This week, TLB Music‘s mini camp theme is outer space!  One of our campers craft activities is creating a spaceship collage using colorful shapes.  This is a great activity for young kids to work on concepts like shapes, colors, counting and how to draw objects using shapes as your guide.

Student Materials:
a variety of colorful paper cut into rectangles, squares, triangles and circles
a black piece of paper, a glue stick, a circle moon, and orange & red crepe paper streamer pieces.

Teacher Materials: circle hole punch, scissors, paper cutter (optional)
All craft supplies used are at bottom of post.

Teacher Prep: -punch 2” circles out of paper with printed moon surface
-cut or rip strips of orange and red crepe paper streamer into various triangles sizes
-cut shapes in a variety of colors (windows: 2” circles | doors: 2.5” squares |
cabins: 5.5” x 3” rectangles | roofs: triangles made by cutting 3” squares in half |
wings: triangles made by cutting 2.5” squares in half)
*If students are older, they can help with the “teacher prep” section!

Pass out black paper. Let each child choose one rectangle for the main cabin of their spaceship.  Ask kids to identify the shape & color before gluing.

Step 1 (main cabin): In the center of your black paper, glue the main cabin.

Now, let everyone choose a roof. What shape is it? (triangle) What color did they choose?

Step 2 (roof): Glue the roof on top of the cabin.

Let everyone pick a window to put at the top of the cabin beneath the roof. What shape is it? (circle) What color did everyone pick?

Step 3 (window): Glue window on spaceship so astronauts can look out the window!

Next, everyone need to put a door under the window so that the astronauts can enter the spaceship! What shape is the door? (square) What color did everyone choose?

Step 4 (door): Glue square door beneath circle window.

Now we need to create fire coming out of the engine at the bottom of our spaceship. Ask kids to choose some small pieces of orange and red crepe paper.

Step 5 (fire): Wrinkle the pieces of crepe paper for texture then glue at bottom of spaceship.

Next, let each child pick two triangles to create the wings for the ship!

Step 6 (wings): Glue wings to the bottom on each side of the ship. Cover a bit of the fire with the wings!

Our space ship is heading to the moon! Pick one moon each. What shape, color? (circle, gray)
*Find moon surface pictures to print on Wikipedia!

Step 7 (moon): Glue moon on top of the black paper.

These are the craft supplies I used:

Did you know that January 29th is National Puzzle Day?  I love puzzles!  I snapped the picture above on New Year’s Day, at the start of our 1000-piece challenge.  Puzzles give your brain a fantastic workout- making them extremely beneficial (for both kids and adults) and SO satisfying to complete!

Cognitive Skills:  When kids work on a puzzle, they practice identifying colors, letters, and develop spatial awareness.  Puzzles also encourage kids to work on their memory.

Hand-Eye Coordination:  Getting the pieces to fit just right requires this valuable skill!

Fine Motor Development:  Picking up and placing puzzle pieces benefits fine motor development immensely.  The smaller the pieces get, the greater the challenge!

Problem Solving:  You have one goal in sight when doing a puzzle.  This requires children to think logically and come up with a plan to complete the task!

Social Skills:  Working in a group to complete a puzzle encourages kids to practice sharing, taking turns, and working in a team to achieve a common goal.

In honor of today’s holiday, I put together a list of some of my favorite puzzles for toddlers, big kids, and adults.  The toddler puzzles by Melissa & Doug have withstood years of play in our playspace and music studio’s lobby- I highly recommend them.  As kids get older, increase the number of pieces and decrease the piece size to keep up the brain-boosting power of puzzles!

Puzzles for Toddlers to Big Kids

1.  My First Puzzle Set: Shapes by The Learning Journey (2, 4, 6, 8 piece | ages 2+) view on Amazon
2.  Chunky Wooden Puzzle: Construction by Melissa & Doug  (6 piece | 2+) view on Amazon
3.  Chunky Wooden Puzzle:  Dinosaurs by Melissa & Doug (7 piece | 2+) view on Amazon
4.  Chunky Wooden Puzzle: Alphabet by Melissa & Doug (26 piece| 3+) view on Amazon
5.  Chunky Wooden Puzzle: Safari by Melissa & Doug (8 piece | 2+) view on Amazon
6. Chunky Wooden Puzzle: Numbers by Melissa & Doug (20 piece | 3+) view on Amazon
7.  Endangered Animals Floor Puzzle by T.S. Shure (24 pieces | 3+) view on Amazon
8.  USA Map Floor Puzzle by Melissa & Doug (51 piece | 6+) view on Amazon
9. Building a House Puzzle by Ravensburger (100 piece | 6+) view on Amazon
10. Railway Station Puzzle by Ravensburger (60 piece | 4+) view on Amazon
 

Puzzles for Big Kids to Adults

1.  Candy Lane Puzzle by White Mountain Puzzles (500 piece | 12+) view on Amazon
2.  Flags of the World Puzzle by White Mountain Puzzles (1000 piece | 12+) view on Amazon
3.  Hollywood Puzzle by White Mountain Puzzles (1000 piece | 12+) view on Amazon
4.  The 1980s Puzzle by White Mountain Puzzles (1000 piece | 12+) view on Amazon
5. Rock ‘n’ Roll Puzzle by White Mountain Puzzles (1000 piece | 12+) view on Amazon
6. Empire State Building 3D Puzzle by Ravensburger (216 piece | 10+) view on Amazon
7. Van Gogh, Café Terrace at Night Puzzle by Ravensburger (1500 piece | 12+) view on Amazon

This activity sheet is perfect for learning the C major scale on the piano or xylophone!  At TLB Music, we teach young children how to play a scale on the xylophone using a simple song like “Doe a Deer”.  I highly recommend this toddler-friendly xylophone by Hohner.  It is fantastic because you can first use the colors as your guide (a color-coded song book is included) and as the children get older, they can begin to read the notes marked on the bars.  After mastering the scale on the xylophone, our students graduate to playing it on their own keyboards!

Click here to get the free activity sheet:  The C Major Scale on the Piano and Xylophone

Related piano activity sheets:
Notes C, D, and E on the Piano and Keyboard
Identifying C, D, and E
One Two Sheet Music for Piano (using notes C, D, E, F, and G)
C Major Scale Activity for Kids
Musical Spelling Activity Sheet (Level 1)
Musical Spelling Activity Sheet (Level 2)

(Meeting the Banjo at TLB Music)

Music education at an early age stimulates the brain and can improve cognitive, motor, language, and social skills.  It’s also one of the most natural activities to enjoy with your child, starting with lullabies.   So, it’s no surprise that a music class is most often the choice for a baby or toddler’s first class!  At the Upper East Side music studio that I co-own with my best friend Katia, our classes target age-specific development goals through musical play and the benefits are apparent every day. Whether it’s a mother bonding with her baby while dancing in motion to a waltz, or a toddler learning words through song, or a 4-year-old understanding how to bow back and forth with their right hand while holding their violin’s fingerboard with their left hand- we see music stimulating and benefitting children in so many ways.

Here are four of my favorite places for kids to make music in NYC.

{Upper West Side & other locations} Creative Play for Kids  www.creativeplayforkids.com
This drop- in “Live Music Plus” class is developed for a mixed age group of 8 months – 4 years. “Different musicians rotate each week so children hear a different instrument each week! Classes include singing, dancing, playing music, stories, bubbles and an open play time!” Creative Play for Kids also offers a variety of creative classes in Battery Park, Tribeca, Chelsea, Williamsburg and the Financial District.

{Upper East Side} TLB Music  www.tlbmusic.com
This is my company- we’re a children’s music studio and indoor playspace! We offer music classes for kids ages 4 months – 6 years. Our talented teachers introduce our little students to almost every instrument of the orchestra…up close and personal, no microphones or concert-feel here.  Kids work on motor skills while playing along on age-appropriate instruments to every genre of music:  in class we play Classical, Jazz, Rock, Country, Folk, Broadway, Pop, music from around the world and more!

{Union Square & Brooklyn} Música Para Mi  www.musicaparami.com
“New York City’s original music-in-Spanish program, where children from infancy through age 3 and a half share the joy of music, dance, and the Spanish language with their families or caregivers, through weekly forty-five minute classes spent singing, dancing, playing percussion, and more, in a playful, supportive, total immersion environment.” 

{West Village} Baby Moves  www.perryschool.com/baby-moves/
Baby Moves, at the Perry School, has a variety of specialty baby classes- music, gym, art, cooking and more!  One of my favorites: “Bluegrass for Kids – Join this knee slapping Bluegrass music class for babies and toddlers! Sing along with Woody Guthrie, Dolly Parton, Earl Scruggs, The Dillards, Johnny Cash and more! Our talented bluegrass musicians will demonstrate instruments such as the banjo, mandolin, fiddle kazoos and guitar. They will even teach the little ones to play the washboard!”

*Look by location but don’t limit yourself! If you find a music studio you love that’s a bit of a schlep for you, see if they offer drop-in classes, Saturday classes, or ask if they can prorate your class package in case you can’t make it to class every week.

(click here to enlarge image)

Tablets can be great educational tools and, of course, entertainment devices for kids. They can also be great for staying in touch with relatives who live far away! My little nephew regularly Skypes with family in Argentina, Connecticut, North Carolina, and Rhode Island on my sister’s iPad. As his 2nd birthday approaches, I was thinking how, in only a couple years, my sister and brother-in-law will most likely be considering which tablet will be appropriate for him to use on his own. I started researching Amazon’s best-selling lists and websites like PCMAG.com and Consumer Reports to see what the best options are and compiled a list of the best-selling and best-reviewed tablets for children.

Not all supposedly “best-selling tablets” make great devices for children. For example, the iPad Mini is on many “tablets for kids” lists because of its small size but doesn’t seem like the best decision to me. With a price tag of over $300, dropping this tablet could be an expensive lesson to learn not to mention there are limited parental controls on this device.  Another example is the Fuhu NABI, a tablet designed just for kids that seems perfect on the surface,  but when you look further, its reviews tell a much different story. On Amazon alone, there are 414 customer reviews. Out of that number, 149 are 5 star reviews and an astounding 134 are 1 star reviews! One reviewer writes: “Zero customer support. Awful functionality. There is no way in the world I would EVER purchase another one. I can’t say enough negative about it.” Yikes!

So…on to the good stuff. Here are 9 kid-friendly tablets with links for you to check them out for yourselves on Amazon.

1. LeapFrog LeapPad2 Explorer Kids’ Learning Tablet ($82.99) View on Amazon.com
WHAT TO KNOW: This tablet is designed specifically for kids ages 3-9.  It has front and back cameras, can record videos, and comes with 5 apps included. Kids can learn about reading, art, music, language and culture, science, geography, mathematics, health and more on this device!

2. VTech – MobiGo Touch Learning System ($34.99) View on Amazon.com
WHAT TO KNOW: This one isn’t quite a tablet but, for its price, it’s a great choice for a first tech-learning device for kids. Designed for kids ages 3-7, the MobiGo “encourages the development of important dexterity-based skills by shifting between touch-based games and keyboard-based games, and it promotes the development of skills related to problem solving, spelling and grammar, observation, and mathematics.”

3. VTech InnoTab 3 The Learning App Tablet ($70) View on Amazon.com
WHAT TO KNOW: The InnoTab 3 is more compact and lightweight than its predecessors, making it a perfect choice for little hands. The tablet, designed for kids 3-9, comes equipped with 15 apps (more available for purchase), an interactive e-reader, and a camera with over 55 special effects!

4. Noria Jr. Android Jellybean Tablet (sale: $78.95) View on Amazon.com
WHAT TO KNOW: If you’re looking for an inexpensive tablet for an older child who may have already outgrown her “kids” device, this could be the one for you. Several reviewers on Amazon raved about it for their tweens, but please make sure to supervise- this tablet doesn’t have parental control settings. Tablet comes pre loaded with Google Play Store, Chrome, Netflix, Skype and other important apps.

5. LeapFrog LeapPad Ultra Kids’ Learning Tablet ($149) View on Amazon.com
WHAT TO KNOW: This tablet is designed for children ages 4-9 and is, in their own words, “durable and drop-tested”! It comes with 11 pre-installed apps and works with LeapFrog’s library of 800+ apps, games, eBooks, videos, music and more. The device has front and back cameras, a 9 hour-rechargable battery, and, unlike the LeapPad 2, this device can connect via Wi-Fi to kid-friendly sites!

6. AGPtek® Kids Tablet ($106.99) View on Amazon.com
WHAT TO KNOW: I love that this tablet has a bumper making it safe to drop! It comes with pre-installed educational apps for child to learn letters, words, numbers and has parental control settings to set time limits, manage content, and apps.

7. Kindle Fire HD ($139) View on Amazon.com
WHAT TO KNOW: This Kindle Fire is worth every penny of its affordable pricetag.  It’s an excellent tablet to purchase if you are looking for a device to share with your children. It has everything parents want in a tablet while giving you complete control over what your kids can use. Parents can set daily time limits for video and games while allowing unlimited reading time and “can create a profile for each of their children and choose what books, apps, games, and videos they want to give their kids access to.”

8. Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Kids Edition ($199) View on Amazon.com
WHAT TO KNOW:  This tablet has so many things to love:  a drop and spill-proof case; pre-loaded kids apps with more available through Samsung’s Kids’ Store;  parental controls for managing access and time-limits; and a “standard mode” setting that offers features of regular Galaxy Tab 3 for adults!

9. Kindle Fire HDX Tablet ($229) View on Amazon.com
WHAT TO KNOW: The Kindle Fire HDX has all the fantastic parental control settings and educational content as the Kindle Fire HD with several key differences that make it, in my opinion, the ultimate sharing tablet for parents and kids. A few differences: the HDX has a camera, 4G model available, and the new “Mayday” button to help you with anything you need. Since the price tag for this model is around $200, make sure to purchase a durable cover to protect your device like the Kiddie Case by Fintie that is shock-proof and has a handle!

How to say “Camille Saint-Saëns”:
Here’s a helpful page with three audio bites of the composers name: http://www.forvo.com/word/camille_saint-saëns/

The activity sheets (click here to enlarge as PDF and print):

Send a picture or scan of your music-inspired art to thebirdfeednyc@gmail.com to be featured in a Bird Feed children’s art gallery.

This summer, my company, TLB Music, teamed up with renowned rapper and DJ Princess Superstar to create a Hip Hop 101 class for kids. The class is a fusion of Hip Hop dance, music and culture perfect for kids who like to dance, perform, and use their imagination.  I had the pleasure of sitting in on a class and it was SO much fun!  At the beginning of class, Princess Superstar helped students pick their rap names and made name tags for everyone. The kids chose adorable names like P-Flower, J-Star, and D-Heart, using their first initial and a symbol! Then, she taught the class some classic dance moves like The Robot, The Wave, The Moonwalk, and The Running Man. The kids were impressive- one student even pulled off a believable Moonwalk!

We played Xylophones along with Blondie’s “Rapture” and I helped out with The Beastie Boys’ “Sure Shot” by playing the flute loop and teaching the class how to change pitch.

The coolest part of class was when Princess Superstar helped students write their own original rap lyrics, practicing writing, reading, and rhyming all while creatively working as a team to tell a little story! So cute! This is the rap they wrote:

Don’t miss this original class! We have four dates scheduled for September and October.  Spots are limited so make sure to reserve early!

Ages: 3-6 (drop-off class)

When: Tuesdays- September 17, 24 October 1, 8
3:30 – 4:15 pm

Register: Register online (www.tlbmusic.com/hiphop101),
call 212-744-0404 or email tlb@tlbmusic.com

Price: Single class: $40  |  4 classes: $150 ($37.50 per class)

We use these time signature activity sheets in our children’s music classes at TLB Music!
Click on the image to enlarge and print.

(click here to view enlarged map)

Our children’s music studio and playroom is located in the heart of the Upper East Side.  We are surrounded by so many fantastic businesses that cater to families and in particular, young children.  We put together a list of some of our favorite places and classes for kids.

1. YOGA CLASSES:  Yogi Beans 1018 Lexington Avenue (between 72nd and 73rd)
This gorgeous yoga studio offers yoga instruction in group, individual or “duet” classes. Their classes develop focus, posture, coordination, flexibility, and self-confidence. You can also celebrate birthdays at Yogi Beans!

2.  CHILDREN’S HAIR SALON: Cozy’s Cuts for Kids  1416 Second Avenue (at 74th)
Cozy’s Cuts has long been the go-to place for Upper East Side kids haircuts. With cars for chairs, DVDs to distract, and a staff that caters to kids, getting a haircut for your little one has never been easier. Cozy’s Cuts also hosts “Glamour” birthday parties!

3.  CHILDREN’S SPORTS: Kids in Sports 1420 2nd Avenue (between 74th and 75th)
Kids in Sports‘ program teaches children the fundamentals of Baseball, Basketball, Flag Football, Floor Hockey, Lacrosse, Soccer and Volleyball! They teach out of several other locations on the UES and also offer birthday parties and summer camps for kids.

4.  MUSIC CLASSES / INDOOR PLAYSPACE: TLB Music 266 East 78th Street (between 2nd and 3rd)
Music classes at TLB Music (formerly Three Little Birds Music) encourage the development of motor, language, social and cognitive skills while having fun.  Teachers introduce toddlers to all genres of music and 20 classical and folk instruments.  TLB also as an eco-friendly indoor playspace perfect for rainy, humid, or chilly days!  Also offered: birthday parties and drama classes.

5.  GREEN CHILDREN’S BOUTIQUE: Sprout San Francisco 1375 Third Ave (between 78th and 79th)
This store has everything you need: toys, clothing, furniture, room decor, bedding and more. All items at Sprout are from eco-friendly companies, composed of organic or natural material! It’s the perfect place to find family-friendly gifts.

6. GLAMOUR PLAY: Let’s Dress Up 345 East 85th Street (between 1st and 2nd)
Let’s Dress Up is one of the Upper East Side’s best places to host a play date or birthday party! Children dress up in shiny, sparkly, feathery dresses and knight costumes and choose accessories from the imaginative collection. Birthday parties include a tea party, nail polish, glittery makeup, and pictures.

7. LEARN TO WEAVE: Loop of the Loom  227 East 87th Street (between 2nd and 3rd)
Loop of the Loom is the only hand-weaving studio in NYC!  They offer several types of weaving classes for children ages 5 and up.  Students learn how to make items like hats, bags, dresses, tapestries, and belts.  Also offered: adult classes, special events, and workshops.

8.  ARTS AND CRAFTS:  The Craft Studio 1657 Third Avenue (between 92nd and 93rd)
At The Craft Studio, children express themselves with imaginative art projects. You can sign up for a weekly class, drop-in for some spontaneous creation, or celebrate a birthday here. Don’t forget to visit their toy shop!  The Craft Studio also offers classes to go and classes for adults.

Our students at TLB Music love playing the violin. They start plucking and bowing on 1/8 size violins as early as age two or three in class! These printable sheets are perfect for learning the parts of the violin. Click through for the activity sheets!

Parts of the Violin and Bow PDF
Parts of the Violin (blank) PDF

(click to enlarge)

(click to enlarge)

We use these C Major Scale activity sheets in our classes at TLB Music.  Use the first one to practice drawing a C Major scale and the second for identifying the notes of the scale.  Ask children to pay attention to each note’s location on the musical staff as you work.  Is it on a line or a space?  Which line? Which space? Does its stem point up or down?  Click on photos to enlarge and print!

Click through for the activity sheets!

C Scale Activity (draw)

C Scale Activity (identify)

Use these number coloring sheets for tracing and coloring!
Click on the images below to enlarge, save, and print.
 

This coloring sheet is perfect for practicing counting and identifying animals by color.
Click on images to enlarge, save, and print!

Animals Coloring and Counting Sheet

Animals Coloring and Counting Sheet Guide

Animals Counting Sheet (with pictures)

Animals Counting Sheet (no pictures)

We put together a list of 10 favorite children’s books in Spanish. Whether you’re raising a bilingual child or simply would like to introduce your kids to the Spanish language, these books are a great start to your biblioteca.

1. The Empanadas That Abuela Made/ Las Empanadas Que Hacia La Abuela (Diane Gonzalez Bertrand: author, Alex Pardo Delange: illustrator)
view on www.amazon.com
I always loved the Argentine empanadas that my Abuela made and now I love the empanadas that my mother makes for me! This book, which captures the tradition, was one of the first gifts I gave to my nephew who soon will enjoy the empanadas his Abuela will make for him.

2. ¿Dónde está el ombliguito? (Karen Katz, Argentina Palacios Ziegler: translator)
view on www.amazon.com
Karen Katz’ board books are a staple in every child’s library- they’re sturdy and perfect for reading in bed.

3. Mi Primer Libro de Animales/ My First Spanish Animal Board Book
view on www. amazon.com
This series of bilingual books are ideal for teaching!  Clear, graphic pictures of animals are accompanied by their Spanish names and English translations.

4. Buenas Noches, Luna (Margaret Wise Brown: author, Clement Hurd: illustrator)
view on www.amazon.com
I love the Spanish translation to this classic!

5. Colores/Colors (Roger Priddy)
view on www.amazon.com
Bright Baby books are durable and the perfect size for little hands.

6. Jorge el Curioso Visita el Acuario/ Curious George Visits the Aquarium (Margret and H.A. Rey)
view on www.amazon.com
Each page of this adorable book has the story written in English and Spanish.

 
7. Opuestos (Sandra Boynton)
view on www.amazon.com
We have almost all of Sandra Boynton’s books in our music studio‘s lobby. This is one of our favorites.

 

8. La Oruga Muy Hambrienta (Eric Carle)
view on www.amazon.com
The Spanish version of The Very Hungry Caterpillar is great for teaching the days of the week!

9.  Este No Es Mi Camion (Fiona Watt: author, Rachel Wells: illustrator, Gemma Alonso De La Sierra: translator)
view on www.amazon.com
This is one of my nephew’s favorites! The book is interactive with touch and feel elements.

10. Mi Primer Libro del Cuerpo/My First Body Board Book
view on www.amazon.com
Teaching body parts in English and Spanish is easy with this book!  

For Monet’s birthday, we picked 10 of our favorite paintings by the artist.  Share with your children and visit them in person if you can! Click on images to enlarge.

1.  Impression, Sunrise (1872) Monet was one of the creators of the Impressionist art movement.  The name of the movement was derived from the title of this painting! Location: Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris

2. White Turkeys (1876) Location: Musée d’Orsay, Paris

3. Jean Monet on His Hobby Horse (1872) Jean was Claude’s first son, born in 1867. Monet kept this painting throughout his entire life and never exhibited it.  Location: Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC

4. Monet’s Garden at Vétheuil (1881) Location:  National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

5. The Water Lily Pond; Pink Harmony (1900) There are about 250 oil paintings in Monet’s Water Lilies series.  Location: Musée d’Orsay, Paris

6. Woman with a Parasol – Madame Monet and Her Son (1875) Location: National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

7. San Giorgio Maggiore at Dusk (1908) Location: National Museum Cardiff, Wales

8. Haystack, Morning Snow Effect (1891) Monet created a series of paintings entitled Haystacks, showing stacks of hay in various shades of light and during different seasons. Location: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

9. On the Bank of the Seine, Bennecourt (1868) This painting depicts Claude’s future wife, Camille. Location: The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago

10. Monet’s Garden, the Irises (1900) Location: Musée d’Orsay, Paris