Music is such an exciting time, especially for little ones. Sometimes our young group members get caught up in their excitement and lose their focus on what the rest of the group is doing. This can have a spiral effect and soon the group can feel out of control. How do we handle these situations?

No matter what holiday you celebrate during the month of December, a common theme throughout them all is giving! Whether that is giving gifts or giving your time to others, there are many ways that we can give.

It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the hustle and bustle —shopping, parties, and many other fun things that are happening —that sometimes we forget what the holidays are all about. And in my opinion, the best way to instill the true meaning of the holidays in children is singing about it!

The songs I’ve highlighted are all about the true meaning of the holidays, and are so catchy, everyone will sing along right with you.

The parachute is one of my favorite props to use with children of every age, but especially my early childhood groups. It seems novel to them every time we get it out, and there are so many different ways we can use it to address a variety of important goals while having a lot of fun at the same time.

During the holiday season, there are two songs in particular that I pair with the parachute. I wrote them specifically for this reason, though they also work well with the stretchy band, which I use when we don’t have quite enough hands to manipulate the parachute.

Listen & Learn provides unique, fun, and goal-oriented music that can be used in so many different settings! At Music Therapy Connections in Springfield, we offer Listen & Learn classes that specifically utilizes this material. 

I have had the privilege of teaching some of these classes each week. I primarily teach Listen & Learn for Little Ones, which is for children ages 0-3 and their caregivers. I also teach Listen & Learn a Little More, which is for children ages 3-5. Our classes typically run in four-week sessions. Each week during this period makes use of the same material because repetition is so valuable!

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays of the year! I love being able to reflect on my life and really appreciate all that I have. I also love being able to discuss this with the children that I make music with. I believe that even young children can begin to understand what it means to be thankful. 

Being thankful and giving thanks are HARD concepts. It usually takes a bit of explaining so that my clients and students can truly understand the meaning of both. Incorporating a song like “Give Thanks” into my November music therapy sessions is the perfect way to begin a discussion about all of the things we can be thankful for.