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Tag: ChildhoodAdventures

The Bountiful Benefits of Basket Rides

Wheeee!  Bet your toddler loves going for rides in your laundry basket.  What you may not know are all the developmental benefits you are giving your child in these moments, and some of the ways you can make this an even more beneficial experience for you and your little one.

First, notice how these parents work smarter, not harder, by having a scarf or rope attached to the basket enabling them to stand up and protect their back muscles. (These are the kind of parenting tips our experienced Kindermusik educators share to set you up for success.)

Second, each parent is respecting their baby’s needs during this activity.  Some little ones are enchanted by being pulled in the basket, others want to be close and cuddle as they are parading around the room. Toddlers who are totally focused on walking may want to put their favorite stuffed animal in the basket and push it around themselves!

So let’s highlight some of the benefits of this traveling laundry basket experience.

Balance and Coordination

Sitting upright in a laundry basket as it is moving forward and side to side activates and strengthens your child’s core muscles, and is a delightful exercise for developing balance and coordination.  So if they are old enough to sit up by themselves, place them in the center so they are less inclined to lean back.  Don’t worry too much if they do.

Spatial Awareness

As your child sees and feels themselves traveling through the room, they are becoming more aware of where they are in relation to the space around them.  Your child is developing the spatial awareness they need to navigate the world around them.

Sensory Stimulation

Whether your child is sitting directly on the grooves in the bottom of the laundry basket, or a soft towel or blanket on the bottom, they  are getting sensory input from the density and textures on their skin as their body moves around on top.  Try it with a load of warm laundry for additional sensory input.  Both the warmth of the clothes and the scent of the fabric softener strengthens the building of strong neural connections.

As your toddler’s eyes see objects move past them, they are becoming more observant of their environment and how things look from different perspectives.  To activate the same effect with their hearing, have music playing in one room, and move past the door to that room so your child’s ears hear the changing location of the sound.

Imaginative Play

Does your child love trains?  Create chugging sounds and train whistles, and maybe even listen to songs about trains on your laundry basket adventure.  Pretend to make scheduled stops and announce the location loudly.  There are so many ways to stimulate their ability for imaginative play on a topic they love.  If your child loves their stuffed animals, set them up around the house and pretend to be a train traveling around the zoo and talking about each animal.  Maybe they can be the zoo expert after your many repetitions.  Start by becoming acutely aware of what your child is most fascinated by in this moment, and initiate pretend play accordingly.  Then watch as your child starts to initiate it in their own.

ADD Social Interaction

Photo-Kindermusik-Baby-mom-son-basket-ride-activity-playSome of these suggestions are extras you can add that we can’t include in our Kindermusik classes.  But your mommy and me time (or daddy and me, grandma and me, nanny and me…) during class provides you with a continual supply activities, music, and information to level up your daily play at home.  You will both meet new friends with your classmates, adding the benefit of socialization and interpersonal connection.

It is so easy to sign up and preview one of our classes full of music and movement with your child.  Our unique programs for each age (infancy, early toddlerhood and early preschool ages) ensures you are both  gaining what you need for each stage of their development.

Let’s nurture these young minds together.  Wheee!

Debbie Mondale byline

SCHOOL YEAR CALENDARS


CLICK HERE FOR MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
CLICK HERE FOR CLASSROOM GUIDELINES

Our School Years include 35 active weeks of classes with some scheduled weeks off which are noted below.

SCHOOL YEAR 2024 – 2025
School Year begins – August 12th, 2024
OFF – Thanksgiving week – Nov. 25 – 29, 2024
OFF – Holiday/Winter break – Dec. 16, 2024 – Jan. 5, 2025
HURRICANE MAKEUP WEEK IN SELECT LOCATIONS – Dec. 16 – 20, 2025
School Year Resumes after Winter Break – Jan 6, 2025
OFF – Spring Break – March 17 – 21, 2025
School Year ends – May 16, 2025

Click here to view school year information.

 

SUMMER 2025 CALENDAR


CLICK HERE FOR CLASSROOM GUIDELINES

This Summer we are excited to offer a 6 week session of classes. If you are traveling during any of our “on” weeks, we are happy to pro-rate the value of up to 2 classes.
Week 1 – June 2 – 6
Week 2 – June 9 – 13
Week 3 – June 16 – 20
Week 4 – June 23 – 27
NO CLASSES WEEK OF JUNE 30 – HAPPY 4TH OF JULY
Week 5 – July 7 – 11
NO CLASSES WEEK OF JULY 14 – KINDERMUSIK EDUCATOR’S CONFERENCE
Week 6 – July – 21 – 25

Click here to view Summer options.