We have officially completed our first full year of Kindermusik.
We started with a class for babies up to age 18 months. (How was he so little just one year ago?) We held our babies and encouraged them to clap their hands and hit the drum, and sometimes they crawled off the music mat, but they mostly just sat with us and giggled and babbled while we sang silly songs.
My, how our Wednesday mornings have changed.
Sam was completely overwhelmed earlier this year during our first class with the 18 months – 3 years age group. Miss Uta no longer gently placed the instruments into his hands — he had to wait in line with the big kids and choose an instrument from the basket. He was slightly intimidated by their size and confidence and chose to stand at the end of the line until his classmates were seated.
But the instruments were much more fun — wooden blocks, bells, an xylophone, a whistle — and it didn’t take long for Sam to “become a big kid.”
Which also meant he was no longer content to sit on the music mat with Mommy. He ran around the room with the other kids, tried to open the cabinet doors, crawled under empty chairs, and sometimes did somersaults. But Miss Uta encouraged every form of interaction.
We bounced on rubber balls and jumped through hula hoops and waved silk scarves. We hopped and skipped and tip-toed to the music. We practiced fast songs and slow songs and made all sorts of animal sounds.
We held hands and danced in a circle and waved a parachute for the kids to run under.
Every class included storytime and “gentle rocking,” which meant the mommas got a few brief moments of snuggle time before the kiddos were off and running again. And every class concluded with stamps for all the little toddler hands.
Thanks, Miss Uta, for a great year! Sam has loved every class. We’re taking the rest of the summer off, but we’ll be back for more fun this fall!