This post comes courtesy of my dear friend and old neighbor Charlotte Barnes! She led a music and movement class when we both lived in married student housing at BYU. It was the happening place! I even went and I didn’t have any kids at the time, because it was so magical! I asked her to share her wisdom for any of you toddler moms who are looking for a music experience for your children and need a starting point. ~Bethany

Seven years ago I moved to a new town and was invited by a friend to a music and movement class. I had no idea what to expect. I felt so silly the first few weeks singing and dancing in a circle with a bunch of strangers and their kids, but after a while, I grew to love it. I had so much fun with my one year old son singing songs, shaking shakers, and dancing around the room.

When we moved away, I missed that class and couldn’t find a replacement. (Or at least an affordable one.) So I started my own! I’ve lead music and movement classes on and off for six years now, and I’ve learned a lot that I am excited to share with you.

I hope you have the courage to start a class with the mothers you know. Even if your class is small and simple, you and your children, and other mothers and their children will benefit greatly from all aspects of the class: the music, the singing, the cuddling, and the interaction with others. It will be a highlight of everyone’s week, I guarantee it!

#1 Gather Music

Don’t think you have to wait to begin teaching until you have a ton of music; rather, start your class with what you know and love. My first few classes were just the same ten songs repeated. Basic songs like Twinkle, Twinkle and Row Your Boat are songs that everyone knows and will have fun singing! It is fun to take well-known music and substitute your own words. (“Twinkle, Twinkle” easily becomes “Shaking, Shaking little egg, on my head and on my leg…”)

I love doing themes each month for my classes: Things That Go, Animals, Food, Bodies, Mother Goose, Winter/Christmas, and Weather are some of the best. (But I didn’t do themes until a few years into teaching…when I had enough material to spread it out like that.)

My formula for music class lay-out is this:

1. Begin with the same welcome song each class
2. Do a few lap rhymes with no music
3. Steadily increase energy level of songs for about ten songs (calm to crazy)
4. Play and sing with the parachute
5. Blow bubbles with a calm song playing
6. Sing the same Goodbye song each class

Music Ideas: I get my ideas for music from library story times I attend, from surfing around iTunes under children’s music, from various YouTube channels (Jbrary is my favorite), and from my own creative sparks. Two great albums to begin with are Songs for Wiggleworms by Old Town School of Folk Music, and Wiggleworms Love You by Various Artists 2005

#2 Gather Props

I chuckle when I look back at the first classes I hosted while I was poor and in grad school. I had homemade shakers, popsicle sticks with discounted ribbons glued on them, and tiny bells looped on pipe cleaners. That’s it! Over the years I have built up a great collection of instruments and props. I recommend you start with the essentials, and expand from there over time. Here is the list:

The Essential Instruments and Props

Shakers from Lakeshore Learning Center

Scarves from Lakeshore Learning Center 

Bells from Lakeshore Learning Center

Rhythm Sticks – I have a set of long blue sticks. I have seen shorter, fatter plain wooden ones, and those are great (and safe), too. A teacher I know passes out sticks and makes everyone chant, “Always, always sit with sticks” and if a kid stands up with sticks, the parents are instructed to take the sticks from them for safety. 

Parachute – The one I have isn’t made anymore, but this looks like a good alternative. 12 ft is a great size for a group of 5-10 moms. Have some things on hand to bounce up and down on the parachute with a song – a monkey, plastic food, cotton balls, etc. I always bounce something or act something out first while the kids help hold the parachute, then I have the moms hold the parachute while the kids go underneath.  

Bubbles – the best ones are from Gymboree. The blower device makes tons of bubbles at one time, and the solution makes the bubbles last a long time. We find bubbles around the room long after class has ended. The kit with the wand/tray/solution is not available on Gymboree’s website. On Amazon it is very expensive. The only way to get it, it seems currently, is at Gymboree clothing stores or their Play&Music locations. If you can’t get a hold of them, then any bubbles will do! 

Here are some other fun props to expand your collection

Pom Poms – I bought mine from a party supply store

Bell Ribbons – Lakeshore Learning Center 

Finger Puppets – IKEA often has some fun varieties, but my barnyard ones are from this website. (The IKEA ones are problematic when you are trying to come up with sounds for rabbits and turtles.) 

Bean Bags – I made these by sewing little fabric pouches and filling them with beans.

Sun/Star Sticks – I made these with two orange and yellow felt circles, a silver star on the back, glued to a popsicle stick.

Tambourines – I have a set of these LMI tamborines from Amazon

#3 Pick Location and Times

This is totally up to you according to your situation and your location. When I lived in young student-family housing at a university, all the young mothers were thrilled for a weekly get-together in the common room. But when I moved away and hosted mothers with older kids and busier lives, a class every other week at my house was the winning combination.

To maximize attendance, try to find a window that kids aren’t napping. Late mornings around 10am have been the best – it is a great time between all the sleeping and eating that toddlers do.

For my classes, the mothers stay for an hour—a little chit chat at the beginning, then 45 minutes of music, and more chit-chat and playing at the end. I have found that the more the mothers get to know each other, the more comfortable they are to sing and dance and have fun together. (If you are doing name tags for the kids, make sure mothers have name tags, too!)

#4 Tell Friends

Don’t be shy! Invite everyone you know and tell them to invite everyone they know. Invite mothers you meet at the park. Invite neighbors. Parents you know from older kids’ schools. Tell old ladies whose grandchildren live nearby. The more the merrier!

I hold classes with kids ages newborn to five. A baby is never too young to start! It has been so fun to watch newborns who sleep through class grow into babies who dance and smile through class.

#5 Get Energized and Be Creative

These classes require a ton of energy. The more energized and excited I am, the more energized the kids are. You must be singing and dancing up a sweat, or the kids won’t budge! Wear comfy clothes as you teach—it is a workout.

There are countless ways to be creative with the movements you use. Here are some examples:

Ways to use a shaker: high, low, in a circle, on your head, behind your back, tap the floor, fast, slow, out, in, balance on shoe, clap together, toss and catch, hold them carefully like eggs, etc.

Ways to use a scarf: peek-a-boo, crumple in ball and throw in air, wave high/low/fast/slow, circle around the head, blow it, fold it on the floor, pretend it is a snake, use it like a cleaning rag, twirl with it, make a circle and walk in and out while waving it, put a bunch in a pot and stir it like soup, etc.

Ways to use your body: jump, hop, spin, turn, bend knees, gallop, skip, tip-toe, stomp, airplane wings, imitate any animal, be tall, be small, wiggle, cry, leap, shake, rock, tip back, fall over, etc.  

Always be watching for movements that the kids are doing and incorporate their good movements into the dance.

Lastly

Best wishes with your class! Begin small and you’ll get addicted. You won’t be able to stop thinking about what to add to your next class. Every song you hear and every poem you read becomes possible material. It’s so exciting seeing the kids light up and the moms have fun because of something YOU put together.

 

~Charlotte Clark Barnes~

Charlotte is a happy wife and mother. Charlotte also has a passion for family history and is currently working on publishing a book about ways to creatively teach family history to children. She loves music, teaching and children (and chocolate)! She prides herself in an ability to make strangers feel welcome and to help children open up to music.