Our New Home

We are excited to show you our new Kindermusik home! Beginning this fall ALL Kindermusik of the Valley classes will be offered here at the Minnesota River School of Fine Art (soon to be called ARTS AT RIVER RIDGE). Located in Burnsville, we are just 2 blocks east of 35W and 2 blocks north of Highway 13 - super convenient to ALL of our current locations.

Renovations will be going on over the summer, I will keep you posted with pictures here - you are just going to LOVE our new digs!!

Molly

Here is a movie made by my friend Molly. She has a beautiful way with words and music. She is responsible for lots of the messages you read from Kindermusik International. She is an inspiration to me and many more. Molly taught me how to blog, and has introduced me to apron art and apparel, musicovery, youtube and countless other cool items and ideas through her blog called I am music. (get it, i m - instant message, so clever)

Visual Music Experiment

You just have to SEE and HEAR this.

city closets

Imagine That kids are making city buildings to bring to class for week 13. I ran accross these sweet closets on another site called poco a poco. Not that I think our buildings are going to look like this - but nice ideas, cute for clothes too if you are looking for the city theme. You can learn more about them HERE.

Money Free Weekend

Checkout this website for some great ideas on a money free weekend. I love this idea. If you want to try it, let me know how it goes.

Time for a smile

We have all been hearing so much sadness the last few days - - too too much. Take 4 minutes and 44 seconds to watch this video. It will make you feel better. And its words are true.

Making a bell this week?

Imagine That classes are making bells at home this week. I have found a few links but this one eld the most promise. Check out Kabubble.

Here are a few more

Making a Pie Pan Tambourine

A tambourine is both a drum and a shaker. Make one from stuff you find around the house.

• Find two aluminum foil pie pans -- the kind from frozen pies.

• Put them together with the bottoms facing out. Use duct tape, packing tape or stapes to fasten the edges together halfway around, making a pocket.

• Put a handful of dry rice, popcorn or beans in the pocket.

• Fasten the rest of the way around the edge.

• Decorate with stickers, feathers, strips of paper fastened around the edges, or whatever you like.

Shake it! Slap it!


CHIMES

ruler or stick
washers
nail polish
string
mixing spoon

Hang the washers from the ruler or stick with pieces of string by wrapping the string around the ruler or stick and securing. Strike the washers with the mixing spoon to play.

Note: You can make this craft colorful by painting the washers first with different color nail polishes, such as red, gold, glittery, etc. Parents should supervise this part of the activity closely.



HAND BELLS

2 paper towel rolls
hole punch
4 jingle bells
string or yarn

Punch a hole in each end of the paper towel rolls. Tie two jingle bells to each side of the paper towel rolls by running string or yarn through the holes and carefully tying off.

Shake to play.

Have fun and let creativity and imagination run wild! Record the band's first song and play back for some great giggle time. Enjoy!

Farm Animal Friends

Your kids will like this video of Gwendolyn and the Good Time Gang. It is as cute as can be. I also had a sneaky suspicion that there might be more to Gwendolyn than pig tails and back up singers with great boots. I was not disappointed, infact I was inspired by her website. Grateful that an accomplished creative musician is making great music for all ages. If you like the hidden from the airwaves talent of indie artists check out some of her other work.

No?

The average toddler hears NO!!! or receives a stern look about every 9 minutes of their waking day. Those particular adult reactions to toddler behavior sends the toddler's hind brain into action. When this happens the prefrontal lobes, which hold reasoning, consequential thinking, and other important brain function are not getting sufficient blood to practice when this happens.

Here are some ideas that might come in handy if want to say no without saysing "NO"

Tell the child what TO do.
Get the child’s attention before communicating, touch them on the shoulder or hand...
Say the child’s name.
Use a gesture, move so you get into her visual field.
Show him an object or other visual cue to get him to look at you.
Help them know what TO do.
Using your singing voice calms you and the child.
Use a prompt, hand him a tissue instead of saying “Don’t wipe your nose on your sleeve.”
Use a gesture. Gestures can guide her to appropriate behavior. Point to the coat hookinstead of “Don’t drop your coat on the floor.”
Model what you want
Offer “Let’s do it together.” That can encourage children to do things with more enthusiasm.
Say “Oh, oh” “Oops!” “Look!” Then point to what needs to be done.
Take a deep breath..... and exhale.
STOP!

Click HERE for another great and more indepth list of how to say no - positively

Thanks to Kindermusik educators Yvette in Holland MI and Mollie in Greenville SC for these great tips.

Happy Siblings Day

To my 5 fun loving, smart, hard working brothers and sisters - Happy Siblings Day!
(from left) Christa, Helen, Jenny Don, Elizabeth, Charlie

Autism Speaks

WATCH NOW

Please take a moment to view this beautiful video about autism. The band Five for Fighting will donate $0.49 to Autism Speaks everytime the video is viewed. Pass it on to family and friends too.

More Eggs?

If you haven't quite had enough with coloring eggs, egg hunts, etc. Here is a sweet website that has some fun egg games, eggtivities, egg jokes and more. If you have had enough - save it fr next Easter.

SPCO Family Music Series

Mozart		Menuetto from Finale to Act I of Don Giovanni
Handel		Selections from Water Music
Dvorák		Slavonic Dance No. 9 in C
Stravinsky		Three Dances from The Soldier's Tale
Bunch		"Groovebox Variations" from Swing Shift
Copland		"Hoe Down" from Rodeo

Can't stop moving to the music? People around the world have been dancing as long as they've been making music. The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra is joined by Indian dancer and choreographer Ranee Ramaswamy as well as Dance Revels, a troupe of dancers who show us how to dance the Minuet.

This Family Concert Series on Saturday mornings at the Ordway is a wonderful treat for everyone - as we continue to wait for the warm weather --

Happy Easter

What about those Eggs on Easter Sunday? (from The Writer's Almanac)

The word "Easter" comes from an ancient pagan goddess worshipped by Anglo Saxons named Eostre. According to legend, Eostre once saved a bird whose wings had frozen during the winter by turning it into a rabbit. Because the rabbit had once been a bird, it could still lay eggs, and that rabbit became our Easter Bunny. Eggs were a symbol of fertility in part because they used to be so scarce during the winter. There are records of people giving each other decorated eggs at Easter as far back as the 11th century.

Principles of Fun

watch it, it is fun.

Its Elizabeth's Birthday week

Clearly, I don't have enough pictures of my sister Elizabeth. Although I was blaming the tardyness of this happy birthday on the renovations that have taken over the house, I just can't find the "right" picture was my mantra. Finally, I found the photo albums, and alas - there are too few pictures of Elizabeth at my house.

Still, I love this picture! Elizabeth, remember this - our first trip to Nebraska. A hot week on the prairie, lazy days on the beach covered with small and fragile sun flowers - so quiet warm and windy. There have been many trips to the ranch since this picture was taken in 1993 (?) Judging by the color of my hair - and our size.

It is a treat and an adventure to be your sister - It was you who introduced me to peaches and cream, Bob Marley, Eva Cassidy a Nod to Bob - which even I love. You drove me to piano lessons with Mr. Belman every week, you helped me move and move and move. Just watching you live is an inspiration. You are beautiful, your heart, your home, your children, your way.