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Mixed Media: Mama Dada Blues

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Why Music?

Music is becoming an increasingly important part of our play. Music is great for dance parties and altering sour moods. But it’s great for so much more, too. Music is good for learning, bonding, communicating, and creating! As we have gotten to know various albums, specific songs have sparked art projects, gifts, and parties. With so many opportunities to review and share new music here on the blog, I’ve felt inspired to explore and elaborate on the connections we’re making between music and other early childhood education activities.

Welcome to the Fourth Edition of Mixed Media!

In each Mixed Media post I’ll share a song and a creative project that was inspired by the song. My hope is that you will be inspired to share music with your little one in a way that gets you two (or three or four!) connected to each other and to your creative sides. This week’s song is Mama Dada Blues by Vanessa Trien and the Jumping Monkeys. You can pick up Bubble Ride on Amazon to add to your music library. It’s full of awesome songs.

Vanessa Trien and the Jumping Monkeys

As we have got to know this song, I kept envisioning cute baby faces showing different expressions. It’s so fun to look at pictures of our kids as babies and all the facial expressions we were able to capture. As we listened to the song I asked them to listen for 1) how old the babyis, 2) what things the baby is thinking, and 3)what the baby is actually able to say. With a new baby joining our family this summer, I used this as a way to prepare the kids for what it’s like to have a non-talker around again.

For our craft I found several pictures of babies with different expressions in magazines and online. I also cut out several shapes and sizes of speech bubbles. Each of us chose a piece of construction paper and the baby faces we wanted to use. After gluing our faces to our papers, we glued a corresponding speech bubble down. Then we filled in the bubble with what we thought the baby was trying to say based on their expression.

Elli matched up lines from the song with her baby pictures. Scott said, “What’s your name?” I don’t know if he was asking the baby or if that’s what the baby was asking us! Sammi was very creative in what her babies were expressing. We all had so much fun thinking of what could be going on for these babies. I was amazed to see how well the girls could recognize and explain the different emotional expressions in the babies.

Don’t forget to grab Bubble Ride and a magazine today and share this activity with your little one.

Watercolor Therapy

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We had an atypical weekend as we watched General Conference for our church. (It’s a broadcast from the leaders of the LDS church that comes in 4 2-hour sessions over two days.) By Sunday afternoon the kids were restless. We’d done puzzles and workbook pages, snuggles and snacks. We’d been spending our time downstairs watching it on TV. But for the final stretch, we took the iPad upstairs and sat at the kitchen table.

The kitchen table is a gathering place in our house. It’s where we craft, snack, do homework, eat, read, listen to music, and produce art. Sammi commented one day to me, “Isn’t it funny that we eat dinner at the craft table?” Creative expression is a huge element of our kids’ days. They are happier and more at peace when they’ve had time to create something. So on this Sunday afternoon we brought out the big guns: the watercolor supplies.

  • We had watercolor paper. I love the texture of watercolor paper.
  • We had Crayola watercolor paints. They have the brightest colors and wash up the easiest of all the brands we’ve tried.
  • Then we have a collection of brushes. The kids love big brushes. Sammi is starting to understand using different brush sizes for different details in her paintings.
  • Finally a cup of water. And a medicine dropper. We use it to drop a little water in each color.

Here’s the final products. But like always, the process was where they unwind and get back into their good moods. The end result is proof of happy memories and brings a smile to our faces!

Scott’s Watercolor

Elli’s Watercolor

Sammi’s Watercolor

What do yo do to get your kids out of a funk?

Doctor’s Office Boredom Busters

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Scott had his 4 month old check up this week (yes, it was the DAY before his 5 month birthday!) He is growing rapidly. The doctor very seriously charted his height and weight and then proclaim, still in a very serious voice, “He is officially growing like a weed.” That cracked me up.

But before that moment, we had spent nearly and hour and a half at the office waiting, er patiently, for our turn. I brought a snack and some books for the girls. They did great in the “healthy kid” waiting room with the toys there. But by the time we got to our exam room, they were getting antsy.

That’s when Sammi and I discovered a chart on the wall (conveniently placed above some chairs) that helps kids and adults identify their level of pain. I remember reading this chart a thousand times a day when I was in the hospital after Scott was born. I definitely used its definitions and lingo to communicate my pain after the C-section up till I was discharged. But the best part of the chart is the faces that help kids identify their pain.

Image from Wikidoc.org (Not the exact one I stared at, but the same idea)

We first went through all the faces and how much pain they indicated. Then the girls took turns being the doctor or the patient. The doctor asked how the patient felt and the patient pointed at the face that matched their pretend pain. This is where the chairs were helpful so they could reach the poster.

After several minutes of that fun we switched to making the faces of the chart. Trying to match our face to each level of pain. One we had a pretty good handle on that, we turned it into a guessing game. One person would make a face and the other two of us would guess which one it was. It was great because all three of us girls (Scott was napping at this point) were really engaged in this activity.

The pain scale chart gave us about twenty minutes of entertainment. And we learned a ton from it. We practiced role playing, imitating facial expressions, turn taking, understanding our bodies, and communicating with a doctor.

How do you survive a long visit at the doctor’s office?

CDC’s Learn the Signs. Act Early. Campaign

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I was at the health department last month and picked up an information card highlighting milestones of child development for little ones birth through 4 years old. I thought it fitting to share with you as it has great things to look for in your little ones as they change month to month.

The purpose of the CDC’c campaign “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” is to help parents and healthcare providers catch the signs of developmental delays and disorders early so resources and treatments can begin as early as possible thus allowing children the maximum benefit from those resources and treatments.

I’ve been blessed with two healthy little ones so I love this information from a “oh ya, she does that now!” perspective. But my best friend from high school just told me that her second child was recently diagnosed with high functioning autism. A label to the behavior somehow seems to change the whole experience. Sometimes it’s in a good way because now real information and solutions become available. But sometimes it’s in a negative way when there’s denial or an uncooperative attitude from a parent or teacher. I think information is the key to understanding. That coupled with the love we have for our little ones will get us and them far in this life.