Learning made fun

Join In The Fun This Easter With Teesside Musical Minis

Teesside Musical Minis are really excited to announce their EASTER PARTIES!

Are you looking for a fun activity in the Easter holiday when your usual weekly activities have stopped? Look no further!

Teesside Musical Minis are running some Easter parties.

These are £5.80 per child per session and includes a chocolate Easter egg, bunny or Easter gift. Suitable for babies and pre-school age children. Siblings welcome, please ask for details.

These are one hour non-religious sessions including action songs, nursery rhymes, Easter stories with puppets and props. Parachute fun and bubbles, time with our wide variety of percussion instruments and lot and lots of FUN!

Venues, dates and times are as follows:

Monday 10th April – 10am–11am – Galley Hill Leisure Centre, Guisborough

Monday 10th April – 1pm-2pm – Ingleby Barwick Community Hall

Tuesday 11th April – 10am–11am – Friends Meeting House, Great Ayton

Tuesday 11th April – 1pm–2pm – Marton Methodist Church

Wednesday 12th April – 10am-11am – Wolviston Community Hall

PLACES ARE LIMITED AND MUST BE BOOKED AND PAID FOR IN ADVANCE AT http://teesside.musicalminis.co.uk/events/

OR BY CONTACTING [email protected], call 01642 272 034 or text 07581 549363

Boy Or Girl - To Know Or Not To Know?

Guest post from Rachel Parker. Rachel runs some sessions for Durham Musical Minis.

I'm currently 18 weeks pregnant with my second baby and in a few days time my husband and I will be attending the routine ultrasound scan where we will have the chance to find out the sex of the baby. We still haven't decided whether to find out or not!

When we attended this scan for our first baby we knew for sure that we wanted to know if was going to be a boy or a girl. We were given the news that I was carrying a healthy baby boy and the thing I remember most was the enormous grin on my husband's face. It was as though I could read his mind and he was imagining taking his son to football matches, passing on his DIY skills and one day popping to the local pub together for a beer. I started buying blue clothes and toy cars and we painted the nursery for our little boy. We picked out a name and always referred to our unborn baby as a he. We were so excited.

Then a few weeks before I was due to give birth I started to wonder, what if they had got it wrong? I had built up this idea of a baby boy in my head, given him a name and decorated his room and what if it was a girl? Would I be disappointed? Would I miss the little boy I had imagined I was having? As it turned out, I was worried over nothing as I gave birth to a healthy baby boy and he was everything I imagined and more!

So this time do I save myself that worry and leave it as a surprise or take the risk again? I just can't decide!

My reasons for finding out at the scan include being able to focus our attention on either boys or girls names (so far we haven't agreed on any for either sex) and finding it that little bit easier to explain to our little boy that he is going to have either a brother or a sister rather than being a bit ambiguous about the whole thing. I also remember from last time that once I knew I was having a boy it suddenly all felt a bit more real and somehow the bond between us and the baby grew stronger and I would love to have that feeling again.

The only reason I can think of why I wouldn't want to find out at the scan (other than the possibility of the sonographer making a mistake) is that it would "spoil" the surprise. I have this idea that my husband could be the one to tell me the sex at the birth and I know he'd love that.

Of course none of these reasons matter that much when all we really care about is that the newest addition to our family is healthy and happy.

At the time I'm writing this I'm leaning more towards finding out at the scan but if it turns out that our little one is camera shy and doesn't want us to know just yet, I don't think I'll be too disappointed.

Durham Musical Minis has classes throughout the week in Belmont, Chester Le Street, Durham, Lanchester and Newton Hall. If you would like to know more about Musical Minis Durham, please visit the website, email [email protected] or phone Louise on 07743 827281.

Musical Minis Announces Franchisee Of The Year!

Children’s music and development franchise Musical Minis have announced that Jo Weaving, owner of Musical Minis South Wales has been awarded the title ‘ Outstanding Franchisee of the Year’.

At their recent annual conference, founder Karen Sherr and husband Rob revealed that Jo, a Mum from Barry with two boys Jack who is 13 years old and Harrison who is 8 years old, had been selected to recognise her consistent support over many years. Jo bought the business 13 years ago when her eldest son was a baby. Karen and Rob also praised Jo for her organisational skills, tenacity and for supporting Head Office.

Karen said, “Jo had been selected to recognise her positive outlook and contribution to the franchise over many years. This year in particular Jo has been extremely helpful. In addition to assisting Head Office with their initiatives, Jo took a new franchisee, Hazel Shaw, Musical Minis franchisee for East Cardiff and Gwent, under her wing to give Hazel the best start possible. Jo is always willing to share her time and thoughts with us and the other franchisees and we are delighted to acknowledge this through the franchisee of the year award.”

Jo said, “I was delighted and honoured to receive the award at this year’s franchisee meeting. I love running Musical Minis classes in South Wales and it's so rewarding watching the children learn new skills and grow in confidence as they attend our classes. I have a fantastic team working with me, for which I'm very grateful, and between us, we have seen hundreds and hundreds of children, and their carers, enjoy our classes over the years.”

Jo runs classes throughout the week in Barry, Barry Island, Bridgend, Cardiff Bay and Pontyclun. If you would like to know more about Musical Minis South Wales, please visit the website www.musicalminis.co.uk, email [email protected] or phone Jo on 01446 733788.

St. David's Day 2017 Celebrations With Musical Minis South Wales

Guest blog post by Jo Weaving our South Wales Musical Minis franchisee.

Having grown up in England, I’d never witnessed any special celebrations for any of the Patron Saints days before, although I could tell you who the Patron Saints for each country within the UK are, and their special days, having learnt this for a badge when I was a Brownie. But, although I’d lived in Wales, for a number of years, before I became a Mum, it wasn’t until I had my first baby and started taking him along to groups, that I actually realised how much effort goes into celebrating St David’s Day and also the Welsh language. Welsh is a core subject in Wales, from preschool, right up to the age of 16, when youngsters sit GCSE Welsh, and even though my children don’t attend a ‘Welsh School’ they have a good grasp of basic Welsh. On St. David’s Day, children go to school dressed for the occasion, outfits often include leeks, daffodils, rugby players and of course Welsh national dress, and they celebrate with a traditional ‘Eisteddfod’ which includes competitions and activities for art, creative writing, poetry, music & baking.

It’s through my own children’s learning that I have picked up the odd word or two and through taking them to various ‘baby groups’ that I have learnt a few Welsh preschool songs.

It was this that gave me the original idea, a few years ago, to try celebrating St. David’s Day in Musical Minis. It was such a success that this has become part of my annual Musical Minis programme.

We start our session by singing our name song in Welsh, we sing Head’s Shoulders, Knees and Toes in Welsh and we have a couple of well-known, and simple Welsh nursery rhymes. We also have a very special Dragon in our storybag. Our class members are encouraged to come along dressed for the occasion and the grown-ups seem to appreciate the effort.

To add to my own celebrations this year, I was delighted to be invited into the primary school that my youngest child still attends, to run Musical Minis as part of their ‘Welsh Week Celebrations.’

Dydd gŵl Dewi Sant Hapus.

Jo runs classes throughout the week in Barry, Barry Island, Bridgend, Cardiff Bay and Pontyclun. If you would like to know more about Musical Minis South Wales, please visit the website, email [email protected] or phone Jo on 01446 733788.