From Management and Staff of Kindermusik Asia

Kindermusik Asia wishes all Families & Partners

GONG XI FA CAI

Additions to the Kindermusik Family

We like to extend a warm welcome to our new business partners:

Kids’ Loft

Looking for a cosy, friendly and nurturing environment for your child to have fun and yet learn at the same time?

Welcome to Kids’ Loft! A place where it’s fun, friendly, safe and yet inviting for your little one to explore, learn and socialize. We provide a bridging programme between home and school where parents and teachers work together to help your child master important skills that could turn mundane occurrences into valuable learning experiences.

Parent Accompanied Programmes Available at Kids’ Loft:

Kindermusik Village for newborn to 18months (45 mins)
Playschool programme for 15 months to 3 years old (90 mins)

I would like to invite you and your child to Kids’ Loft for a fun and unique experience. With our experience and passion in early childhood learning, you can be assured that our programme will bring out the inquiring and confident personality in your child.

Sunflower Baby House

We are a group of responsible, competent, qualified and highly committed childcare professionals who believe that the first six years of a child’s life are his vital window of opportunity for knowledge acquisition.

Our aim is to nurture our young ones and give them a head start in life. We take pride in taking the chore out of learning and make it a fun and fulfilling experience. Sunflower’s children are always encouraged to exercise their creativity and think ‘out of the box’.

We are devoted to making your child’s first six years with us the most fruitful in order to lay the foundation for higher learning.

The Sunflower Philosophy

We believe that in every child lies a potential to do great things – great things beyond the imagination of us adults, who at times set limits to our hopes and aspirations.

By allowing and helping our children to set their minds free of limitations, they learn to explore and fire their passion to try new things as well as to experiment with what life has to offer. And in doing so, they learn to believe in themselves, then realize their full potential and eventually fulfilled their dreams.

Most importantly, we believe your child is capable of this.

Regular Fairs, Open days, Events & Kindermusik Classes at EL's newly established VENUE at LOEWEN GARDENS.

As a community building initiative, Expat Living has developed an appealing ‘drop-in destination’ for new and long term expatriates of all nationalities.

There are three sections that are used by Expat Living at Loewen Gardens; a large beamed hall where we host relevant courses and workshops, interesting talks and demonstrations, evening events and regular fairs, in a peaceful air-conditioned setting. It is in this venue that Kindermusik will be conducting classes.  The entire venue is appealing for those who prefer not to attend classes in a shopping center. The cluster of buildings is set in tropical green vegetation with a safe outdoor play area for children. while mums can get together at The Pantry - offering lunches and coffees and a place to ‘hang out’ - after classes. The central building, within the courtyard, has been set up as children’s showcase to provide ideas for children’s décor and fashion, so there's plenty to browse at this venue. Other symbiotic businesses set within the cluster of renovated 1940’s buildings include Design Intervention and White Lodge Early Learning Center, Happy Feet Dance, and  a boutique spa! All ideally suited to Mothers and Children.

Location: LOEWEN GARDENS, Blocks 75 to 81 Loewen Road, Tanglin Village (The edge of Dempsey) How to get there:Via Dempsey Rd, follow signs to Loewen cluster. Or directions are easiest if accessed from Tanglin Road: Turn into Ridley Park Rd, drive straight into Tanglin Village, and turn right into Loewen Gardens. Free Parking available.

Kindermusik Chinese New Year Sale

Kindermusik products are designed to help your child develop motor skills, analytical & creative thinking, hand-eye coordination and musical skills. Take advantage of our Chinese New Year sale and your entitlement to 10 % discount as a Kindermusik Privilege Card holder to purchase the following:

	Pet and Play A touching story. Research shows that the more your child can experience through all her senses, the stronger and more permanent the learning will be. Let her touch all the surfaces in this book as you say the words-shiny, bumpy, and fuzzy-and read the story of these five engaging animals at play. As she's listening, touching, and later singing the songs on the CD, she'll make vital learning connections. Includes: CD, board book.Includes: CD, board book S$32.70 (incl 5% GST)
	Wiggle Waggle Mobile Musical Mobile. These wonderfully soft plush friends will turn when the music starts. Your baby'll love the bright colors and sharp contrasts of the five adorable animals. Clip it on your baby's bed, your little one will love it. S$26.15 (incl 5% GST)
	1,2,3 Octopus & Me Nesting Cubes How high can you count? Like the Octopus game cards, this set of 10 nesting cubes features the sea creatures from the story and helps your little builder see numbers and math concepts in new ways. He'll stack and build with these blocks, develop hand-eye coordination, and learn about size-big, bigger, biggest! S$32.70 (incl 5% GST)

Check out fees details and time with our studio staff @ 6467 1789
OR visit our website @ www.kindermusik.com.sg
Limited places! Call us NOW!

Music—A Common Tie

Parents of young children report that they feel strongly that the formation of attitudes toward aging and older adults begins early in life. There is no better time to introduce babies to older adults and begin to establish relationships with older adult friends if grandparents are not nearby. For parents just beginning to establish relationships with an older adult “grandfriend,” a baby and music create natural connections.

Kindermusik Intergenerational Music Making
Everybody Loves Little Baby

Infant massage has been shown to have therapeutic effects, helping improve circulation and aid digestion in babies. Emotionally, this loving touch provides opportunities for those adults closest to your baby to bond with her. Invite a grandparent or “grand friend” to become familiar with this activity so he can share it with your baby. Before beginning, observe Baby’s mood to see if she is content, and continue to observe as you massage

Infant Massage

1. Lay your baby on her back on a blanket on the floor.
2. Sit so you feel supported, breathing deeply.
3. Begin with an m- or heart-shaped movement. Start with hands in the center of Baby's chest and move hands up, outward, and down with light pressure.
4. Repeat several times as you sing "Everybody Loves Baby." (Substitute appropriate caregivers’ names in the song.)
5. Next, use a gentle "milking" touch—a very gentle squeezing, beginning at Baby's upper leg and slowly moving out to the foot and toes. Sing the song four times as you repeat the milking touch on each of Baby's arms and legs.
6. Invite Baby’s grandparent to suggest a favorite nursery song that would also be appropriate for this activity.

Shall We Dance?

Gross motor abilities grow by leaps and bounds during the so-called "toddler" years. Your youngster probably has a zest for discovering new movements and for repeating and refining them. Paired with this increased movement repertoire is the developing ability to cease movement (or other activities), called inhibitory control. "Stop and go" games that feature this skill are popular with good reason. Grandparents will find that movement activities with young children provide irresistible incentive to exercise.

Kindermusik Intergenerational Music Making
Skinnamarinky Do—I Love You!

Enjoy singing and dancing with Grandma, Grandpa, Great-Grandma, or a "grandfriend" to a classic children’s song, "Skinnamarink." Built into this song is an opportunity for stopping on a cue— "I love you!" Enjoy a dance together, listening for the "I love you" cue to stop and help your little one stop moving long enough for a snuggle. Can you or Grandma think of another song or piece of music that would work well for a "stop and go" game?

Noticing, Learning, and Growing

Research indicates that attitudes towards older adults and about aging develop early—as early as the preschool years. Studies also show that experiences with older adults directly and positively affect these attitudes, allowing children to form their own impressions rather than adopting stereotypes. The preschool age is an ideal time to talk with young children about aging, as they probably are starting to perceive and talk frankly about differences in appearance, for example. A combination of experiences with older adults and conversations about how aging is a natural process that each of us will experience and can celebrate will help your child develop a healthy understanding of life and a positive notion of her own growing and aging process.

Kindermusik Intergenerational Music Making
A Little Drum A-Drumming In My Heart

Musical experiences with simple instruments are engaging for all, and drums truly have a universal appeal. Perhaps it has to do with that drum each of us travels with everywhere we go—our heartbeat.

You will need a drum for this play-along. If you don't own a drum, consider creating a simple one with a suitable bowl and spoon from the kitchen, or consider purchasing one. Invite great uncles and great aunts to bring a drum and come visit for a "drumming play date." Or travel with your own drum to visit "grandfriends" at their homes.

In addition to the verse you’ll hear in the music clip, there are several other verses to enjoy in "There’s a Little Wheel," the song for this activity. Here are the complete lyrics with accompanying motion ideas:

1. "There's a little wheel . . .": Roll hands; place hands on heart on the word " heart."
2. "There's a little song . . .": Cup hands to mouth; touch heart on " heart."
3. "There's a little bell . . .": Pretend to ring a handbell; touch heart on " heart."
4. "There's a little drum . . .": Play a drum to the steady beat; touch heart on " heart."
5. "Oh, I feel so very happy . . .": Stand and enjoy a dance holding hands together.
   

Looking Forward, Looking Back

Young children learn about aging through experiences with those older and younger than they are. At this age, a young child will start to have a better understanding of the notion that a grandparent once was a child. If the child spends time with a younger sibling or playmate regularly, she will also have a sense of that child’s growth. It is important for young children to have opportunities to be followers, learning from those with more experience, and to lead as they learn about the needs of and appropriate ways to interact with younger children. Your intergenerational music making may include a spectrum of ages—the more the merrier and the more plentiful the benefits.

Kindermusik Intergenerational Music Making
Love Somebody

The song "Love Somebody" is a traditional song that members of many generations probably will recognize, and it can be shared in as many ways as the people who know it—as a circle dance, a game with an instrument or clapping, or as a simple singing game, for example. With grandparents or "grandfriends," sing this song with the following hand movements:

1. Clap hands on the rhythmic "Yes, I do!" phrases.
2. Gesture "I don't know" on the "Don't know who!" phrases.
3. Point on the "you, you, you" phrases—and follow with a hug!

If this song is unfamiliar, choose another song familiar to all participating.

A song familiar to all can be a jumping off point to the sharing of a story. Encourage your child to ask grand-relatives questions about their childhood. If possible, record the conversation or jot notes to save for a scrapbook. Consider asking the older adult to share some of his favorite songs and activities from childhood and add these to your recording.

It's a Musical Life

For the Ahrens family, the ritual of a weekly Kindermusik class became the special time for grandparents and grandchildren to bond.

Kindermusik Intergenerational Music Making
Songs of Love

Music is a natural source for connecting across the generations. As you and your child establish or initiate relationships with older relatives and friends, here are some ideas to help you get started.

• It's not too late to send a Valentine! Select several "love" songs and record your child and a grand-relative singing them together. Consider adding musical instrument accompaniment. Present the recording and a card to the grand-relative as a "singing Valentine." If older relatives live out of town, record yourself and your child and send your love by mail.
• "Adopt" a grandparent. The winter holidays bring many visitors to seniors in group care settings. Meanwhile, other times of the year can be quieter and potentially isolating for some. Inquire at a senior community about programs that pair families with seniors for social interaction. Initiate contact this month and plan to visit each month going forward to continue the relationship.
• Invite a grandparent or great-grandparent to attend Kindermusik class with you and your child .