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Welcome to CircleSing!

Right from the very start.

We all recall our first love song;

Each event offers you and/OR your children a one-of-a-kind opportunity to play together, have fun and learn something new.

MuSings

(for babies 3 to 12 months)

We use rhyme, melodies, sensory play, hand play, group dance, lullabies and stories to bond with babies and introduce them to this world of (and through) music and rhythm.

Through songs and play we can teach babies about themselves and the world around them. We can help them become familiar with the vast array of concepts and skills they'll be learning in the years to come, which can reduce the calibration time required for the "surprise" of new ideas and help to support a more thorough learning and development in the future. Rhythm and tone is a natural bridge; a form of communication that is accessible to us from birth.

With these tools we sing and play altogether, all the while making time and space for caregivers to be creative, share ideas and develop a storage of songs and activities and resources for use in a wide variety of daily situations even outside of play and skill development!
Limit 12 per series

SongBlossoms

(for infants 1 to 2 years)

 

The Word Boom! YAY! At around 18 months, babies learn a boatload of words and as they become more aware, they become more eager to be understood (which is what a lot of tantrums are about at this age). BUT - they are ALSO very busy learning about the power that they have in their bodies and the science of the world (mostly physics, yes?)  It's an awkward yet exciting balance and the CircleSing! environment is built just for them. 

Even as they pretend to ignore us we can begin to help them, through music and rhythm (compelling as they are), to develop a wide range of creative expression for their stories, ideas and emotions; help them to know that even if they can't tell a story like we do, there are other ways - through movement or tone or even just with your face! 

Through repetition and variation on familiar themes (And new songs! There's always new songs!), children can begin to memorize favourite songs, begin to develop musical fluency (eg. loud/soft, high/low) and explore all the ways they can use their bodies and voices. Through rhythm and song and dance we can also help them to develop empathy, adopt co-operative play attitudes and deal with transitions.

Melodies and rhymes, hand plays, stories, group and partner dance, vocalizing and creative movement to create an entertaining environment in which we can all have a fun time accompanying these budding toddlers on their explorations.
Limit 8-10 per series

BopSkipHop

(for toddlers 2 to 3 years)

These toddlers have things they'd like to show and share. They've learned some words, learned some songs, they gots moves and have developed an acute sense of humour.

This is a great time to use familiar stories, songs and dances to develop confidence in "performance".  New songs, stories, dances and activities peppered throughout address a toddler's constant desire to learn new skills.

Altho these Toddlers can be expert observers who prefer to sit quietly, absorbing information as it's presented, or multi-taskers who prefer to engage in alternate activities while taking it all in from the sidelines, they are also really beginning to enjoy the concept of playing in groups and/or partners and sharing favourite and/or unique ideas - and a little encouragement goes a long, long way!

We focus on presenting the basic elements of music, literacy and dance  through familiar songs and stories, singalongs,add-on songs, rhymes, group and partner dance and (in large part, as an umbrella) creative movement.
Limit 12 per series

WonderSing+Siblings*

(geared to children 3 - 4 years old with adaptation for younger siblings)

Let's all play together! As well as learning about the basics of tone and rhythm through exploration, we begin to discuss the language of music (eg. note names/values, rhythm combinations, rhyming patterns), allowing the older children to satisfy their curiosities and consider new ideas. 

And they often enjoy performing for and helping those younger than themselves. I think it makes them feel big! Even as the old familiar songs and stories begin to take a backseat we can still spend time revisiting - as familiarity promotes participation and creative input.

No longer content to just follow along but not quite ready to take on the world,  "pre-schoolers" are excited to have some control within a structure - ok, truth talk time:  sometimes they modify the structure too...but they appreciate the help to maintain what they've created.

Here we offer plenty of opportunities for contribution and imagination play, and to develop physical strength and skill (I can NOT believe how many break dancers there are out there!) through songs, poems, stories, dances, creative movement and games.   
Limit 10-12 total children per series

*Notes: Siblings not required.
Groups of 3-4 year olds that do not include younger siblings require only one caregiver (more are always welcome!) to attend per session - as well as offering support by setting examples and interacting with the children, this caregiver assists with safety and consideration issues.

Song and Dance,
Rhythm and Chants*

BodyRhythm Project

Using our young friends' ideas exclusively, we provide structure and information, help them to add elements of song(popular, folk,chant rap, etc), drumming (clapping, stomping, ...drumming!), dance (stepping, hiphop, break dance, double dutch, etc.), and storytelling we work together to create performances for our communities.

The Caregiver Program

Through careful examination of our play, (for yes - we play like the children do!) as we cycle through each of the elements of CircleSing! programming, we uncover the enormous value of Circle Time, specifically and song, stories, dance and creative movement, in general.

While examining the most basic (and therefore accessible) elements of verbal and musical literacy we discuss how these can be used to communicate a wide variety of ideas and information with the children AND each other during group play.

Together, we also consider common barriers and disruptions and how they can be best addressed while learning about the ways that group play can effectively support creative impulse while providing information about (and maintaining) boundaries.

Contact 416-603-2335 bookjennielea@circlesing.com

copyright2009jennielea!