Imagine it!

“Learning to imagine [is the] first step in stretching the human potential.” (Karen Miller, Ages and Stages, p. 65)  The ability to pretend and imagine usually starts at around 18 months.  From there, the developmental progression of pretend play generally moves from using one object to represent something else, to dressing up and/or pretending to be something else, to role-playing and interacting while in that role.  Kindermusik classes help provide the kinds of experiences that provide the opportunity for imagination to blossom, but you will probably notice that your child engages most readily – and sometimes most humorously! – at home where your child is the most comfortable.

IDEA: Simple toys like blocks and stuffed animals, dress-up clothes from the thrift store, and even empty containers or cardboard tubes can inspire hours of pretend play.  Organize these items into containers that are easily accessible to your child.

from Minds on Music

MARCH, 2, 3, 4 AND MARCH . . .

In all Kindermusik classes, there is always emphasis on hearing, feeling, moving, and even “seeing” a steady beat. It may seem very elementary, but it is essentially the cornerstone of music.

More importantly, steady beat plays a huge importance in our speech, movement, thoughts and verbal organization. From a baby’s first hesitant steps, he slowly finds his pace and soon starts to walk steadily and confidently. Our preschoolers who have a strong sense of beat would be able to use the scissors more skillfully. Ever watch a basketball game? The steady dribble of the ball before it is tossed into the basket require an acute sense of beat and timing. A master chef needs to have a command of steady beat in his knife skills. Even writers rely on a sense of steady beat and rhythm in their prose to produce a good read.

Because it is such a fundamental element, parents and teachers often do not give sufficient attention to the development of this very important underlying skill – a strong sense of beat. The consequence of insufficient steady beat experiences in early years can result in poor physical coordination, halting speech (in some cases, stuttering), and even weakness in thought flow. Would you have imagined that something so apparently a strictly musical characteristic can have such bearing on so many areas of our functioning?!

You could invite your whole family to march around your living room or throughout the house. The leader may want to proudly carry a “baton” (even a wooden spoon is great!). If you march to Radetsky's march, notice the volume changes, and encourage your leader to adjust his movements to reflect the different sound levels (Wiggles and Giggles home activity book - online). Have fun taking turns with leaders or providing different instruments for the "band" to play as you march!

Got a rock in my pocket...

In class we pretended to find many different kinds of nature treasures, rocks, feathers, bark and acorns as we sang In My Pocket. This pretend play activity begins with a familiar activity-finding something. Each time the song is sung, the words are changes to reflect the pretend findings of the children. In this social setting of pretend play the children’s interactions are heightened through actions and language. 

Imitation is the first stage of pretend play. As a child imitates activities that may be common life experiences, pretend play starts to emerge. Watch your child as they play. Do they put their stuffed animals in time out for hitting? Do they remind them to say please and thank you. You may find them recreating a recent interaction you had with them, positive or negative. Pretending about and recreating a real life experience helps them to process and learn from real life. 

When two or more children are engaged in pretend play the social interaction is usually characterized by a heightened use of action and language. tHe play activity can become more complex as children reexamine life experiences and add to or change the play experience.