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Text Box: Child’s Play - try some today! A child’s play is pleasure...and so much more! Experts (including moms and dads) understand the importance of play to a child’s development. Play is how children learn, hone their relationship-building abilities, develop social skills, and bond with others—especially their loving parents. Try one or two the activities on this page with your child. Remember that there is no right or wrong way to play with your child—all play  

Rounded Rectangle: Can You Hear Me Now? From the time your child wakes up in the morning to the time she goes to bed at night, sounds surround her: music, children at play, traffic, birds, TV, clocks, and more! The ability to focus on one sound and distinguish it from background noise is different than simply hearing—that’s why listening is truly a learned skill. You can help your child develop the awareness needed for active listening when you stop and listen to the nuances of sound. Developing good listening skills is vital to helping your little one learn to follow directions, to read, and to play an instrument. Kindermusik Activities Your Baby: Sit comfortably and hold your baby on your knees so that you’re facing each other. Imitate her sounds. Allow for long pauses, letting her notice that you’re really listening. Your Toddler: When you hear an interesting, easily repeated sound, such as a doorbell, a knock, or footsteps, ask your toddler “What’s that sound?” Imitate the sound yourself and then ask if she can make the sound too. Your Preschooler: Play “I hear” the audio version of “I Spy”. Start by saying “I hear with my little ear something in the kitchen.” Your child then has to ask questions about the sound and try to identify it. Then switch roles. Or play: “If you can hear me” game. Say “If you can hear me hop on one foot.” Let your voice get softer

Rounded Rectangle: Body and Mind The area of the brain that deals with cognitive thought is activated through movement and can literally turn your child’s mind “on”. For example, when you whirl in one direction, followed by whirling in the opposite direction, your baby’s neural pathways actually develop due to the experience, stimulation, and interaction. Kindermusik Activities Your Baby: Put on a favorite piece of music and pick up your baby. While holding him, place one foot in front of the other and rock from front to back, balancing most of your weight on one leg at a time. Swoop and swirl and swing your baby high and low in response to music. Your Toddler: The world of a toddler is a very physical place, and your child will learn a new word more easily when you say the word and perform the action, such as saying the word JUMP while you jump, SWOOP while swooping, etc. Your Preschooler: Encourage your preschooler's creativity with music when you play a song and ask him to dance a different way to each verse and chorus.

Rounded Rectangle: Naturally Speaking The more you expose your baby to language, the stronger his verbal skills will be. Language acquisition is a gradual process that involves many facets of development including listening, imitating facial expressions, playing peek-a-boo, and babbling. Your child will learn language naturally by hearing it used in context, when you sing, read, talk, and listen to him. Kindermusik Activities Your Baby: At 2 months he coos and babbles. In his first year, he’ll begin making vowel-consonant combinations. Repeat all of baby’s sounds back to him. Your Toddler: In a verbal growth spurt, your toddler’s vocabulary expands from about 50 to 200 words. He learns a word more easily when you label it with movements. When your toddler displays emotion, label that as well “You’re happy!” or “I can see that you’re sad.” You’ll enhance his emotional intelligence as well as his vocabulary. Your Preschooler: Playing rhyming games is a fun way for a preschooler who is developing phonetic awareness—the recognition that

Rounded Rectangle: Good Taste in Books Literacy begins early, with nothing more than simply spending time with a book. Even is your baby puts the book in her mouth while you read, she absorbs the sounds of your words, the action of you turning the page, and the pleasure that you derive from reading. The first time your little one points to a picture in a book, she’s understanding the concepts of symbols—the idea that the words and pictures represent objects and ideas. A child’s motivation to learn about and use symbols grows as she realizes that this is how she can make her needs and thoughts known to others. When it comes to choosing books, recent research shows that children who have exposed to nursery rhymes and lyrical stories in their younger years become better readers and are more successful in school. Kindermusik Activities Your Baby: Spend time with an open book and your baby. Point to the pictures and talk about what you see. Even if your child doesn’t understand a single words, she’ll absorb your love of books and reading. Your Toddler: Now your child can start adding sound effects when you read together. Choose stories with animas so your toddler can imitate their sounds and movements. Your Preschooler: Your little one is now ready and able to make up her own stories. She can also use a favorite story as the basis for her own pretend play. Help your preschooler make he own book using

Rounded Rectangle: Give the Music a Hand Research shows that listening and playing along with music is one of the few activities that fully engages all hemispheres of your child’s brain. Add the fine motor coordination it takes to hold an instrument and tap in time with the music, and your little one is working on the hand-eye coordination and finger strength that’s necessary to hold a pencil and tie a shoe, use scissors, and later to dribble a basketball. Kindermusik Activities Your Baby: Gently tap the steady beat on your baby’s hand, foot, or knee with an instrument. Your Toddler: Invite your child to use the instrument to tap on his toes or on your knees. Your Preschooler: Preschoolers and older kids can march around the house in a musical parade!

 

Rounded Rectangle: Quiet Time In our busy lives, it’s vital to find time to simply do nothing. This down time is physically necessary for your child’s brain to process the learning that occurs during structured activities and interactions. Plus, helping your baby learn to relax will serve him well as he encounters the inevitable stresses of his world. Kindermusik Activities Your Baby: Bring your baby into your lap and simply enjoy being together. If he’s fussy, rub his belly, or gently squeeze his arms and legs in “milking” motion. Your Toddler: Turn down the lights and play soft music, sit or lay down, and breathe deeply. Allow your child to simply wander if he’s not ready to sit still. He’ll learn to relax by observing you. Your Preschooler: The urge to stay awake and learn is strong in preschoolers and they often need help calming down. Play quiet games: Who can whisper the softest? Can you float like a feather or a cloud? Lay together on the floor listening to quiet music and enjoy the rhythm