Kindermusik Imagine That! CITIES! BUSY PLACES~FRIENDLY FACES – WEEK 9
We really had a fun time exploring hoops today. Then we laid them in a circle and learned to walk through them around the circle while singing “There’s a little wheel a turning in my heart…” Then we added a variety of metal “bell sounding” instruments, and sang “There’s a little bell a-ringing in my heart.” As we laid our instruments down in the hoops and began to walk around the hoops again (as a way to switch instruments), it was an interesting learning process for the students, in both classes. It was a challenge for them to pass by the instruments they wanted to play, or the hoop they wanted to be in. I totally love the full blown personalities in this age group, how they can get attached to things so quickly, or how their curiosity about objects is sooo strong that it inhibits them from following the process of the game, and how they learn to handle these strong emotions. Learning to see the whole picture, instead of their own perspective is a critical skill for children to learn at this age. But the process of playing games, and the music, are keys to success. Once they realized they would get a chance to play each of the instruments as we continued to play the game, they were able to participate more effectively, take turns, and demonstrate patience… in just a few minutes there was a great deal of improvement. We will play this game again during the next class, and now they know what to expect. As a matter of fact, I will have it set up for them as they enter the room, so they can start off with the opportunity to practice these skills again.
We also introduced some mirroring activities today, and your Home activity focuses on a variety of different ways to enjoy mirror play. Mirror play is an excellent format for developing self awareness, it gives them immediate feedback about the position of their body in space. We took turns mirroring each other as we danced to the music. As you could see, this is another area where children this age need to practice active observation in order to mimic another person. We will enjoy more mirror play activities during the next class. See my resources BLOG for more fun with Mirror Play.