Bona Vista's Child Care Solutions

As budgets tighten it can become difficult to find fun, unique kid friendly activities for the family to enjoy. Child Care Solutions has partnered with Carey Services and Indiana Wesleyan to bring an incredible community event to Marion: a FREE community concert. This incredible sing-a-long event will be held at the Old College Church on Indiana Wesleyan University Campus, October 16 7:00.
Julie Austin is an award-winning singer/songwriter and early childhood specialist. Who will bring a unique blend of storytelling, sign language, and music to this lively and engaging program. She not only sings songs in a variety of styles—folk, swing, bluegrass—she also accompanies herself on guitar, autoharp and jaw harp. Interactive stories, sign-mime, and singable songs, add up to a toe-tapping, hand-clapping, and finger-snapping good time! Julie's five outstanding children's recordings have won national awards including a Parent's Choice Award for her most recent CD, "Fandagumbo!"
So bring the whole family to this incredible FREE event! For more information please contact Child Care solutions at 1-800-493-3231.

Toot Toot Tuesday!

Early Childhood Music Experiences

Little Boy Blue come blow your horn,
The sheep’s in the meadow, the cow’s in the corn
Where is the boy who looks after the sheep?
He’s under the haystack fast asleep

Will you wake him? Oh no not I.
For if I do, he’ll surely cry.

Does your child love music? Singing and dancing and playing instruments? Or even the rhythmic phrases of nursery rhymes? Read on for some ideas on making musical instruments to add to your child’s music play. If you have a class, you could very easily end up with a band when the children are finished making the instruments.

Use the instruments as you sing songs that your children know. Introduce new songs, even classical songs and see if they can play along. You can also use these with nursery rhymes to emphasize the rhythm of the words and phrases. Look for more nursery rhymes later this week!

Maracas
Materials:
Old water or pop bottles
Dried beans, beads, rice, etc
Superglue

Instructions:
Clean the bottle and allow to dry thoroughly. Fill the bottle ¼ to 1/3 full with your choice of noise maker. An adult should superglue the threads of the bottle before replacing the cap. When the glue is dry, shake away.

Drums
Materials:
Empty oatmeal canister with cover
Empty coffee can with lid
Pots or pats

Instructions:
Your child can decorate either the oatmeal or coffee canister to his or her liking. For stationary drums, simply use a spoon, chop stick, or other drumstick device and play away. To turn it into a carrying drum, punch holes in opposite sides of the canister. Pull a piece of yarn (long enough to go from child’s neck to waist and back) through the holes. Tie the ends of the yarn in a knot. You can make a flat drum using the same technique only with a box instead. Poke a hole in the bottom and the top of the box. See if your child/children can find the rhythm and beat in songs.

Kazoo
Materials:
Toilet paper tube
Waxed paper
rubber band or glue

Instructions:
Glue waxed paper or secure with the rubber band over one end of the toilet paper tube. Poke holes in the waxed paper. Hum into the open end of the tube.

Horn
Materials:
Paper towel tube
Waxed paper
rubber band or glue

Instructions:
Glue waxed paper or secure with the rubber band over one end of the paper towel tube. Poke a row of holes in the waxed paper. Play like a horn from the open end.

Tambourine
Materials:
2 Paper Plates per child
stapler or glue
hole punch
string
jingle bells
materials to decorate

Instructions:
place on plate on the table, as if you were going to eat. Place some jingle bells on the plate, how many is up to you. Either glue or staple the plates together. Children need adult supervision if stapling. The child can then decorate his or her tambourine as desired. To add additional bells, hole punch around the outside edge of the plates. Tie on more jingle bells as desired.

Guitar
Materials:
Empty shoe box without the lid
Rubber bands
Ruler, stick, paint stirrer

Instructions:
Place the rubber bands around the shoe box creating strings. You can attach the ruler/stick/paint stirrer to the back to act as the handle of the guitar. Strum or pluck the rubber bands. Your child or children can decorate their guitar as they like. This can be turned into a science experiment by asking and finding the answer to questions. Do different sized rubber bands sound the same or different? How does the size of the shoe boxes affect the sound?

Dancing accessories
Ribbons
Materials:
Ribbon of different colors, sizes, etc
plastic shower rings or larger hair tie
needle and thread

Instructions:
An adult or older supervised child can stitch the ribbon to the ring by folding the ribbon around the ring and sewing the ribbon to itself. Children can then dance with the ribbon holding onto the ring. An alternative to the shower curtain ring is a large hair tie. The ribbon can be tied onto the hair tie and then worn around the child’s wrist.

Scarves

Batons

By making and using these instruments, Paths to QUALITY participants will be meeting level 2 standards for materials in interest areas.

Go forth readers, make some musical instruments and play some beautiful music!

Do you want to read more about the importance of early childhood music education? Check out some of these articles.

Music and Math

Music and Social Emotional Development

Leadership Bulletin from the Early Childhood Music and Movement Association

The Value of Childhood Music Education