things to do with kids Archives - Minds On Music

6 St. Patrick’s Day activities for kids at home

We spy something GREEN. Well, of course, we do! It’s St. Patrick’s Day. Celebrating all things Irish takes on a whole new level of fun when you add children to the mix. Take a look inside a Kindermusik class to see how we like to celebrate in the classroom and then discover some ways for you to celebrate at home.

Try 6 of our favorite (EASY!) ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with these activities for kids at home!

Wear green! It doesn’t get any easier than this. Plus, with the two to three wardrobe changes young children typically encounter each day, you can pick more than one cute green outfit!
Sing some Irish songs. Our favorites include “That’s an Irish Lullaby” and “My Wild Irish Rose.” Of course, you can always introduce children to famous contemporary musicians from Ireland, such as U2, Van Morrison, The Chieftains, or Enya.
Dance an Irish jig. You don’t need to lace up your ghillies to dance an Irish jig. You will need some lively music though! Why not grab some green instruments to play along?!
Eat or drink something green. Little ones love the novelty of eating a food that doesn’t look like it usually does—green milk, green pancakes, green eggs, green cookies.
Make a rainbow—with or without a pot of gold. Create a rainbow of fruit using strawberries, oranges or cantaloupe, pineapple, kiwi, blueberries, and cut up purple grapes. As a special treat after eating a healthy snack, perhaps a gold (chocolate!) coin can be found.
Read a book about St. Patrick, leprechauns, or Ireland. We pinned some books for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and older kids on the Kindermusik Pinterest board: “Books We Love for Kids.” Or, look for St. Patrick’s Day themed books on the Reading Rainbow app. The Music Mountain Island featuring Kindermusik content includes, “Under the Rainbow,” a story about a little boy and his grandmother searching for a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Looking for more things to do with kids that include music and movement activities, support early literacy development, and enhance the cognitive development of young children? Be sure to follow Kindermusik

on Pinterest!

4 Simple Ideas for Indoor Musical Fun

When the weather keeps you indoors or you just need something to relieve a certain little someone’s boredom, here are a few fun and easy suggestions for keeping your child occupied and making a few memories along the way too! These are just a few simple, tried-and-true things to do with kids – at home and out and about.
Suggestion 1: Try a Kindermusik class!
Of course we couldn’t resist a small plug here! But we happen to think that Kindermusik classes are one of the very best things you can do with – and for! – your child newborn to 7 years. Not only do you get to enjoy a weekly class together, but you also receive Home Materials (now available digitally!) that help you enjoy and extend your Kindermusik experience at home throughout the week. With Kindermusik @Home, you can take your Kindermusik with you wherever you go!
Sign up for a free Preview Class here.
If you’re already enrolled in Kindermusik and need a little extra inspiration, take some time to explore the myriad of downloadable activities and music at play.Kindermusik.com – a great music app for kids AND their parents!
Suggestion 2: Sing a song and play along.
For example, remember the song “Hickory, Dickory, Dock” from your childhood? With a simple song like “Hickory, Dickory” as your inspiration, you can explore the sounds that different materials make when struck together. Try familiar materials such as wooden blocks, pots and pans, and cardboard tubes. Which sounds most closely mimic the ticking of a clock? Kids of all ages will also enjoy accompanying themselves with simple rhythm instruments while they sing.
Suggestion 3: Create some cool art.
Here’s a three-ingredient recipe for Pretty Puffy Snow. You will need 1 cup flour, 1 cup salt, and 1 cup water. Mix all ingredients and place the mixture in a squeeze bottle (try recycling an empty honey bottle or mustard container). Draw a wintery scene on a piece of stiff paper, then squeeze on your puffy “snow” for some really cool 3-D highlights.
By the way, art projects are always more enriching and more inspired when you’re playing a little music in the background… or when you choose this for one of your family activities!
Suggestion 4: Try these learning games for kids. (And get a sneak peek at one of the fabulous ideas available exclusively through Kindermusik @Home!)

Here’s a free music learning game that’s perfect for toddlers, but fun for all ages too: Finding Family

This adorable “get up and move” activity from Kindermusik provides opportunities for toddlers to be active, to engage in looking-and-finding, to follow directional cues (e.g. ‘under’, ‘behind’, ‘up’), and to identify (and open conversation-opportunities about) family members.

Shared by Theresa Case, whose Kindermusik program at Piano Central Studios in Greenville, SC, is proudly among the top 1% of Kindermusik programs worldwide.

Make Your Own Snow Globe!

Let it Snow this Holiday Season with this Fun Kindermusik Activity.
Follow these simple, kid-tested steps for making your own sparkling snow globe. You choose the decorations!
Great for the classroom – or, if you’re looking for fun things to do with your kids this holiday season, this can be a memorable family activity.

Where Music and Learning Play!

To make this activity even more fun, we are giving away a FREE Music Download of Winter Wonderland. Login or Register at play.kindermusik.com.

Enjoy the music! We know it’s a great vehicle for learning. We encourage you to listen to the album Winter Wonderland while making this craft and use the tips below for extending the learning.

5 Steps for Making Your Own Snow Globe

Tips for Extending the Learning

This fun activity from Kindermusik@Home is great for developing basic science skills, including investigating materials, observing the seasons, and making scientific predictions. As you progress through the steps outlined, you can extend the learning by trying some of the following:

Investigate the materials needed. What does the glitter look like? How does the oil or syrup feel? Is the glass jar smooth or rough?
Talk about the season of winter. You can discuss cold weather, snow, ice, birds flying south, etc.
Predict what might happen when you turn your snow globe over. What will happen to the glitter? Will it make any sound?

Enjoy the music and this fun Kindermusik activity!

Tag: things to do with kids