Flowers, Dewdrops, and Gardens Resources

The theme for the Kindermusik Village –  Dewdrop Semester, all about flowers and gardens.

My favorite poem that fits right into the theme is the following.  Below the verse, there is a list of more resources on the subject.

The Flowers    by Robert Louis Stevenson

From “A Child’s Garden of Verse”  It can be found as a Little Golden Book.

• All the names I know from nurse:
• Gardener’s garters, Shepherd’s purse,
• Bachelor’s buttons, Lady’s smock,
• and the Lady Hollyhock.
•  
• Fairy places, fairy things,
• Fairy woods where the wild bee wings,
• Tiny trees for tiny dames –
• These must all be fairy names !
• Tiny woods below whose boughs
• Shady fairies weave a house;
• Tiny treetops, rose or thyme,
• Where the braver fairies climb !
•  
• Fair are grown-up people’s trees,
• But the fairest woods are these;
• Where, if I were not so tall,
• I should live for good and all.

 

Favorite Books on the theme of Flowers and Gardens:

 The Carrot Seed, by Ruth Krauss, illustrations by Crockett Johnson, Harper & Row Publishers, 1945       This is the author of Harold and the Purple Crayon.   This is just as wonderful of a story about a young boy taking care of his plants, even though everyone is telling him it WON’T work.  His patience and persistence pay off with a HUGE carrot. 

 

TLC, Grow With Me!  by Lissa Rovetch, ill. by Chum McLeod  – A Do-Re-Me & You Publication  A young girl gets a present from a neighbor, a surprise in a pot of dirt.  She gets hints along the way to learn how to make the surprise appear.  Excellent for children just learning the art of gardening.  Since it is DRMY, of course it comes with a CD of fun songs for gardening.  You may find it on a good sale at www.shopkindermusik.com .

 

Dandelion,  by Don Freeman,       Scholastic, 1964         (Excellent author)    A Lion decides to dress up fancy for a party, but everyone is glad when he gets back to being himself.       

Chrysanthemum, by Kevin Henkes,     GreenWillow Books, 1991  

A young mouse girl is lovingly named by her parents, but once she starts school, she’s not so sure how much she likes her name. 

I absolutely love the extended vocabulary that Dad uses in this book. For 3 and up.

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Inch by Inch, The Garden Song,  by David Mallet and Ora Eiten;  Trophy Picture Books, 1997.  This song is a classic song from the 60’s days of love and peace, and becoming more self-reliant.  The illustrations are simply, yet poignant, and you’ve got to love the biggest beet in the world that is harvested.  I love reading AND singing this to my daughter.   This one is actually very good for even young readers, and they will love you to sing the song – the melody is written on the back pages.

A recorded version is on Mary Miche’s Earthy Tunes album (see below).

Blog Postings on the subject for your enjoyment:

• Dewdrops  (NEW) – Beautiful pictures of dewdrops and rich musical sounds – video format
• Mary Miche’ – Earthy Tunes & Songs for Teaching website – cool gardening songs, including “Inch by Inch”, “Dirt You Made My Lunch”, and so many more.

 

• Musical Flowers and Trees (NEW) – 1932 Disney videos of flowers, trees, and babies

         

 

Kindermusik Programs with themes of travel & vehicles

Travel themed Kindermusik Programs

      

Check with your local educator on the availabilities of these classes.

       In Polk Co. Florida, see my website,  http://musiconnx.kindermusik.net 

                                         If not, look on www.kindermusik.com , to locate an educator near you.  

                                       

Village (up to 18 m) – Zoom-E-Oh !   An 8 week semester full of fun times for babies and their parents to explore ways to Go! -  Buggy rides, stroller rides, rockets, horses, etc. specifically designed for the younger set.  Home materials include Zoom-E-Oh book, CD, Baby’s Home Journal, posters to match the book, and a carrying bag. 

Our Time (1 ½ to 3 yrs.) – Away We Go !     (Spring 2008)A 15 week semester full of fun times for toddlers and their parents to explore ways to Go! -  Focus on trains, cars, planes, boats, any way you want to go – lots of fun songs and good music for travel, and home.  Home materials include 2 CDs, 2 children’s literature books, a Home Activity Book, a set of 2 harmonicas, and Shiny Dinah Train box. 

Imagine That ! (3 – 5 yrs.) – Toys I Make, Trips I Take !    (offered Spring 2008)The initial focus of this 15 week semester is the Toymakers shop, in which we help the toymaker build the toys, and we get to be the toys.  But as we explore the train and boat, we get to take imaginary trips, determining where we will go and how to get there by designing maps, etc.  Lots of fun.  Home materials include two CDs, two children’s literature books, a Home Activity Book, a Toymakers shop play set, and a nice drum! 

Summer Adventure Camp (3 – 5 yrs.) – On the Road !   An 5 day semester full of fun times for preschoolers to explore ways to Go! -  The book is called GO Van GO!, and it tells the story of a family, with a dog, who all want to go someplace different.  They pack their bags accordingly, and get to each one of their 4 stops (which we explore in detail during those 5 days).  We get to “go” to a cottage by a lake, to a fair, to the beach, and, of course, camping,  Includes book, CD, poster, and a cool wooden frog guiro instrument.  Plus there is a craft every day of class. 

Summer Adventure Camp (1 ½  - 3 yrs.) – Zoo Train !   During this 5 day semester we get to ride the train around the zoo to discover and “be” the animals we see.  The book features the train on every page, and we sing the train song every day,  Includes book, CD, poster, and an animal shaped shaker.  Plus there is a craft every day of class.  It’s Cora’s favorite CD !

Accessible Music Fun at Home

Here’s a fun idea you can do without buying anything!

Try setting up a MUSICAL FUN BOX !

Children love to explore musical toys, etc. and they love the fascination of exploring new objects – or at least something they haven’t played within the last two weeks. 

Find, and possibly decorate, an appropriate container: 

• a mid-sized cardboard box will do – easy to decorate
• a clear plastic box with a lid  (being able to see inside often entices them)
• A picnic basket that you don’t use (this is one of my favorites, I filled it full of kitchen tools and small cookware that I found or got at Walmart)
• A netted holder that hangs off the back of a car sear for some fun music play in the car (I don’t recommend LOUD sounds for this set).

Fill with fun music based toys / props:

• Instruments appropriate for the child (rattles, wood blocks, shakers, etc.
• Homemade instruments, such as several childproof medicine bottles with each one filled with a different shaker material, ie.  rice, beans, paper clips, acorns, etc.
• Kitchen supplies:  small baking pans, cooking utensils – wooden & metal, small cutting board, plastic containers, etc.
• Toys that make sounds: squeakers, scrapers, etc.
• Some kind of drum – even if it’s just an empty coffee or peanut container.
• Books that make noise, or play music, or have words that you can sing
• A ball that makes a sound
• Props that would be fun to dance, or peek, with, like scarves or dishtowels
• Objects that “connect” with familiar songs, ie. bus, spider, star, moon, etc.  This way they can choose a song for you to sing, even before they can talk.
• Color pictures of the front cover of recorded music you may have, perhaps even stapled together as a book, or strung by one corner on a string.  This way they more fully see the options available, and request that you play certain music (without the ability to get to the CD or tape).  You might want to make one for home, and one for music that you keep in the car.

Guidelines for most effective use:

• Place in an obvious place, where they can easily see it and reach it.
• Keep only a few items in at a time, considering the age of the child(ren).  It is easier for children to choose an item if there are less choices, and they are more likely to fully explore an item longer.  Plus, there is less for you to pick up when they dump it out.
• Change out the objects regularly, around every two weeks.  When presented with “new” objects, children’s brains produce chemicals that help them build neural networks.  As they continue to play with them over time, it strengthens these networks, and helps make connections to other things they know. 
• This type of learning is enhanced if a significant adult or sibling partner plays with them and strives to help them expand on their own learning.  Link over to my other BLOG and find postings in the category “scaffolding”.
• Consider making a set of 3-4 containers, each with a specific set of musical items, to make it easy to trade out.  For example, a picnic basket with kitchen items, a decorated cardboard box with homemade instruments, a clear box with a variety of things to play and explore, and a basket with a variety of things that encourage them to sing.
• A fun music set in the car, or a small set in the diaper bag may help many “waiting” times become more fun learning and bonding times.

You will be amazed at how enticing this set up will be, and how much your children will learn about timbre, steady beat, correlations between ideas and objects, etc. with just a little bit of set up, and not much cost, for these easily accessible music exploration kits.

My Favorite Ocean Creatures Books

For my families in my Kindermusik – Creatures at the Ocean semester – and anyone else who loves the beach and all it’s sea life as much as I do, I heartily recommend each one of these books.  I do hope you enjoy them.  If you haven’t had a chance to participate in the Creatures at the Ocean semester, I HIGHLY recommend finding a Kindermusik educator near you to see if they are planning one this summer!

·         If You’re Happy – A Tiny Play-A-Song book;  ill. by Mark Frueh, Publications International, Ltd. 1996.         ·         This is the cutest book about the sea creatures version of this song.  With the picture of the dolphins, the verse reads, “If you’re silly and you know it, flip your fins”.  The melody at the touch of a button plays really fast, too fast for children to sing along with, or enjoy the type of movement that it can instigate, so I just took the battery out so we could really enjoy the words and play.  Not on Amazon.

·         Who’s At Home?  In Sea Star Ocean, Illustrated by Elizabeth Gatt.  A Little Look Around book by Reader’s Digest Children’s Books, 1994.  I found it at Barnes and Noble.  This is a perfect little book for the youngest of readers.  They can turn to any page and find out about a different sea creature.

Well illustrated with about 10 different sea creatures getting their own page and brief specific information about them that children can really relate to.  This is a great introductory book, and is a wonderful lead to all kinds of movements and sounds!  Amazon has a copy, but there must be a pricing error!

·         Seashells by the Seashore, by Marianne Berkes,  (I got it at the Florida Aquarium)

·        

OOOOooo !  My newest addition is probably for age 3 and up, but it is like taking a walk on the beach, finding a beautiful shell (named and described in rhyme) on each page.  It includes a laminated guide to shells on the last page.  The words are even as soothing as a walk along the beach.

 

 

 

·         1, 2, 3, Octopus & Me                              Do-Re-Me & You     through Discovery Toys

The book is a beautifully illustrated counting book, using sea creatures creatively making music and dancing.  The CD is wonderfully fun and full of songs about the ocean, including The Octopus’s Garden (Beatles), and many Carribean folk songs.                       

·         Glow in the Dark:  Under the Sea, written by Jean Lewis,  Golden Book, 1991

·        

             In addition to the unique feature of having the illustration outlines glow in the dark, this book itself has a wonderful story about two children that visit the underwater lab of their Aunt and Uncle.  The full color illustrations, labels, and factual information make for well loved, and repeatedly read book for my children.  Their other favorite in this series is “Trip to the Planets”.  Amazon boasts several copies, many as low as one cent.

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·         High Tide, a Textured Soft Shapes book by Kate Davis,  2001, by Innovative KIDS

·         The youngest ones love taking out the large shaped foam ocean creatures from the puzzle pages of this book. And there is only 4 pages with some fun “Who am I?” type rhymes.  The pages are made with a wavy texture to the foam, and each pull out creatures has a unique texture to it’s foam as well.

 

 

 

 

·         Big Little Otter, by Lillian Hoban, HarperFestival, 1997

·         This beautifully illustrated book brings a simple introduction to some of my favorite creatures to watch at the aquarium or zoo.  But even more appealing to my children is the way the text brings home the familiar theme of young ones wanting to be BIG.   “Look, mama, look at me. I’m a big little otter!”

 

·         Where the Sharks Are, by Duncan Maxfield, 

·         I can’t say I’m a big fan of Rugrats, who are the main characters in this book, or any TV themed franchise, and the related books, etc.  But this book was given to us by some friends, and upon reading it, it is a wonderful young child perspective of a trip to the aquarium.  Kids just think some of the darndest things.  

The Big Big Sea   by Martin Waddell; ill. by Jennifer Eachus;  Candlewick Press, 1994

“Mama said, “Let’s go!” So we went…”  out in the night to the big, big sea.  Oh, I wish I could express the calm feelings, and the family togetherness that the illustrations and the words to this story instill in both parent and child during a reading of this book.  This book is a wonderful way to end an evening, whether you are near the beach, or not.

Sand Cakes – A Frank Asch Bear Story;  Parents’ Magazine Press, 1978

I LOVE Frank Asch books !!!  So simply illustrated, such clever stories, and I love how smart the little bear is, yet totally displays the characteristics of how a child thinks.  In this book, the bear family goes to the beach.  Little bear wants to make a sand cake for his dad, AND have him EAT it.  Well, both dad and little bear have a very creative way of doing just that!  I can’t find a picture, but it is available from Amazon for as low as $2.00.  I buy every Frank Asch book I find.  This one I found at a yard sale.

 

 

Tune In to this cool e-newletter from Kindermusik International

   Tune In is BACK ! 

This fun, fact filled little e-newsletter does just what I think it should.  Each newsletter typically covers one developmental / musical topic, then gives parents Great ideas on how to play with your children, in each specific age group, to bring this issue to a fun-filled fruition.  They are now offering a lot more – specials sales on clearance items they have overstocked, music, instruments, etc., as well as a few free music downloads if you do that sort of thing.  

 It’s just the kind of newsletter I would put together if I had a creative team of child and music education professionals working with me.  Oh, I do – I work with Kindermusik.  I love it!  It is similar to the Sharing Sheet inserts that come with my regular newsletter that I mail out to my customers, only better pictures and in color.  Just check it out and see for yourself!

 

You can just get onto the Kindermusik website under Parents and find Tune IN, or just click on this link to get you right there:  http://www.kindermusik.com/TuneIn/pastIssues.asp . You can see the current issue right there, OR, On the right side of the site, you can subscribe (no charge), and it is just one email a month.  And your email information is SAFE – it goes nowhere else.

Free, Fun, and packed with research based ideas for playful parenting with a purpose.  Enjoy!

Children really relate to Animals

From moving and sounding like an animal, to pretending to BE an animal, to having an animal, children LOVE animals.  They love to read about them, and they love to sing about them, and it’s been that way for centuries.  Most Mother Goose & classic nursery rhymes focus on animals (even if they’re shown to have human traits).  Because of these, there are a great many resources available. 

I actually put together a little newsletter on Fun with Animals.  Email me your name and address, and I make sure you get one.  My email:  musiconnx@att.net .

Animals on the Farm

This posting features my favorite BOOKS about Farm animals.  Please be assured, I LOVE, and have read/sung these to my children more times than I can remember.  You can find most of them at your local library, or at Amazon.com.

Resting Time Readers

*  Going to Sleep on the Farm;  Written- Wendy Cheyette Lewison, Illustrated- Juan WijngaardDial Books for Young Readers, New York. 

A boy asks his dad how each animal on a farm goes to sleep, and dad replies.  It can be sung to a simple melody you can make up.  This is truly a beautifully illustrated and peaceful  bedtime book.

  *  If You Were My Bunny – by Kate McMullan, Illustrated – David McPhail  Carwheel Books, Scholastic Inc., 1996. 

Animal parents tell their baby how much they love them through verse and adapted words to traditional lullabies.  This is a standard at our house that I’ve read and sung a million times, and still love it.

*  Emma’s Pet – by David McPhail,  Newfield Publications, Inc., 1985,  Emma explores different animals to be the kind of pet she wants.  What she finds is NOT your ordinary pet.

*  Something for James – by Shirley Isherwood & Neil Reed,  Dial Books for Young Readers, 1996  A heartwarming story about a new addition to the animal life of a young boy. 

*  I am a little duck. – by Francois Crozat;  Barron’s Educational Series,  New York            Beautiful illustrations and informative text, from the viewpoint of a baby duck.

Sing classic children’s songs along with illustrated books:

*  Five Little Ducks; by Ian Beck  Scholastic, Inc., New York *  Fiddle-I-Fee;  Adapted and illustrated by Melissa Sweet;  Scholastic, Inc., New York 

Make lots of animal noises & animal movements  with these books

*  Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?;  Written by Dr. Suess;     Published by Random House,
New York.   Make lots of animal and other sounds.  Fun to read!*  When the Rooster Crowed; Written by Patricia Lillie;  Greenwillow Books, New York

*  The Bee’s Sneeze;  by Ellis Nadler; Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 1993           Play around with animal eating noises in this playful book with a surprise ending.

*  Down by the Cool of the Pool;  by Tony Mitton; Scholastic, Inc., 2001                                Frog dances and invites all to dance with him – but they all move differently, then Ooops! 

Stories for Preschoolers

  *  Peter’s Song; Written by Carol P. Saul *  Ill. by Diane deGroat; Alladin Paperbacks, New York.  A young pig makes up a new song, and just wants to find someone to share it with. You get to sing the piggy song, AND a frog song! *  The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy;  by Jane Thayer; Ill. by Lisa McCue, Newfield Publications, 1958            A puppy searches for a pet boy for Christmas.  This is really a neat perspective!

Mother Goose

“The nursery rhyme is essentially poetical because it is essentially musical.” - Emile Leon Cammaerts (1878-1953), Belgian potet, biographer and professor 

Nursery rhymes, whether spoken or paired with tunes, are indeed musical and rhythmic.  They also tend to be short and, thus, easily repeated.  And, of course, they lend themselves naturally to be accompanied by movement and various playful games.  All this, combined with the good feelings adults tend to experience passing along rhymes and songs of their childhood, make the sharing of nursery rhymes a rich learning experience and a joyful pastime. 

The first collection of “Mother Goose” stories was produced in 1967 by Frenchman Charles Perrault and included 10 fairy tales.  His book was translated into English in 1729 as Mother Goose’s Fairy Tales.  Then, in 1787, Isaiah Thomas published the first American edition, Mother Gooses Melody, or Sonnets for the Cradle, which consisted of about 50 rhymes including favorites Little Tommy Tucker and Jack and Jill. 

Meanwhile, the origin of the figure Mother Goose is not completely clear – Perhaps she was Bertrada, mother of Charlemagne who, for her large feet, was also known as Queen Goosefoot” and was a patroness of children.  Whether or not there was a real Mother Goose, the mythical figure mere l’moye (which translates as “mother goose”) was familiar in
France by the mid 17^th century as a “fairy birdmother who told charming tales to children”.  Of the body of tales and rhymes attributed to her, some were in print in
Italy as early as 1637.

 

You are going to love the website where this information came from!  Check out http://www.mothergoose.com to find interactive games, color-cut-paste crafts, stories (fun twists on the originals) and 362 Nursery Rhymes (arranged alphabetically), as well as everything Mother Goose that you can buy at Amazon.com.  Fun, Fun, Fun! 

More fun with Mother Goose Rhymes:

• Write down, as a keepsake (on a journal page, or just on a sheet of paper), the songs or rhymes you remember that your mother shared with you.  Then write down the new ones you and your child enjoy.
• Take the above idea a step further and make a book with your family gems.  Write or print the words, add pictures of your baby and the family members with whom the rhyme is associated with.  Change the words to fit names or character traits of siblings or relatives.  Then put it together in a book she can look through.
• Take a familiar rhyme or song, then play with the words to suit one of your baby’s routines, such as bathtime, waking up, or diaper changes.
• There are rhymes or songs for almost all of the animals I can think of.  Choose one for each of the child’s stuffed animals.  If you have two bunnies, each can have their own rhyme.  Then sing or chant it whenever you play with that toy.
• Print out a few new rhymes or songs, then attach them to different places in the babies room where you can see and learn them quickly.

 

Mother Goose books I have enjoyed: 

Hey Diddle Diddle & other Mother Goose Rhymes  -          Illustrated by Tomie De Paulo, 1985, G.P. Putnam’s Sons-          Excellent illustrations for some of the favorite rhymes with ALL their verses.  WOW 

And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon-          Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel,  Scholastic, Inc.-          A wonderful story of what happens when dish and spoon don’t come back, and the rest of the characters have to wander through the land of rhymes to find them. 

A Year of Fun – Just for Babies, Just for Ones,  Just for Twos, etc. up to 5 years old.-          by Jean Warren and Theodosia Sideropoulos Spewock, Totline Books-          Fun seasonal activities, songs, poems, and fingerplays – plus practical advice for parents.  Presented in a monthly format perfect for hanging up to reference easily. 

Nursery Songs and Lap Games – A collection of rhymes featuring the artwork of the masters-          Compiled by Pamela Kennedy and Joan Covell,  1990,  Ideals Children’s Books-          A beautiful book with fabulous paintings of children by Renoir, Picasso, etc. 

Hey Diddle Diddle – My First Book of Nursery Rhymes-          Illustrated by Maryann Cocca-Leffler-          An excellent card book as a hands-on introduction.  You may not get this one, but there are many such books out there, and are a staple of any child’s collection. 

Little Mother Goose House-          Variety of illustrators,  Publications International, Ltd. 1996A boxed set of little books just the right size.  Each contains about 10 basic rhymes based on a specific theme, ie. Counting, riddles, bedtime, farm fun, colors, etc.

Animal Play with Kindermusik and Do-Re-Me & You!

Since the Spring semester’s theme for the Our Time – Fiddle Dee Dee is all about animals, I thought you might enjoy some rollicking resources for animal fun.  This posting will cover Do-Re-Me & You! sets that include a wide variety of animals.  The next posting will include other songs, books, and resources about animals that my family just loves.  See further postings for resources on specific animals.

This is just a list and my thoughts, for more full descriptions and pictures of each set, see www.discoverytoys.com.  If you email broughjoy@yahoo.com , she can provide further information on the Do-Re-Me & You sets now available through Discovery Toys.

  Ten in the Bed  book and CD set, which includes each of the ten animals involved in the classic rhyme.  Little ones will enjoy singing “Roll Over” and counting down with these animals, as well hearing their snippets of conversations in the process.  The whole CD is full of number and counting oriented songs – many of them including animals – lots of fun!  Sorry, puppets are not available with this set at the moment.

  Awesome Animals ABC ($19.95) is a cool book and CD set that features unique animals that you don’t usually see in alphabet books (“O” is for Okapi).  A fun feature of the book is that it is narrated by Ferdinand the Flea, who, of course, KNOWs animals well, and is hip with humor, and interesting facts.  The songs on the CD are a fun foray into the alphabet and animals from all around the world.

Tub Tunes ($19.95) CD includes a lot of songs about animals you will find around the water, ducks, frogs, fish… oh, and the coolest version of the “Itsy Bitsy Spider” that you will ever hear!

Put Your Left Paw In!  A Jungle Hokey-Pokey  – WOW!  Get up and DANCE with the animals with this CD.  You will love the island feel of the music on this CD, it has the coolest carribean arrangements for familiar and new songs about jungle animals.  Hands down, this is one of my families’ favorites.  The book is fabulous are too!  It is not available with the puzzles at this time.

  Frog Went a-Dancing  is a wonderful set, and perfect for traveling.  The music’s steady beats have wonderfully rich arrangements that are upbeat while still have a calming effect – really nice for car rides.  The wooden lily pad castanet helps keep a cool beat.  There are wonderful songs about each animal in the book, and when you are reading at home, it can elicit a lot of fun animal movements.   The plush frog backpack is not available at this time.

A Year of Fun… Series

Totline Books offers a great series of easy to use idea booklets for parenting young children.  Authored by Theodosia Sideropoulos Spewok (I am not kidding), these booklets offer information and fun ideas for developmental activities based on the age of the child.  Their tag line: Fun seasonal activities, songs, poems, and fingerplays – plus practical advice for parents.

The illustrations by Susan Dahlman really draw your eyes and attention the heart of the activities, and the format is fantastic !  Instead of a book that sits on your shelf, these booklets are designed to hang up on the wall like a calendar, turn a page each month and get inspired to do just the few things on those pages that month.

A Year of Fun… Just for Twos;  Threes;  Fours; and Fives

Each of these booklets are set up by month, from Jan to Dec., and showcase activities that reflect the season and are developmentally appropriate for the corresponding age group.  These are EASY ideas, using items from home in new and different ways to help children learn through their play.

A Year of Fun… Just for Ones’s

This booklet is also set up by month, Jan. – Dec., but the top half focuses on the children from 12 – 18 months, while the bottom half of the page focuses on those 18 – 24 months.  I LOVE the way this divides up these really different developmental stages and gives such practical advice for parenting these ages.

A Year of Fun… Just for Babies

This Booklet meets the needs of the child by organizing the book according to the actual age of the child, from newborn to 11 months old, then gives you a synopsis in the back of “Typical Developmental Behavior of Babies” according to age in months – ALL on ONE page!