Mac's Kindermusik Class

One of my favorite things that Mac and I do together is Kindermusik class every week.  Class is during my lunch break on Wednesdays and it's such a nice way to spend an hour in the middle of the week snuggling, singing and dancing with my little guy.  Mac started taking Kindermusik classes last fall when he was four months old.  He was the littlest kid in the class and could barely stay awake the entire class.  By the end of the year though, he was a walking, talking, singing, dancing machine.  He went from bald and floppy to blonde and feisty.  It was so amazing to watch all the babies over the course of 9 months grow into fun, opinionated, silly kids.  We just started our second year of class, with many of the same kids/parents as last year, which is so much fun. The Village class we've been taking is perfect for the littlest kids (newborn to 18 months)- there's lots of easy hands-on instruments (drums and shakers), tons of cuddle/physical contact time, singing, dancing, bouncing, swaying with plenty of opportunity for the kids to explore and interact with the other children.  We really lucked out and got an amazing teacher (hi Miss Jeanne!) and a class filled with the nicest parents.  All the kids get along really well and it's been such a blast getting to know them and their little ones.  

We always start class off with the same "Welcome Song" and say hi to each child individually by their name.   The kids love this part because it always feels familiar and they get to hear their own name being sung by the group.  

 Then we move on to instruments and songs. Each semester is divided into 2 mini-sessions and each session has a theme.  Right now our theme is "Feathers" so all the songs are about birds or flying.  Some of the other themes were transportation, nursery rhymes, bedtime and rhythms.  

The egg shakers are always a big hit with the kids.  

However, Mac loves the containers just as much as the instruments. 

 

He loves dumping them all out, putting them away and wearing them as a hat. 

He's definitely the class clown.

We have a phenomenal teacher that loves what she does and loves the kids.  

One of my favorite things about class is the parent/kid "together time."  I love that the class encourages so much physical affection and eye contact between the parents and the kids.  

The "together time" is especially wonderful for me, who gets to spend some time with my little guy in the middle of my work day getting hugs and kisses.  As a full-time working mom, by Wednesday I'm missing Mac so much already that it's hard to leave the house in the morning.  So, this is mid-week session such a treat for me.  Well, that assumes my kid wants to hang out with me -- sometimes he just wants to run around like a wild animal.  And that's ok too.  

The singing and dancing is always a big hit too.  Mac loves getting spun around and lifted up to the music.  The bigger Mac gets, the more this class is like a workout.  

Is there anything better than babies dancing?

We usually do a fun activity or new instrument each week, just to switch things up a bit.  This class we had plastic toys that connected with a "pop" and spoons and bowls to use as drums.  

Towards the end of class, there's always a quiet story time.

Although not everyone can sit still long enough to look at books...

Or they just want to eat them.

Our last activity of the class was to play with the scarves.  Mac's never really been interested in these until today.  He's discovered he can wear them on his head, which is hilarious to him (and us).  

He wasn't the only one loving the scarves this day.

Then we end the class with a "Goodbye Song" and say goodbye to each kid individually.  

Until next time...

(Is she not the cutest?)

Has anyone else taken their baby to a music class? 

What types of kid-friendly classes are your favorites?