INTRODUCING HAPPY “HALF” HOUR!

We have discovered the need for Happy HALF Hours!  We are now offering the same great educational entertainment that lasts a half-hour for the rate of $50.  This is a great option for birthday parties of children turning 2 and 3 as it is a good amount of time for their attention spans.  It is also the way to go if you have other activities planned for the party guests or just have a shorter party planned.

We have had success with a few Happy HALF Hours and look forward to many more to come!

Tosa Farmer’s Market

The farmers that come to the market know a lot about GROWING.  The first Saturday in June, we “planted ourselves” outside the Little Red Store to celebrate the kick off of the 2010 Tosa Farmer’s Market season.

We enjoyed singing and spending time learning about the wonderful treasures the farmers bring to the market with the call-and-response song, “Going to the Market.”

We read a great book about sunflowers and by the end, everyone was joining in on the phrase “that stands in my garden day and night.”  We sang a song called “Valley of Vegetables” and laughed about the funny sounds vegetables can make… how cucumbers crunch, how zucchinis can squish squash, and the chomping sound of eating a potato.

While no train was in sight during our happy hour!, that didn’t stop us from singing one of our favorites, “Little Red Caboose” as the children chugged around the track!

We look forward to sharing more garden fun at the market the first Saturday in August!

HAPPY HOUR! AT THE VICTORY GARDEN BLITZ!

What a great way to kick off our summer theme – Gardens and Growing!

The Victory Gardens Initiative and Transition Milwaukee celebrated a day of gardening!  From sun up to sun down, volunteers worked hard to bring and build garden beds to hundreds of people in Milwaukee!  As the sun set, they celebrated their success with a party right on beautiful Lake Michigan!

Happy Hour! set up shop under the large treehouse and sang and read with families who were equally passionate about gardens and growing!

With the song, “Three Main Things” we learned that green plants need sun, air, and water to grow.  We sang fingerplays to familiar tunes, like “This is the Way We Plant Our Seeds” and incorporated gardening movements to songs like “Dig A Hole Deep in the Ground” sung to “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.”

We shared a great book about planting a “Surprise Garden” and ended with a wonderful song about growing, “The Garden Song.”

“Plant your rows, straight and long.  Temper them with prayer and song.  Mother Earth will make you strong if you give her love and care.”

EJ’S ANIMAL BASH

How wonderful it was to be greeted by the birthday girl, all smiles, whiskers, and stripes!  EJ celebrated her third birthday as a tiger!  Her love of animals inspired this fun-filled celebration.

We excitedly gathered new material to incorporate as we are animal-lovers ourselves.  The children shared their favorite animals as we hopped aboard the “Zoo Train.”  While singing and making train sounds with egg shakers, they also learned the corresponding ASL sign for each animal.

The party guests had animal tails which added to the fun of singing the book, “Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?”  We learn at the end of the book that it is children dressed as animals making the animal sounds!

With all the animal action, it was fun to say good-bye to our friends with a special alligator song.

“EJ, see ya later.  Later, Alligator.  After awhile, crocodile.  Bye, for now.”

Photos courtesy of:  Tracie Stier-Johnson of TSJ Photography

ELLA IS FABULOUS AND FIVE!

Ella’s fifth birthday was filled with fantastically fancy friends… and feathered boas!!  With turning five, it was the perfect opportunity to practice counting by fives with a new song!  The princesses had a blast showing their crowns, waving their wands, and curtsying low in the song “If You’re a Princess and You Know It.”

The Birthday girl even shared her boa and princess hat so we were able to join in the princess fun with the girls as we read two of Ella’s favorite, fancy books, “Goldilicious” and “Fancy Nancy.”

Even pretty princesses know how to get down – and they did with a round of “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.”

Thanks, Ella for inviting us to share in your special day.  It was awesome!

HAPPY HOUR! SUPPORTS SANTA’S CASTLE

We were invited to read books and sing songs with children at the Junior League’s holiday event, Santa’s Castle.  Many families gathered to share holiday cheer at the Milwaukee School of Engineering’s auditorium.  It was inspiring to join the other volunteers who worked so hard to provide a special time for Milwaukee’s youth in foster care.

Thanks, Kerry Hansen for giving us the opportunity to share our love of books and music with these amazing kids!

ABIGAIL’S PRINCESS PARTY!

We arrived at Abby’s fourth birthday party and were greeted by 10 fancy princesses!  We got things started with a special Birthday Balloon finger play and song – it was fun to hear some of the princesses’ favorite colors!  Who needs Musical Chairs when you have a fun, musical activity like “Going to a Party!”  The princesses pranced around in a circle and ended up in front of plates of cake, ice cream, pizza and popcorn!  They sang and raised their plates high during each round until it was time prance again.

We learned about many different animals and practiced our counting while we sang the book, “Over in the Meadow.”  One song about frogs led to the next as we sang one of Abby’s favorites, “Five Green and Speckled Frogs.”  Afterall, every princess needs a frog.

It was so much fun singing and dancing with such lovely princesses…  And who knew this would be the first of three happy hour! birthday parties on the same block?!

Thank you, Abigail!

Lulu Turns Two

It was an honor for us to be invited to help celebrate Lulu’s birthday.  With family from out-of-town and friends from the neighborhood, Lulu certainly enjoyed her special day.  She and her friends had fun reading The Very Busy Spider and singing “Itsy Bitsy Spider.”

When the Elmo puppet made his appearance, the children lit up and really enjoyed singing “If You’re Happy and You Know It” with him.  They had a great time taking turns pretending to be baby elephants swinging in their mother’s trunk when we did “Hidey, Hidey, Ho.”  We also sang a counting song in Spanish as well as a song called “I Have Two…” which allows for us to talk about different parts of our bodies that come in pairs…  hands, legs, eyes, ears, etc…  They had fun moving and grooving to the “Hokey Pokey” and as well as singing about the colors of the rainbow.

Speaking of colors, we loved those adorable pink penguin cookies your Mom made.  What a lucky birthday girl.

Cheers to an amazing two year-old!  May you have a wonderful year, Lulu!

Little Red Caboose…

Oh, such fun was had by all at the Tosa Farmer’s Market kick-off!  So many people came together to support the fabulous upcoming market that will be starting in our community next Spring!

A large group gathered in front of the Little Red Store to sing and read with happy hour!  We opened with “Market Day” by local author, Lois Ehlert and sang about fruits, vegetables, and flowers in our own version of a Raffi song, “Goin’ to the Market.”  Just as the party was getting into full swing, a train came chugging down the track!!!  The sheer volume of the train stopped us all in our tracks and we all took a moment to watch the cars as they went by.  Perfect timing for a rousing rendition of “Little Red Caboose!”

We were so happy to be part of this wonderful event.  Can’t wait ’til Spring!

Tosa Farmers Market HAPPY HOUR!

This Saturday, September 26th, we’ve been invited to lead a HAPPY HOUR at the  Tosa Farmers Market Kick-Off event!

Down in the village beneath the Harmonee bridge, the festivities begin at 8am and run until noon. Come out and show your support for the weekly market coming to our community next year!

Meet us in front of the Little Red Store at 10am to read along, sing along and play!

Hope to see you there…