and music develops:

  • The Vestibular System.

A well-developed vestibular system provides emotional security, good muscle tone, develops auditory language processing, and visual-spatial processing. All this while you’re having fun dancing!

  • Neural Pathways.

Moving in a variety of ways gives your child a chance to ‘see the world’ from many perspectives, thus strengthening neural pathways, which carry messages from your child’s mind, guiding her senses and motor skills.

  • Fine Motor Skills.

During the first part of life, we’re learning to walk, so gross motor activities dominate the child’s movement. Now she can focus on activities that encourage the development of fine muscles, so she can increase skills that require finger and hand movements such as putting together a simple puzzle, painting with a paintbrush, turning a page of a book or stringing beads.

  • Physical Confidence.

Body awareness is important in the development of the child’s physical confidence. This developmental goal may be met by engaging in movement activities which focus on body part movement, whole body movement in one place, and whole body movement while traveling in space.

  • Creativity and Imagination.

Listening and responding to music and movement activities helps develop pretend play skills while also helping your child assimilate music and movement concepts such as fast, slow, loud, quiet, bumpy, smooth, straight and curvy.

  • Thinking Skills.

While in motion, the brain acts like a flight simulator, constantly inventing, moving mental models to project onto a changing world. This is an extraordinary mentally complex operation which builds thinking skills.

Movement is truly the key to the kind of learning that sticks and to the kind of joyful interaction that leads to a lifelong love of music and a lifetime of benefiting from the rich foundation of an early childhood music and movement program like Kindermusik.

Try A Free Kindermusik Class
Come move, sing, dance, play, and learn with us!  Try a FREE Kindermusik class today and see how music will move you… and your child.

Kindermusik… It's What's Good for You!

Development of the BrainOne of the best things about Kindermusik is the way the music and movement activities are so carefully and creatively designed to enhance every area of a child’s development.  You might think it’s just about the music, but as we’re often fond of saying, “We’re so much MORE than just music.”  There are many benefits of music, but none more important than those that affect every area of a child’s development – like Kindermusik does.
Chants and Fingerplays help children explore fun sounds and practice new words, providing a rich language environment.
Rhymes and Stories give Kindermusik kids a rich head-start in literacy development.
Singing and Playing Instruments inspire a love for music and lay a foundation for musical learning.
Marching, Jumping, Bouncing, and Twirling allow a child to be more self-expressive and to explore the many different ways a body can move, contributing to his physical development.
Rocking and Quiet Time promote special bonding time between parent and child and make those emotional ties even stronger.
Multi-sensory Activities which engage more than one sense at a time are part of what sparks vital cognitive development.
Circle Dances foster a sense of belonging and community, contributing to a child’s healthy social development.
Come See KindermusikMusic and learning go hand-in-hand.  So come swing, sway, dance, LEARN, and play with us at Kindermusik.  Try a free class today!  You’ll love seeing firsthand all the many ways your child will flourish in Kindermusik – in every area of his development.