"Shoo, fly, don't bother me!"

Circle Dance, Family Time Class

Weekly Summer Camp Updates

Baby (0 to 18 mths) Classes:Our "Busy Days" theme took us to the beach this week with plenty of beachballs, seashell instruments, the sounds of water and sand, and lots of dancing, all accompanied by the music of Handel. The babies especially enjoyed cuddling close with mom or dad during lullaby time this week.

Toddler (18 mths to 3.5 yrs) and Mixed-Age (babies to big kids) Classes: Our special guest, Mr. Squirrel (really a puppet), enjoyed chattering to our classes this week, and he loved the enthusiastic hugs from his friends. We explored large body movements such as "scampering" and "creeping" and exercised our fine motor control with fingerplays such as "My Turtle." The highlight in many classes this week was exploring some of our more unusual musical instruments during the "It's Hiding" listening exercise.

Preschooler (3.5 yrs to 5 yrs) Classes: Preschoolers also visited the beach this week using body percussion, instruments, and spoken word to recreate the sounds of a day on the shore. Rolling the beach balls in time to the music was a preschooler favorite as was learning the song, "Swimming, Swimming." Our classes this summer have wonderful imaginations--we spied pirates, sharks, mermaids, and a very friendly octopus from our boat but somehow managed to row safely to shore.

Big Kid (5 yrs to 7 yrs) Classes: Exploring the traditions of Appalachian music and storytelling using a "Jack story" as a starting point was definitely the favorite for our big kids. What beautiful confident voices made an appearance as we played the "Lazy Jack" singing game. The "Donkey Riding" dance was also a "do it again, please" activity.

REMINDER: No classes the week of July 9-13. Our host facility, First Baptist Church, will be holding Vacation Bible School.