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Ms. Janis In Action!

Ms. Janis Singing

Jump In The Circle....

Visit Ms. Janis Music at www.msjanis.com 

 View more of Ms. Janis Photos on Gigsalad here: http://www.gigsalad.com/janisdionne/photos

Ooo La La Music!

Ms. Janis creates fun, engaging music for kids 3-5 years old and moms of all ages. The lyrics are catchy and the rythmn keeps the children moving. We all love a great sing-a-long! If you believe that you have a little superstar performer in the making, then listening to music together is a great place to start.  Good singing is all about listening carefully as you sing, and making your voice expressive. Flash back to a time when you had the joy of watching a child sing along expressively to the words of a favorite song... makes you smile, doesn't it?

If you truly believe singing is a talent you could help your child develop, there are several resources that teach the essentials of becoming a good singer as well as techniques that’ll help your child improve his or her singing voice.  Singing is a fun, creative way to learn and an excellent vehicle for self-expression. It allows a young mind the freedom to travel through their fantasy world.

If your child loves singing, encourge them by exposing them to a variety of fun, entertaining and upbeat songs. Make it extra interactive by adding your personal mommy touch.  For example, incorporate a mommy and me warm-up. Before playing the fun music and singing along with your child, encourage your child to sing some la la la's and do-re-mi's as a warm-up, just for fun!

Music is another way to nurture a gift that your child has without any "pressure".  Just as bedtime stories help children develop a love of books and an increase in imagination,  so too can music impact your child's life in the most positive ways for years to come!


If you would like a sample of Ms. Janis Music, click here for your FREE Download. Click here to purchase her CD. Have fun, sharing the joy of music with your little ones!

Let's Play Outer Space: Indoor Activities for Children

At times nothing describes parenting better than stress! Pretty bold statement, right?... Well as far as I can tell, there are no stress-free ages or stages in raising children. Oh, at times things might be a little less challenging than others but children, like us adults all have their ups and downs. Experts tell us that some stress, in moderate doses, actually increases performance. It is supposed to keep us sharp and ready for action. Let's take the scenario of a rainy day and you are "stuck" in the house with the children. How will you keep the kids having fun, occupied and creating lasting positive memories? Sure, there are a myriad of things you could come up with... let's take it to the limit and explore outer space!!!

Image Source: Artsonia.com

I love using themes when playing games.  Here are some indoor games that explore the outer limits, for children ages 3-5. These games are loads of fun, and they also target gross motor skills at the same time.  (Tie these activities together with a book about outer space for further enjoyment.)

“Young children can acquire literacy skills in developmentally appropriate ways using a learning tool they enjoy - movement.” Rae Pica (www.naeyc.org/yc/columns)

Keeping your 3-5 year olds moving, active and having fun, even on a rainy day is a win-win for everyone! Below, I will share not one, not two, but three extremely fun games that will keep your stress level to a minimum and brighten any rainy day with the warm smiles of your little darlings!

The first game we will explore is called BLAST OFF!!!

Okay Mom, you will need a few household items to get this game going: 2 canned goods! (Whoo hoot!)

Next: Find some open space in your home. (It doesn't have to be a huge space) Just clear enough room to place each canned good 5ft-8ft apart.

Next: Tell the kids to use their imaginations and pretend to be rocket ships. (Encourage them to count down with you) Depending on their age, you might want to start counting from 5 or go as high as 10.

Next:  Once you've counted down to 1... it's time to "BLAST OFF!!!" They can run, hop, skip or gallop to the other canned good, jump over it and land, using both feet, on the other side.  (Be sure to encourage a safe landing.)

The Second themed fun indoor game for kids is called Floating In Outer Space

This is another fun indoor game that will keep the stress level to a minimum, keep the kids moving and generate those precious smiles!

Household Items Needed: 5 - 8 small plastic Tupperware containers / 1 plastic bowl

Remember that open space you found in activity one, let’s use it again. Only this time let’s pretend it is the surface of the moon.  Choose some calming instrumental music and keep it handy.

Next: Place each container around your “moon” open side down and tell your child/children to imagine that they are craters. 

Next: Place a plastic bowl on your child’s/children’s head and tell them they are an astronaut or an alien.  Explain to your child/children that there is no gravity in outer space so when the music plays they have to float around the moon with very light and slow movements.  Instruct them that every time the music stops they have to place a different body part on the crater.  Start with an elbow, then a toe, perhaps a forehead or a rear end.  The possibilities are endless!

The third game is called Outer Space Obstacle Course

Here is a third game you can use and as well as store in your magical, rainy-day mommy bag! Again, loads of fun for all!

Household Items Needed: Cans of soup, plastic Tupperware, blankets and/or pillows

How to Play:  You guessed it.  Find that open space from the previous two activities.  The fun part is, this time, its Mars!  Add some additional canned goods to the last two that you used in activity 1.  Use the plastic tupperware from activity 2 and add blankets and/or pillows. 

Next: Set up the can goods a few feet apart in whatever pattern you like.  

Next: Set up the tupperware, open side down, in another pattern following the canned goods.  At the end of your obstacle course place your big pile of blankets and/or pillows.

Imagine the canned goods are rocks, the tupperware are craters and the blankets are sand. 

Tell your child/children they have to complete the obstacle course by jumping over each rock, tip toeing over the craters, and rolling around in the sand. 

Feel free to add on to the obstacle course in new and creative ways. 

Remember each game can be modified according to age and developmental capabilities.  And as always, safety first. 

Have a great time keeping everyone engaged, excited and having fun on those rainy days all the while exploring outer space together!  Have fun and exciting indoor games of your own? Every mom knows that sharing is caring so leave us a note in the box below! 

VROOM VROOM! A CARS PARTY TO REMEMBER

Sebastian's Mom

I recently entertained at the adorable Sebastian's 3rd birthday party.  The theme was CARS, the movie.  After we sang and danced and had a ball, it was time to sing happy birthday.  When Sebastian's mom bought out his birthday cake, my jaw dropped.  As you can see from the picture on the left,  the cake was a real attention grabber.  It was creative and delicious.  The cake had a layer of cupcakes on the bottom that looked like a field of grass and trees.  On top, the track and the cars were made using frosting and fondant.  But you know what really took the cake? Sebastian's mom had made it herself.  The kids were glued to the cake table.  It was a really fun party piece...and did I mention it was delicious.

Desserts by Toni also had a great take on the CARS theme.  My sister-in-law created this for a birthday party in Chicago.  She said it went over great.   Lots of oohs and ahs.  The kids were excited and there wasn't a bite left.

  

Now, I'm pretty sure there are 1,000's of ways to play with this idea.  I really enjoyed seeing two totally different spins on the same theme.  I'd love to see some of your car ideas if you have them!

Desserts by Toni

Here's a FUN Game With a CARS Twist:

Tell each child to grab a paper plate.  Designate an area as the track, the open road, or a field.  Turn on a song from the soundtrack, or any song that is a crowd favorite.  Stop and start the song as they drive their cars.  When the music stops they have to freeze their cars or they are out.  Its a fun take on musical chairs!

Gift Bags - Music to My Ears

Cayden’s birthday party was music to my ears! The theme of the party was Elmo. This party was a for a 2 year old and all the children were around that age. These cupcakes were so adorable and many children gravitated towards these cupcakes as soon as they entered the room. I think it was that beaming bright blue that drew them in. That and the thought of sugar! The mom of the birthday boy for this party did a fantastic job with her gift bags. My favorite part about the bag are the hang tags. What a wonderful detail! If you look closely at the picture of Cayden’s gift bags, you’ll notice that each tag has a Sesame Street character on it. The color choice was fantastic! Yellow is such a happy color and was a great contrast to the blue cupcakes. I don’t remember the entire contents of the bags but there was definitely a coloring book that the mom provided and I also added an egg shaker to each bag. I entertained at this party so my CD was included with my performance package. I love how my CDs look on the table with everything else. Although my CD wasn’t a part of the Elmo theme, my color scheme on my album worked well with everything else on the table. This table is full of great examples for anyone planning an Elmo themed birthday party for their little one. I couldn’t resist also featuring an Elmo cake design by one of my favorite bakers, Desserts by Toni! The picture of this cake truly speaks a thousand words. I can only imagine the joy the two year old that had this cake must have felt. Toni did a fantastic job making this cake look exactly like Elmo. I love both the Elmo cupcake design and the Elmo cake. Both were a huge hit at each party. These two examples show that even though you may have the same theme as thousands of other toddlers, you don’t have to have the exact same approach with your cake and decorations choices. The possibilities are endless!

Have you ever thrown an Elmo themed birthday party for a toddler? How did you decorate? How did your cake look? What type of games or activities did you plan? Please comment below.

Photo: Cayden Birthday Party

Photo: Desserts by Toni