MUSIC for TOTS in Cairns, Queensland, Australia | Music school

MUSIC for TOTS

Locality: Cairns, Queensland, Australia

Phone: +61 7 4034 1847

Address: 15 dungarvan drive 4870 Cairns, QLD, Australia

Website: http://www.musicfortots.com.au

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24.01.2022 Hi guys. We are into our second week of holidays, and will resume classes next Wednesday at our usual time. Because it is the opening day of the Cairns Show, we will have a less formal approach, as we may have a different or less busy class than usual. We will start with handle metal bells alternating them in each hand. Then, we will do our pitch rap, ' Two Clowns" each holding a brown and a white ball. My slide whistle will accompany each ball as the white ball goes up and t...he brown ball comes down. This is a great visual way to teach pitch or the height of any note. We will get tambourines out and do our "Monday-Tuesday" pattern, which introduces the triplet when we get to 'Saturday'. A triplet occurs in music when we spread 3 notes over one beat. It is best if this concept is learned early, by ear. We will all get microphones out and sing, TWINKLE, TWINKLE, as it is a favourite. I will hand-out notation for this familiar melody for you to take home and point to while you sing it over and over again. This is the beginning of reading words, as well as dots or notes on a pitch graph. We will get out bike horns and play to TOOT, TOOT, and enjoy riding in my BIG RED CAR. We will end with the tarp for rhythmic anticipation and the bubbles for pure joy. I hope to see some of you back again, but if you prefer to hit the show when it opens its doors, we will see you the following week. We will then be doing xylophones, sun shines, maracas, rain sticks, and light-up balls, thrown in a dimly lit room to the count of 4. We look forward to seeing you all back again, and meeting Alara's friend, Georgia. We are excited to greet Eva's new sibling, too! Enjoy your last week of non-scheduled activities. See more

19.01.2022 FLY SWATTERS CAN BE USED AS INSTRUMENTS! One of the most essential skills for brain development at a young age is alternation the arms and hands. The legs get alternated automatically by running and walking. The hands and arms, not so much. Take a piece of A4 paper and fold it in half like the photos indicate. Draw or paste a large image of a fly in the middle of each half. Take 2 flyswatters, and shorten the handles to about 6" length. Sing or play the song, "Poor Peter Rabb...it Had a Fly Upon His Nose" and give each child 2 flyswatters. The idea is to keep the beat with the swatters, killing the flies that are sitting on Peter Rabbit's nose. Kids love to swat things, and this is an ideal way to get them to alternate their arms. Fly swatters are very inexpensive, and can stimulate your child to move to the beat quite easily with this simple idea. Have fun. See more

19.01.2022 Think of activities and items that will get your children outside in the fresh air, and running around. Early mornings are ideal and after dusk, when the sun is not so hot. Sports, dancing, taking a walk, adopting a pet if suitable (perhaps you could babysit one for a week for a friend), flying a kite,....there are so very many ways to be in the great outdoors and to hear the sound of nature around you. Please take your children out to parks and the beach as much as you can t...his summer. Remember insect repellant and sun screen, hat and sunglasses. Camping is so excellent for bonding and just plain, not-too-expensive fun. Toast marsh-mellows and sing your favourite songs under the stars. Show plenty of love to your kids while they are young, and they will never forget that cosy nest they were raised in. It will comfort them for life. Make hugs and kisses on the cheek part of every day, as often as you greet each other. Make children feel valued and honoured and their self-esteem will surely be intact when the teenage years hit. Social media can be cruel, but if your child has a sound, positive self-image, they will take it in their stride. See more

18.01.2022 RIBBONS ON STICKS ARE GREAT FOR BOTH BOYS AND GIRLS! We all can picture the floor gymnastics at the Olympics where the athlete uses a ball, and/or a ribbon on a stick. These colourful ribbons on sticks are sold in the cheap shops at very little expense. They are amazing for movement to the beat, and the result is mesmerizing for little children. If you child is very young, you may need to shorten the ribbon or even the stick. We do "Wiggly Worms", by holding the stick downwa...rds and flicking it so that the ribbon slithers along the ground. We use the stick to make a figure eight in front of the body and then try a big circle out the side of the trunk to do 'Rodeos'. We put the stick up in the air and do a big circle to do 'Helicopters'. You can let the children go wild with their imaginations, and both little boys and girls love moving with these ribbons flying around them. Sometimes I blow bubbles and the children love to try and hit them with the ribbon. When you give a wound-up stick to a child, just hold the tip of the ribbon and let the stick fall to the ground. That is the easiest way to unwrap it. Roll it back onto the stick for storage and secure it with a rubber band. Easy and so much fun. I have never met a child who didn't get involved when presented with this fabulous aid. See more

18.01.2022 UNUSUAL INSTRUMENTS ARE SUCH FUN. I thought you might like to see some of the unusual instruments I have gathered over the years, although some have not stood the test of time!!! (50 years of teaching this year) The first is the "click-clack", introduced by Dr.Suzuki while lecturing at the Adelaide University in 1984. It is a leather rectangular strap that has wooden teeth stapled onto it horizontally which are shaped like teeth. Babies play them by pushing them up and ...down and you get a clicking sound much like an old-fashioned train. I use them in conjunction with the train whistle and alter the tempo (speed) of the music we are playing to. Then, there is the box marimba which was also inspired by Suzuki's, 'Slit Tongue Drum'. It is a rectangular, wooden drum raised off the floor, with 2 mallets. The top surface is cut into 8 different lengths so that the drum gives off 10 different varied tones when struck on the top surface in assorted places. There is a hole in one side for vibration to be amplified. Kids love these. I once found one of my loaned drums at an op shop, and was told when I went to buy it.....it was, of course... A BIRD HOUSE! Many have seen the coconut shell kalimba sold in places like Bali. It originated in Africa, and has a series of metal strips of different lengths. These cause a xylophone effect when they are pressed with both thumbs alternately and let go. These are also called, 'African Thumb Drums'. They can be bought in local markets. More different and unusual instruments to come in future posts. Loads of love for music and all the little ones out there. See more

17.01.2022 WHAT A SUPER CLASS TODAY! We had the most enthusiastic parents and lovely grandparents that I can ever remember! And while doing a clapping grid, one child called out, "THIS IS TOO HARD" and that has never happened in class before. I just burst into laughter and slowed it right down. We had the best children, Hamish singing all the way 'ABCD', and Piper singing softly to 'Twinkle'. I have never had a child that has smiled from birth like Piper. She is the happiest child I t...hink I have ever taught. We are so lucky to be able to have these little children come to us and learn so much in one 45 minute session. Next week we are using box marimbas, or slit tongue drums from Dr. Suzuki. They get 10 tones by bouncing 2 mallets all over the top. We will also get temple blocks which play the five tones in the Japanese pentatonic scale represented by the black notes on any keyboard or piano. We will have dangle bells, duck horns, castanets, spoons, and volume balls. The last item gets large or small as you squeeze it, and we move it according to the loudness or softness of the music. Children need to SEE volume, and pitch AS they hear it. Various rhythmic patterns are also shown by a body movement of moving a soft toy up and down as the pattern is repeated. (Ex:short, short, long) Nothing we do is hard, and we are always having fun exploring instruments and watching parents playing correctly. If a child is in the room while a class is happening, they will be learning more than you realize. They pick up so much from just watching, as well as experimenting with instruments. Nothing is less than a win-win, especially if Nanny or Poppy are in tow, filming the action! See more

16.01.2022 The Simplicity of Teaching Singing It is not hard to teach a young child to sing. If you can imitate a fire engine siren, you can teach your child to sing in tune. After you get the voice to go up and down in a long sound, you can get your little one to sing the simplest of songs in tune. That is THIS OLD MAN, HE PLAYED ONE. Those first 2 phrases are sung on the easiest jump between 2 tones. It is one that children sing naturally in the school yard. Usually the words go like ...this, "nah, nah". Once a child has mastered this initial interval, they can begin to sing, "Twinkle, Twinkle" or Mary Had a Little Lamb. Both of these melodies are easy and repetitive. Or OLD McDonald is another easy one with fun vocal sound effects. It you can't sing yourself, just use a CD or music on the car sound system. When you start by siren-ing the voice, you can easily wind up or down to being in pitch from below or above the correct sound. It is not as difficult as you might think. Once your child has gotten the two pitches of THIS OLD MAN, you can sing conversation on these two notes. Try singing conversation on other simple tunes you know. HAPPY BIRTHDAY is a good one, or JINGLE BELLS. Even if you can only sing the opening phrase, that is fine. Just SING.....SING as part of your everyday activities. Sing their name to a favourite melody. Kids love to hear their own name, or that of a sibling or pet. Make it fun, don't be critical, and give lots of praise for any efforts they make. If you really don't want to sing, then perhaps hum, or whistle, or rap by speaking words to a song to a beat. A toy microphone, or one that actually amplifies the voice is also a great investment. Kids love to imitate the folks they see on TV or in concert. Put on the music and pretend to play the guitar or the drums. Move to the beat and pretend to have a microphone. Use a hairbrush. Make it creative, and kids will be happy to join in. The essential ingredient is the love of music. If you love some kind of music, you can't go wrong in sharing this with your young child. See more

15.01.2022 Music for Tots lesson number one during the lockdown. Hang in there, guys!

15.01.2022 OUR GRAND, END OF TERM PARTY We celebrated with an end of term party today for Milo as he is heading off to Japan for term 4. It was also Amalie's first birthday, but I was only informed of that after class. We will celebrate her anniversary next term. We return for term 4 on October 9th with spinning bells, handle bells, pop guns, light-up balls, the 'banana, hamburger, hot dog' rap, and whizzies. These are some of my favourite instruments and I am hoping that Olivia has her... new brother soon so he can join in with us. Spinning bells are available over the internet, and they are magic as far as capturing the delight of children at any age. You put your fingers into the center piece and give it a hard spin. Then. let the mallet ride lightly where the bell flares as the metallic colours roll by until they slowly come to a stop. The result of this is a magnificent glissando of angelic proportion. Then, if you hold the center piece firmly still, you can play the entire scale either going up or coming down. You will get a colour-coded book of simple songs with every set of bells and can play on the soft or loud end of the mallet, as you choose. These bells never get lost or break, so they are indeed a great investment. I would definitely recommend them for a birthday or Christmas present for a 1-4 years old. Enjoy the holiday break here in Australia for the third school term of 2019. Christmas will soon be upon us. This year has gone as fast as the rest since my grandchildren have been in school. HAPPY VACATION, EVERYONE. Your children and grandchildren grow up so fast, enjoy every single minute you get to spend with them. See more

15.01.2022 TUNES FOR THE POOL! I noticed a mother and a 7-month-old little one in the pool at the Ramada in Port Douglas this morning. This Mamma was dunking her baby without any warning under the water, and then, he would cry when he was pulled up. It was hard for me not to say something. When our daughter was under one, I would hold her on my hip in water that was chest-deep. Then, I would sing to her as we turned around in a circle. 'JESSICA JOHNSON GOES JUMPY, JUMPY, JUMPY, JUMPY, ...and then I repeated that phrase as we jumped around like a minute hand on a clock, in the water. Then, we did "SPLASHY" to the same tune. This got our daughter's face wet and water in her eyes and up her nose. We were both splashing with our arms. She was laughing and enjoying this, and saying 'MORE'.Then, I cradled her head in my left arm with her resting on my elbow joint, and I pulled her backwards under the water, just up past her ears. I sang to the same tune.....JESSICA JOHNSON GOES SWIMMING, SWIMMING, SWIMMING, SWIMMING...(repeat). As we did these 3 little verses of a simple song, our toddler became more and more confident in the water, and I pulled her deeper and deeper under the water until her head was completely immersed. No aqua was going up her nose, as she was passing through the wetness from her head to her toes. Once she got the idea of holding her breath while her head was underwater, we did JESSICA JOHNSON GOES DIVING, DIVING, DIVING, DIVING.....and then I would pull her through the water for a short burst headfirst, and she would hold her breath. The was never any drama or dread involved with swimming. It was all fun, natural and in the dead of winter in Adelaide in a heated pool at Kerry O'Brien's gym. Jessica is a great swimmer to this day. If you have problems with singing, just chant or rap the words rhythmically. It achieves the same sense of expectancy every time you get in the water. Kids will love his activity and they will have no fear about eventually getting their face and head wet. See more

15.01.2022 KEEPING YOUR KIDS SAFE I have been teaching young children now for 50 years, and am increasingly aware of how necessary it is to keep them safe and secure at all times. When you are in a public place or relaxing in an area that is open to people you do not know, always tell your little children that IF THEY CAN'T SEE YOU, YOU CAN'T SEE THEM. This is a simple rule I learned from my daughter, Jessica Lock. Her 2 children reliably stay in her sight at all times, and it is reassu...ring to know when they go to theme parks, concerts, movies, shows, markets, parades or water-themed parks. Please keep your children in your view at all times. It only takes a few seconds for someone to whisk them away. Public toilets are especially notorious for kidnapping, so always keep your child in the booth with you, and don't ever let them go into these facilities alone. Make it a rule that the must always be able to see you. Much better safe than sorry in this instance. See more

14.01.2022 Today we had a great class with keyboards and simple songs. We learned how to slide up the keys with the back of the hand (using fingertips) and come down the white keys with the back of the thumb (using the thumb nail). We played HOT CROSS BUNS, by putting right pointer finger on the white note between any two black notes. Then middle finger goes on the white note to the right and thumb plays the right note to the left. If tall-man/middle finger is number 3, pointer finger i...s number 2 and thumb is number 1, bend your fingers like you are holding a walnut in its shell and place your wrist parallel to the keys. Play 3-2-1 and hold. 3-2-1 and hold. Now run 4 time on 1, run 4 times on 2 and repeat 3-2-1 and hold. That will give you the tune to Hot Cross Buns. We did a clap/slap rap of sandwich/drink and a bag of chips on top of the tune, "TOOT TOOT, CHUGGA, CHUGGA" and it was easy for all to follow. We had chatters which force a forward flexion of the wrist to play, then finger cymbals which dangle and make a high-sounding, elongated 'bing', and then 3 fingered puppets using our pointer, thumb and baby finger to make them nod, and clap. The puppet company I mentioned is FOLKMANIS.COM and I use MiniZoo here in Australia as they deliver very quickly. We ended our class with kazoos and balloons, singing BUZZY BEE, and letting the balloons fly around the room at the end of the song. We sang the melody through the kazoos. Then, we tied the balloons up and kept them up in the air. The children were all engaged and quite observant, and loved watching the floating balloons. Watching another child or parent doing something correctly is a great way for a wee one to learn. Copying and repeating an action they have seen is often the way a child begins doing something for the first time. When this happens, always lay on the praise. Today we had a complete song from Piper on the microphone. She sang 'ABCD' all the way through. That was thrilling for me. Holidays are now on for the next two weeks. We will resume classes the day the SHOW OPENS in Cairns. See more

14.01.2022 Today we had our first session of Music for Tots for semester two in Cairns, Far North Queensland. This Wednesday, it was cool and fine, and the class was super full. We welcomed Kellan, Eva's one week old little, baby brother, who entered this world weighing 9.1 pounds! Well done, Kylie. Natural birth, and she was sitting on the floor today helping Eva dance and play the xylophone. Because I put up the wrong list of instruments, we did xylophones today, and learned to hold t...Continue reading

12.01.2022 THE BEAUTY OF A SIMPLE HARMONICA Harmonicas are easy to play, durable and not expensive. They should be bought for each child and labeled with every name however. They are blown with the mouth, and saliva may gather and remain in the square holes. (Oh, that sounds yucky, but it isn't! ) It is best to store harmonicas where they will get air to dry out. Don't store them in a dark, sealed place. Harmonicas will normally play a blending chord when you blow into them, although ...careful practise will allow you to play a melody on just one note at a time. If you blow to the left, the sounds will go lower, and to the right, higher. To blow a scale of notes quickly, just pull the instrument from left to right as you blow (or visa versa) and the sound should really appeal to children. If you suck in the air, you will get the next chord in the scale of the key your harmonica is in. Harmonicas only play in one key. That is determined by the size of the instrument. This affordable woodwind item allows a child to experiment with harmonious sounds and get immediate results that sound pleasing. You will not regret buying one of these for a camping trip, or just for lazy days at home when children are indoors. Try to find a song they like on a CD that they will love to play along to. You will know you are in the right key, if the harmonica blends with the tones of the song. Have fun with this idea, and I will say more about kazoos next time. They are equally fun and not costly either. See more

11.01.2022 MULTI-RHYTHM EQUALS A SUCCESSFUL EDUCATION The importance of mental rhythm within the brain is not spoken of too much, but often in a sports match, the commentator will say that a competitor 'found his rhythm', and went on to win the game. Finding ones rhythm happens mainly in the brain. To help your child keep 6 rhythms going in their mind (and therefore their body) they need to be able to keep three rhythms in their head at once, ideally, before they turn four. There is an ...easy way to do this. Choose a simple song that you can sing, chant, or play on a CD. I suggest, "TWINKLE, TWINKLE", as the underlying pattern is so simple and repetitive. Now, clap or clap-slap the rhythm, 'short, short, long' ..as in clapping the words, "Santa Claus". You always have the steady rhythm of the beat underlying every song or rap, and then you add the pattern of the lyrics that will go into the ear. When you add a third rhythm that you clap or clap-slap (and keep repeating), you are making the brain deal with three rhythms at one time. If your child can master this, they can later manage 6 rhythms at one time. This helps with all physical activity, math, language, public speaking, self-confidence, balance, co-ordination, memory, and the myriad of things music helps the brain to conquer. Never underestimate the power of mental rhythm and the doors it opens in a child's actions and thoughts. Once your child can clap this pattern, give them an untuned instrument and get them to play this pattern. Have them sing the song and perfect the rhythm on any instrument, and they will be so much more capable of learning every physical task you set before them. Moving different muscles in sync is no easy task for a baby, or toddler, but as they grow...multi-rhythm is essential for them to establish patterns within their muscle groups. This also establishes a direct connection between movement and thought. Music and rhythm is the most painless way to teach a child to master most things that will be necessary in their life. I sailed through university because I could recant the rhythms of the outlines I had structured and memorized after every lecture. Math was music to me, and on exams, I never made a mistake. It was like second nature, as I had been taught music from such an early age. Learning was easy-peasy and I never got nervous about anything I was asked to accomplish. I practised my instruments, and I studied after lessons, and the rest just came very comfortably. I would love to make that so for other youngsters. Give it a try. See more

11.01.2022 OK...we are all locked-down and staying at home. In lieu of weekly classes, I am going to post a short, new, educational song each Wednesday. This song, entitled "A RAM SAM SAM" is an action song using slapping the thighs, and putting the arms in the air. The rhythmic pattern is short, short, long as in 'Jingle Bells'. The hands in the air are held for 4 long beats. The best way to get your child to join in is to just do these actions and let them observe you. It is evident that most learning comes through copying the parent in the earliest years of life. They will join in when they are ready. I hope you can follow along with this and that it is helpful to you while lessons are on hold. God Bless You All as you wait out this difficult time for everyone.

11.01.2022 I have already shared the importance of alternating the hands and arms for ultimate brain development. Giving a child a drum with 2 mallets or a bongo drum for use with both hands is a great way to stimulate kids to swop their hands. If they are not getting the concept from watching you, try putting their shoes on their hands and ask them to walk on the table...putting down old newspaper or cloth so they do not get your table dirty. I have used the idea of swatting flies with 2 fly swatters that have had their handles shortened as well, and a piece of A4 paper presented horizontally, and one fly drawn in each half of the paper. This will get you the desired results.

09.01.2022 MUSIC FOR TOTS class today, July 31st, was awesome. We had our usual roll-up of lovely kids and parents on a brilliant weather day here in Cairns. We started with giant clappers and ended with bubbles and shiny shakers. Next week, we will have spinning melody bells to begin with. These are a visual and auditory delight to any little child. When spun on the central holder, they give off a glorious glissando of sound going either upwards, or downwards, when the mallet is held ...loosely and rides along where the bells flare. As the speed of the moving bells falls away, the scale of notes becomes quite clear, and the direction of the Do-Re-Mi becomes obvious. You can also hold the circle of bells firmly, and then play simple songs on these bells. Coloured music is provided upon purchasing this great instrument. It is quite strong and durable, and the mallet has a soft and a loud end. This is an instrument that fascinates every single child. We will do movement to the vocal rap, "A RAM, SAM, SAM" followed by maracas to get the arms alternating. The guiro will give each child a way to make a scraping, zipping sound, and the click-clacks will enable them to sound like a, 'clicketty-clacketty' train. We will end with BUZZY BEE, when we play kazoos to the melody and let a balloons fly at the end of the song. I will use my five-fingered bee puppet from Folkmanis. 'BUZZ, BUZZ, BUZZY BEE, OH WE LOVE YOU SO...I WONDER WHERE YOU'LL FLY OFF TO, WHEN WE LET YOU GO? Finally, we will tie up the balloons and keep them in the air, with everyone batting them as they descend to the ground. We will all join to enable every balloon to remain off the ground if possible. Fun for all, parents, grandparents, and kids alike. See more

09.01.2022 FROG QUIROS ARE SO TOTALLY REALISTIC! Living in the wet tropics gives us plenty of frogs and toads croaking when it rains. The frog guiro (available at 'Imagine', in Port Douglas) is super cool for being authentic and awesome. You hold the frog body in your left hand with you left palm cupped underneath it, to make an echo chamber for the sound. Then, you take the scraper, with the wider end, and let it ride as you move it along the ridge from the tail to the top of the fro...g's head. (I realize that a frog doesn't have a tail) When we first moved to the Tropics 34 years ago, and it rained, the sound of the green tree frogs croaking totally wiped out the sound of the TV, the CD player, and anyone trying to talk to one another. The clatter was so loud we closed all the windows and it was still deafening. The pouring rain on the tin roof was intense, but the frogs were more disruptive. The frog guiro sounds exactly like a bull frog. The depth of the sound depends on the size and length of the wooden frog. These instruments hold the donger through the head of the frog, and are durable, inexpensive and so much fun for kids. If you ever get a chance, they are well worth the money and make a great conversation piece for your coffee table or desk. See more

08.01.2022 Today, July 24, was just great with microphones, and so many happy faces. Next week we are starting with big hand clappers as that really encourages alternating the hands, striking them on the carpet for maximum effect for the boys! We will do, "WHAT'S THE TIME, MISTER WOLF", from the latest Wiggles album, and count and double the beat. We will be moving our arms, as this is so wonderful for brain development. We will get out whizzies for circular wrist flexion, as the boys ...really love these too. We will continue with bells for the younger and quieter children, and then sing, 'Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree', jumping stuffed Kookaburras to the beat of a base of 4 swopping to a base of 3. The laughing kookaburra that I have was bought at the Australian Geographic Society shop in Cairns Central. We will finish with shakers, dancing to the music, emphasizing our arms. This morning we did microphones, and we remembered to hold them out the front of our mouth, not below. Tell your child, "it is a microphone, not an ice cream cone!" See more

07.01.2022 POP GUNS ARE GREAT FOR RHYTHM! If you see a wooden pop-gun with a red handle at a fair or in a shop, grab an opportunity to buy a totally fantastic toy for a child. they are durable and easy to use. Just cock the cork gently, and then hit the handle sharply to allow the cork to fly quickly making a big POPPING noise. There are guns that pose no harm, unless you aim them closely right at your own face. They are heaps of fun and you can sing or rap the song, 'POP GOES THE WEASEL' and allow your child the pleasure of popping just the right time. I know you will have fun with this simple, old-fashioned toy. You can source them on line as well, from $2.99 to $7.99 depending upon the distributor.

05.01.2022 I AM SORRY THIS POST HAS BEEN UNATTENDED. After the first lesson posted below at the beginning of lockdown last March, I started to port the lessons on the main face book page under conniejohnsoncairns. That page has about 15 lesson posts on it. I thought that would reach more people than this side page. Those lessons are still available if you scroll down my main face book page. Face book changed their set-up for face book, and I thought they had dropped this page. Please go... to the main page and scroll down for more lesson ideas. I apologise but this pandemic has certainly affected us all in many ways. I actually had no idea that this page was active until I was finally notified last week. I wrote an apology for this and it went on to the my main page. So, I am confused, BUT STILL TEACHING LESSONS IN CAIRNS. TO BOOK FOR 2021, TEXT 0447956312. AGAIN, SORRY FOR THIS. See more

03.01.2022 WE ARE BACK THIS WEEK on Wednesday morning at our usual time. We are doing bubbles this week, along with many other of my favourite things. I hope you can all return to class, or come and check it out. A $5 donation goes to Compassion International to feed homeless, third-world orphans.

02.01.2022 TRY FROG GUIROS NEXT WEEK IN CLASS! We will be doing frog guiros in class next week at Music For Tots. We will begin with small guitars and follow with a clapping grid that goes over a song on CD that we all know and love. Then, we will all get frog guiros, and you will see how we can recreate the sounds of the rainforest in a pouring storm. We will all try popper drums which are to develop side-flicking wrist flexion, and then get side clackers to help the wrist flex hor...izontally (like the queen waves). We will end with special cloth shakers made for a festive celebration one missionary Sunday at our church. The children love the solid handles on these colourful creations. We hope all the regulars will be well and able to attend. We miss you when you are sick. We have had exceptionally cold weather lately, and that doesn't help our health in general. Stay warm in your hearts and homes. See more