We welcome children ranging in age from 0-4 years old to our sessions – babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers. Youngest babies get the most out of the interaction with their grown up throughout the session, as you sing and smile along to familiar nursery rhymes and songs. We use a variety of shakers, bells and other instruments so babies get to explore sound through you, and through touching/holding things as the weeks pass. We have other sensory elements in the sessions too, like coloured scarves, ribbons, lights and bubbles. You yourself will also get to meet other grown ups within the group, making the sessions as much about you as they are for your little one!
We love that some of our toddling and preschool Music Makers have been with us since they were babies too and they love their weekly appointment with Simba so much that they keep on coming!
Did you know that music ignites all areas of development in a child and helps promote essential learning such as social and emotional skills, both fine and gross motor skills (muscular movements), language and also overall literacy skills? By introducing and exposing children to music regularly during their early years of development you are helping them learn the sounds and meanings of words too!
Research has also shown that babies participating in active music classes within their first year of life are easier to soothe and even smile more! (Source: “Active Music Classes in Infancy Enhance Musical, Communicative and Social Development” (D Gerry, A Unrau, L J Trainor))
With fourteen years of Early Years and Special Educational Needs teaching behind Music Makers, our sessions are carefully planned to support the development of musicality in babies, toddlers and preschoolers through handling and using instruments, moving our bodies to music, singing songs and exploring sounds together.
Our sessions centre around each child or family having their own personal music kit to bring along to sessions. You can either purchase one of our specially created music kits from our online shop, which are designed to be as affordable as possible whilst still providing children with a good selection of resources, or alternatively you may bring along some of your own children’s instruments from home in a little bag.
Once everyone has arrived and settled, we start every session by welcoming you all with our ‘Hello song’. We then move through a specially selected mix of our bespoke recordings of well-known nursery rhymes and also some original, funky songs, engaging you and your little one through the use of singing, movement and, of course, your music kit! We end every session with our cuddle song – a time for little bodies and minds to soothe and calm back down and for you to share a precious cuddle together!
Please note: Due to the young age of children accessing our sessions, they should be supervised at all times.
Parents/Carers participating in our sessions have said:
“Such a fun, fun, relaxed atmosphere. We’ve loved singing and dancing with Jenni and Simba! Highly recommended”
“My 1 year old daughter and I just started attending the group a few week ago. She absolutely loves all the singing, music and new friends (big and little). It is the perfect way to interact with her one on one while my other 2 older children are in nursery and school. She giggles, smiles, laughs and engages with myself, the other children and teacher. I leave feeling like it was time well spent, with giant smiles on both our faces!”
“I have been coming to Music Makers since my son was 20 weeks old and he has loved it from then, it’s such a fantastic class filled with gorgeous songs, dancing, instruments, bubbles and cuddles! Jenni also did an amazing birthday party for my sons first birthday with a wide age range of children…everyone loved it and had so much fun. Would absolutely recommend Music Makers to everyone!”
If you have any further questions at all, please don’t hesitate to get in touch at musicmakersnorthants@gmail.com.