Please post ideas for a baby moves class. Mommy and me format for tots 18 months to 2 years. Would like activities that engage both mom and child for a 30 mnute class. They can not sit through a mat warm up ... just too young. How would you start this class and keep it flowing? Props ofcourse ... any activity or exercise in particular would be helpful!Thanks very nuch.

I gotta be honest, I don't believe in an 18 month to 2 year class. Just my opinion. Please keep it updated on how it goes and how the kids do. I'm very curious.

Just a note of encouragement, I've been at two studios that had great success with their mommy and me classes for this age. I was not the teacher, so I can't give you any ideas right now, but I will check with my colleagues and pass their notes on to you!

I have taken and taught Mommy and me with both of my daughters and found it most successful when run as a pre-dance or creative movement. We start with baskets and bunny hop, then we do frog hops, we use scarves for wings and do baby bumblebees flying (releve walks) then grown up bumblebees flying (releve runs), we make a circle and gallop (chasse) to The Unicorn Song or Yankee Doodle, we go to letters and do ballerina arms "port de bras", and we use dolly's with Miss Polly had a Dolly for plie, tendu, passe, first position practice. If you do a tap portion which I start after Dec we do taps, heels holding hands, then wheels on bus with hula hoops marching around to room for formation changes, then Ants go marching for diff formations and knees, pockets, clap, we do shakers and BINGO for rhythm, and brush spank tap (slow shuffles) at letters.

avandy, It takes a special teacher to work with this kids this age. It can be very successful if done properly. I have been leading this class as a creative movement in a "mom and me" format for several years. We do stretching were the mommies phycically touch the child to help them. The moms do every exercise right along side baby.... a lot of moving a singing and very little sitting on one place for very long. We explore prek copncepts through movement ... emotions,colors, shapes, weather, etc. Very much similar to kindermusic but leaning towards kinderdance. MUch fun.There is always that 18 month old who just is not ready yet. We are always up front and honest with parents about thisas we ell them their child needs to wait a little longer. These parents almost always revisit ud later. Just looking a few a few fresh ideas to keep our momentum going.

dancingmiracle wrote:

avandy, It takes a special teacher to work with this kids this age. It can be very successful if done properly. I have been leading this class as a creative movement in a "mom and me" format for several years. We do stretching were the mommies phycically touch the child to help them. The moms do every exercise right along side baby.... a lot of moving a singing and very little sitting on one place for very long. We explore prek copncepts through movement ... emotions,colors, shapes, weather, etc. Very much similar to kindermusic but leaning towards kinderdance. MUch fun.There is always that 18 month old who just is not ready yet. We are always up front and honest with parents about thisas we ell them their child needs to wait a little longer. These parents almost always revisit ud later. Just looking a few a few fresh ideas to keep our momentum going.

I'm a big believer in introducing kids to the arts early, just my personal opinion is 18 months is too young. But hey, that's my personal opinion.

Now what do y'all think about this? There's a studio down the street (who's been struggling to stay open for a while now) that started a baby class starts at 6 MONTHS OLD! Am I the only one that thinks that's crazy? I'm pretty sure I know why she started it. We had someone come in over the summer inquiring about a class for her 6 month old twins. We said sorry, but we don't start them til they're 2. So I bet she went down the street asking for the same thing and the SO there thought "Oh, that's something no one else offers!" It just baffled me!

I use Gari Stein's program. It is called Music for Little Folks. It is a great success for little ones and reasonably priced as well. I have a class of walking to 2 years and they respond well to it. Please let me know if I can help you out more. Best of luck. They are so cute!

I'm sure at 6 months old it's more a mommy and me sit in a circle and sing and mommy claps my hands etc... I did a gymboree class with my daughters as babies and it was more about getting a reason to get dressed and get out of the house, meet other Mom's and help baby socialize than about anything truly artistic. But hey if everyone's having fun and noone's getting hurt- good for that studio for recognizing a need in their community.

I think that many teachers who try to lead a group of young tots are unsuccessful bc they approach the class in the same manner as teaching a 3,4, or 5 year old. Two different worlds. Approach a class for 18 months to 2 years as a 30 minute social time for mom and child were mom may use baby as resistance for certain exercises and baby may dance around with mommy while hearing age appropriate music and increasing large motors. It is a social class ... kids are learning social skills that will prepare them to enter preK. Like I said earlier ... not all are ready at 18 months but those who are accept it and blossom from week to week. Our next project ... sensory motor. Using bare feet on stepping stones textured with various surfaces (rough, smooth, soft, etc)

Also, don't forget the class rules are different ... there is A LOT of talking and LAUGHTER!

BTW avandy 6 months is too young! i don't know any kids that can walk at 6 months.

dancingmiracle wrote:

BTW avandy 6 months is too young! i don't know any kids that can walk at 6 months.

That's what we said! I think she just went for it because it's one thing she "has over us", know what I mean? And I guess she figures start them at the youngest in the area and you keep them as they grow older. Which is somewhat logical, but at 6 months? That's just ridiculous.

I guess I just don't have the mind set to be so free and flexible. I have class plans, scheduled tests, a very strict time line both during the class and through out the year. And I know with a 18 month old class I'd have to know I can't stick to it, and that bothers me...I'm too OCD!

avandy, I applaud you for knowing your limits and not offering the class "just because everyone else does." So many SOs or teachers will tech classes for that reason, and wonder why they fail, when in all actuality, they just don't have the skill set needed for those particular classes.

I will agree with the others, though and say that its more about socializing and gross motor and sensory perception, and spending time with mommy to boot!

I am sure they are not expected to walk in a 6 month class. As a previous poster said, it's more sitting with mom, singing songs, moving their body parts, etc. My mentor offers classes for 2 months-pre-walking and they are amazing! I wish I had the gusto to start a class like this! Maybe one day after I have had my own children I will feel more confident in doing so.

I agree that many of these classes fail because of the expectation that an 18 month old will do well with the same class structure as a 3 year-old especially since mom will be there with them. I have made this mistake in the past.