Beat the Winter Doldrums at Lamaze...

We've had a tough winter in Michigan so far, and spending too much time inside the house leads to exhausted parents and bored toddlers. Never fear, at Lamaze we are here to help you out of the winter doldrums!
This past weekend we hosted our first Beach Party. We cranked up the heat, dragged out a swimming pool, hula hoops, beach balls, bubbles, and sand toys and pretended for a couple of hours that we were in the tropics. Both the kids and adults seemed to enjoy the brief warm-up!

On February 8th, we look forward to having even more fun at our Valentine's Day Ball. I'm already in the process of assembling some fun Valentine's themed music to dance, twirl and jump to. We'll also have a Valentine's scavenger hunt and other fun activities. The little ones will get the opportunity to make a valentine and we'll read a book about the holiday. A Valentine's snack is also in the works! Space is limited, so if you know someone who might enjoy this activity, encourage them to register soon. Our Valentine's Day Ball and other seasonal toddler events are perfect for little ones from 6 months to 3 years!
And if your little one is home during the week, we now have Drop In Play every Monday from 10-11:30am and Drop In Arts and Crafts every Friday from 10-11:30 am. This is a great opportunity to get out of the house, socialize with other parents and caregivers, and burn some of that endless toddler energy.
While we can't promise that winter will end soon, we can provide you with some fun activities to make it go just a little faster. We hope to see you soon!
In the meantime, please enjoy some photos from our Beach Party:

New! Little Hands Explorers Toddler Playday and Class Series

Does your toddler love to explore the world around them? Then Lamaze Family Center has a great new class for you!

In our Little Hands Explorers toddler class you and your child will have a hands on play date with science. You'll conduct experiments such as "Fun with Light" and "Exploding Color Bubbles." When you're done experimenting, your child can enjoy a book, snack, and open play with his/her friends. This class is a great way to get your little one (ages 18-36 months) hooked on science, critical thinking, and reasoning from an early age. Plus it's bound to be both messy and tons of fun!

Our five class series starts on November 14th, but to kick off the class, we are offering two play days on October 31st and November 7th, from 9:30-11am. On October 31st you can get your Halloween off to a spooky start by making Magic Mud. On November 7th you can experiment with thrust by moving balloons on a string.

The cost of attending a playday is $15 and you can find out more and register online by clicking here.

The cost of the class series starting November 14th is $85 and you can find out more and register online by clicking here.
As a special bonus, anyone who attends one of our Little Hands Explorer playdays will get $10 off the price of registration for the Little Hands Explorers class series. What a great deal! So grab your toddler, grab a smock and come on over to Lamaze Family Center for some scary good science!

New! Drop in Play and Drop In Arts and Crafts at Lamaze.

New This Fall! Drop in Play and Drop in Arts and Crafts Times at Lamaze

Looking for something to do with your baby or toddler on Monday or Friday mornings? Lamaze Family Center has added new drop-in play and drop-in arts and crafts times for babies and toddlers. Drop in play times will be offered 2

Mondays each month, and Drop In Arts and Crafts will be offered on 2 Fridays each month. Additional drop in times may be added in coming months...

Drop In Play is available on the following Mondays from 10-11:30am:

Monday October 14, Monday October 28th, Monday November 11th, Monday November 25th

Drop In Arts and Crafts is available on the following Fridays from 10-11am:

Friday October 11, Friday October 25th, Friday November 8th, Friday November 22nd

At the Drop in Play times you will have access to our safe, cheerful play space with an array of ever-changing toys, including a swing and jumper for our littlest visitors. At the Drop in Arts and Crafts hour, we will provide art and craft materials as well as crafting ideas. We will also have some toys available so your budding artist can take a play break. 

Lamaze will provide free coffee to parents/caregivers and will have healthy snacks available for a small fee. You are also welcome to bring your own peanut-free snacks.

The cost of our Drop In Play and Drop In Arts and Crafts is $5 per child. Drop in Play is recommended for ages 0-3. Drop in Arts and Crafts is recommended for ages 0-5. You can register in advance for the drop in times or pay at the door. We hope to see you there! To learn more click here.

Fall Partnership Classes for Babies and Toddlers

At Lamaze Family Center Ann Arbor we have several great partners who offer classes for babies and toddlers at our location. This week's blog will provide some information about the great classes offered by two of our partners, Kindermusik and Signing Smart. Both programs have free preview classes coming up in the next week so you can check them out!

Kindermusik offers two types of classes at Lamaze, Kindermusik Village for babies 0-18 months, and Kindermusik Our Time for toddlers 18 months-3.5 years.
At Kindermusik classes you will experience:

• Variety of music. Musical diversity builds strong neural networks in a baby’s forming mind, which is why each Kindermusik semester contains an array of styles, sounds, and genres.

 
• Instrument play. Age-appropriate experiences with child-safe instruments enhances a sense of rhythm and steady beat, develops a keen awareness of the distinguishing qualities of sound, and encourages spontaneity and creativity.


• Dance. A classroom full of baby and adult pairs dancing together helps a little body develop the muscle strength needed to crawl and walk and helps a little heart to fall in love with the sheer joy of responding to music.

 
• Together time. A Kindermusik class is truly the essence of “quality time,”offering you a place to create special memories with your child, gain new insights into your child’s development, and nurture your child’s natural love of music.

 
• Expert advice. A Kindermusik educator explains “what-to-watch-for” every step of the way and how each activity enhances your child’s complete development
• Learning continues at home. With the home materials, the learning continues at home with your child’s best teacher—you! 

Kindermusik is offering two free preview classes at the Lamaze Family Center Ann Arbor on Wednesday September 11th. The Kindermusik Village (babies 0-18 months) preview will be held at 9:30am and the Kindermusik Our Time (toddlers 18 months-3.5 years) preview will be held at 10:30am. Registration is not required, but it gives us an idea of how many people to expect. You can register here.

Regular Kindermusik classes at Lamaze Family Center start on Wednesday September 18th.

Signing Smart is another valued Lamaze Family Center partner offering fall classes.

By participating in a Signing Smart class, you can learn songs, signs, and activities to help your child communicate frustration-free. 

Signing with your hearing infant or toddler (6 months to 2 years) is an intimate experience that enriches your bond with your child while promoting speech, conceptual development and long-term learning. 

With Signing Smart your child can express his needs and interests, which results in less frustration and fewer tantrums. Your child can finally "tell" you what's on her mind-long before she can speak!

Signing Smart is offering a free preview class on Saturday September 7th from 11:00-11:45am at Malletts Creek Library. Registration is not required, but it gives us an idea of how many people to expect. You can register here.

Regular Signing Smart classes at Lamaze Family Center start on Tuesday September 17th.

Come check out the free preview classes and open up a whole new world of learning for your baby or toddler. We hope to see you there!