Boogie Woogie Babies!

This week we put the results of our Percussion Factory event together with bubbles, music, and a parachute for some Boogie Woogie Fun. Event description follows:

(You are welcome to use this event/description for your own group with credit given; links back to our blog are appreciated!)

Boogie Woogie Babies

We'll play some jammin' tunes, the kids can play the instruments we made during our Percussion Factory, and we can have some bubble and parachute fun, too!

What better way to pass some time than in stimulating all five of the kids' senses- they can SEE the bright colors on the parachute, FEEL the beat, HEAR the music, and- well, they're little kids- they TASTE and SMELL anything they want!

We all know that early exposure to music is fun and also (somehow) helps our kids learn a host of other things like math, and this interactive music time will also help them build social skills as they share their positive reactions with other moms and kids!

Again, some results. All of the kids participating normally like recorded music, but once they were all together, they only cared about the music if we (the moms) sang along, so pick a CD of singalong songs that are likely to be very familiar to all the moms in the group. Also, they had a fairly short attention span for any one activity, so it's probably best to dance and Shake It for a song or two, then do the parachute for a song or two, go back to Shakin' it, and then follow up with bubble fun.

Parachute Fun My parachute came from Oriental Trading Company and was around $10 plus shipping- they have a variety of sizes and price ranges. ( You can find Parachute Game instructions here, although smaller children mostly like to play with the fabric and sit under the waving parachute.) Bubble Fun I got my Gymboree Bubble Oodles via Amazon.com as part of this box set, which says it is for ages 3+, but contains many activities appropriate for babies and toddlers, too. (At right.) The bubble solution is non toxic, and can be used indoors without staining upholstery or other fabrics. Plus, it makes hundreds of small bubbles that the kids really love.

In summary, for best results with this activity:

1. Don't overcrowd your space. Be sure there's enough room for everyone to move and groove.
2. Choose familiar songs and let the kids see the parents engage with the music to hold their interest.
3. provide plenty of percussion toys so the kids can shake, rattle, and roll, and
   
4. keep activities short and varied so the kids don't become bored.