It’s summertime! Yay for cookouts, going to the pool and finding fun things to do with your kids! It’s amazing how many opportunities there are in Findlay for young families to engage with their kids. As I meet various business owners and am introduced to organizations across the city, I am truly excited to share with you my findings of things you can do with your little ones so they can have fun while growing and learning. My latest find is an organization near the Findlay Library called Music Together of Findlay. It’s something fun for both parents/caregivers and kids to experience together :)
A new experience for our family
A couple of months ago, I had a friend recommend I take my son to Music Together, a series of interactive music classes in Findlay where both parents and kids come together to create music through the use of instruments and sounds. The experience was pretty exciting! The owner of Music Together in Findlay, Amanda Sprague, was our teacher and began the class in song welcoming everyone by name. From there, we sang a variety of songs that focused on rhythm and learning syncopation. Various instruments and items were brought out as we sang each song and all of the kids and adults participated by making music while singing along. I think what I enjoyed most was watching how the other parents and caregivers enjoyed the class just as much as the children to whom it was geared.
What’s included with the classes?
A unique aspect to the Music Together classes is that the learning extends beyond the music classes. With each session of classes, you receive a music book and CDs to continue the learning at home and in the car. This helps the kids to become very familiar with the songs sung during class so they can better participate. After we had attended several classes and listened to the CDs a few times, I found it fascinating to watch my one-and-a-half-year-old take a pair of my paint brushes I had laying around and hit them together, similar to how we had played with wooden music sticks in class. He was trying to imitate the same motion and sound we had done before. The class also helped him with rhythm, as he often tries singing to me now and likes to imitate rhythms he’s heard and played.
All of the classes are mixed-aged with children from birth up to kindergarten. The mixed-ages allows for a family-friendly environment where each child can learn and develop at his/her own pace without worry of comparison to others.
When talking with Amanda, she mentioned to me that one of her favorite things is to see how kids will grow and develop over the years, and that she has had several who have been with her for many years. She also mentioned that if a child were to enroll and continue through the series of classes offered each season, that they could attend for three years before repeating any of the groupings of songs.
Teachers are certified and trained professionals
Each of the Music Together teachers are Registered Music Together Teachers who have completed more than 28 hours of training and have been approved by the Center for Music and Young Children in Princeton, NJ. I had the pleasure of working with both Miss Amanda and Miss LauraLee who were delightful to get to know. They work extremely well with children and are very patient and engaging.
Though summer sessions are already underway, be sure to check out the Music Together website for more information about classes and check back with them for their fall schedule. It’s sure to be a great time for everyone!
If you like the images you see, check out my galleries to get even more examples of the types of photography I do. I love to chat with you about scheduling a session for your little one!
